By Pat Saxton
Director

On January 13, 2016 the Museum held an invitation only exhibit preview for our members, volunteers and supporters.

Guests mingle under the stars in anticipation of the grand opening.

HE Governor Peter Beckingham did the honor of cutting the ribbon to our newest exhibit: 19-20th Century Office. Governor Beckingham’s office donated the funding for the exhibit and the revitalization of the John Glenn and Military Base exhibits.

HE Governor Beckingham (left) cuts the ribbon while Directior Pat Saxton (right) holds it steady.

After a good look at the new exhibits and lively conversation over the old photos, we congregated on the outside back deck. A slide show entertained the guests while we all munched on delicious appetizers.

The new ‘office’ exhibit. Come to the museum to see all of our new exhibits.

A special shout out to volunteers; Mitchell Loeb, Catherine Foley, Jack and Janet Sheery, Hilary Day, Claudia and Edger, and of course our staff: Candianne, Fred, Nikki and Cecile! Special events like this are just one more reason to become a member and supporter.

By Candianne Williams
Grace Bay Development Office

The year 2015 is almost at an end and the holiday season is upon us. To end the year these two school groups went on a field trip that included the Museum’s Development Office in the Village at Grace Bay.

Osetta Jolly Primary School’s Grade 6 class and their teacher Mrs. Robinson visited us. We were also visited by grades one through three of the Shining Stars Primary School accompanied by Mrs. Reid, Mrs. Jackson, Ms. Campbell and Ms. Gibson.

Osetta Jolly Grade 6 Students visit Museum and tour the Caicos Heritage House. Photo by Candianne Williams

The students were very intelligent and engaging and I enjoyed interacting with them. I also have to compliment the teachers for doing an excellent job as was evident from the students’ questions and responses to the questions that were posed to them.

Both groups enjoyed their visit and remarked that they found the Development Office fascinating, informative and interesting. We wish you all Happy Holidays and the very best for the coming year.

By Candianne Williams
Museum Development Office
The Village at Grace Bay

One of the events planned to celebrate the Turks and Caicos National Museum’s 25th Anniversary is the launch of the first annual National Museum Quiz for secondary school students. The quiz semifinals will be held on February 25th 2016 and the finals on March 3rd 2016 during Education Week.

On Wednesday 25th November a quiz preparation workshop for the secondary school history teachers was held at the Museum’s Development Office in the Village at Grace Bay, Providenciales in conjunction with the Department of Education. These teachers will be the coaches for the teams for the Quiz.

The museum’s outdoor exhibit, the Caicos Heritage House and Garden in the Village in Grace Bay, is the inspiration for the quiz. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) definition of cultural heritage as tangible, intangible and natural heritage will be used to inform the scope of the quiz.

Mr Ben Stubenberg

The teachers who participated in the workshop represented eight secondary schools from across the Turks and Caicos Islands. The schools represented were H J Robinson High School in Grand Turk, Raymond Gardiner High School in North Caicos, Marjorie Basden High School in South Caicos and Clement Howell High School, Maranatha High School, Wesley Methodist School, Long Bay High School and TCIPS Comprehensive High School in Providenciales. Special thanks to Fortis for sponsoring the workshop and making it possible to have representation form the family islands.

Mr Mark Garland

Mr. Mark Garland, Deputy Director of Education and a member of the planning team of the Museum’s National Quiz Committee addressed the workshop. He spoke to teachers about the important role they play in passing on the cultural heritage of these islands to their students and encouraged them to participate fully in the workshop.

Ms. Talisha Simons, Manager of Corporate Communications, Fortis TCI, the Corporate Sponsor for the Quiz, reiterated the company’s commitment to the education of the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands, their expressed interest in the history and cultural heritage of these islands and said how happy they were to sponsor the Museum’s National Quiz.

Mr. Don Stark founder Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, sponsoring partner spoke about the Coral Reef Program which will be launched early next year, first in the primary schools and then in the secondary schools. The TCI Reef Fund, the National Museum and Department of Environmental and Maritime Affairs are collaborating on this program.

Teachers at workshop.

Mr. Ben Stubenberg, owner of Caicu Naniki and sponsoring partner enticed all present with the details of the 3 day, 2 night tour to the historic city of Cap Haitien, which is the main prize trip for the winning team accompanied by the teacher/coach. One of the trip highlights will be a tour of the Citadelle Fortress which is the largest in the Americas and a UNESCO protected World Heritage Site.

Workshop Facilitators: Mrs. Patricia Saxton – Director of the National Museum; Mrs. Nikki Jennings – National Museum’s Tour Guide, Mrs. Amy Avenant – Environmental Outreach Coordinator, Dept. of Environmental & Maritime Affairs (DEMA), Ms. Angella Freites Department of Culture, Mr. David Bowen from Grace Bay Resorts Community Foundation gave fantastic presentations on aspects of cultural heritage based on UNESCO’s definition. These presentations were each followed by very fruitful discussions. The general consensus coming out of the workshop was that it was informative and beneficial to all present.

By Candianne Williams
Development Office
The Village at Grace Bay

There are many new plants in the Heritage Garden, artfully arranged with informative signage which gives the local name, the scientific name and its use.

New plants with information signs are a nice addition to the heritage garden.

Thanks to Bryan Naqqi Manco, Caicos Pine Recovery Project Manager on North Caicos, who devoted Saturday 21st November 2015 to the Museum’s Caicos Heritage Garden.

Additionally, thanks to the Department of Environment & Maritime Affairs Native Plant Nursery in Kew, North Caicos for the great plants and to Lewtide for bringing them from North Caicos to Providenciales in pristine shape.

Plants on the barge from North Caicos on their way to the Caicos Heritage House.

Special thanks to Natalie Zaidan owner and Mark van Eyssen Maintenance Manager of Environmental Arts for making it happen. The plants were collected, stored and then planted thanks to the management and staff of Environmental Arts. They also cleared and trucked away the dry and unsightly shrubbery.

Environmental Arts team cleaning up the garden and helping to get the plants into the ground.

The garden is taking shape; we have many plans for the future and will keep you updated. We hope you will visit soon.

By Candianne Williams
Museum Development Office
The Village at Grace Bay

The Road Map of Providenciales is the most relied on guide to finding one’s way around the island especially for but not only for the visitors. I am pleased to say that the Turks and Caicos National Museum Foundation, the Village, Grace Bay now appears on the 2016 Road Map of Providenciales, which is now in circulation.

Our first map visitors were Timothy Ryan and Amanda Benson. I saw walking around in the rain dressed in raincoats and map in hand. They told me that when they saw us on the map, they were determined to find us and would not let the weather deter them. They were visiting from Tennessee and enjoyed they stay which they say was coming to an end all too quickly, a sure indication that they were having a great time. They were however very happy to spend some time learning about the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands. They said that they found it fascinating.

Our second map visitor was L. B. Brown, a first time visitor to Turks and Caicos from New York. Her vacation was all about being in the sun for a couple days to rejuvenate. She wanted to soak in the history and culture of the island. When she looked at the road map, she was thrilled to find that there was a museum office in Providenciales. She too came, map in hand in a rented car. She said that the visit to the Development Office and Heritage House and Garden was the highlight of her trip. She was looking forward to a museum on her return visit.
We look forward to welcoming more visitors.

By Patricia Saxton
Director

In November we had some very interesting guests, all the way from California. A very young 89 year old- Miss Lolita “Lita” Taylor and her traveling companions, Alma Hayes and Ron Roth came to the Museum to see we had any information about Lita’s great-great grandfather Reverend John Turtle.

Ron Roth, Lita Taylor, and Alma Hayes (L-R) visit the Museum.

Rev Turtle was the first Methodist clergy, and had come to Grand Turk even before the church was built! Unfortunately he passed here in Grand Turk at the young age of 32 from “consumption”. We know this because we were able to bring up the death notices from 1825. We believe he is buried on the “island within and island” grave site, where many people were buried before the government cemetery was built.

Lita has done extensive research on her relative, which has taken her to the UK, where she found original letters, which were housed in the School of Oriental and African studies library at the University of London. Ms. Taylor also transcribed the letters and has donated copies of the originals and the transcriptions to our archives. Transcribing these letters is a very tiresome job, so the National Museum commends our new found friend for all of the hard work! It was such a pleasure to meet with Lita, Alma and Ron and to spend time with them. I am hoping we can we can see all of them again soon!