The Community Garden project is off to a great start thanks to Grace Bay Resorts Foundation and the Sales and Marketing Team who came out in full force to clear the designated site within the Turks and Caicos National Museum campus in the Village at Grace Bay Providenciales.

The primary objective of the garden project, spearheaded by Nutrition in Demand, is to encourage persons to grow their own food, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and promote a healthier lifestyle. Turks and Caicos National Museum is happy to be collaborating on this project. Farming showcased in the Caicos Heritage Exhibit as an integral part of the lifestyle of the 1900s is no longer typical to the islands. The Community Garden gives persons who may need some encouragement to start gardening an ideal space to do so in a social setting with access to technical support from the Department of Agriculture.

Special thanks to Grace Bay Resorts Foundation and the Sales and Marketing Team, Ms. Daphne Forbes and all of the other volunteers who participated in the clearing project as well as those who worked behind the scenes to provide the necessary support. The garden space is now clear. Volunteers are welcome to sign up to assist as this Community Garden Project progresses. For more information, please contact Tamika Handfield 442-3978.

We congratulate Holy Family Academy, the winner of the Turks and Caicos National Museum’s fourth annual History and Cultural Heritage Quiz! Well done! Congratulations to Raymond Gardiner High School on their second place win and third consecutive win as a quiz finalist!

Thank you to the nine secondary schools for participating in the quiz, to the teachers, parents and students for their hard work that went into the preparation for participation in this quiz. It was a closely contested quiz with an exciting finish.

Davar Lewis -student, Cajair Davidson-student, Cameron Handfield-student, Dr. Michael Pateman , Ms. Stacie Ann Taylor – Teacher Raymond Gardiner High School)

Special thanks to our sponsors, Fortis TCI, interCaribbean Airways, TC Reef Fund, Grace Bay Car Rentals, United Taxi Alliance and the Departments of Education and Culture. We say thank you the Teacher’s Workshop facilitators, Quiz committee, Rachel Harvey, Drexler Smith, Brandon Handfield, Brenda Clare, Enid Capron Ripsaw Band and our dedicated volunteers.

Dr. Michael Pateman – Director National Museum, Ms. Ludwina Fulford-Director Department of Culture, with winners Christian Jean, Ikera Stubbs, Nahshya Hinson and Mr. Edgar Howell- Director-Department of Education, Ms. Guilmese Gustave-teacher Holy Family Academy,  Mrs. Ruth Forbes – Senior Vice – President of Fortis TCI Ltd., Candianne Williams, Museum Representative

Delivering on a promise made by the Hon. Premier, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson earlier this year at the inaugural Museum fundraising Gala, Hon. Karen Malcomb, Minister of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services presented a fifty-thousand-dollar sponsorship check to the Turks and Caicos National Museum Foundation (TCNMF) at the third Right Excellent JAGS McCartney Lecture Series at the National Memorial Site.

The money will be used by the museum to:

• Expand and create new events which will increase their fundraising ability and community programming,

• Expand the museum’s research programming into little known aspects of TCI history to also include local students that can train in heritage management

• Create new products to help educate locals on undiscovered TCI history,

• Develop new exhibits, and

• Expand the archival storage ability to help with the increased request to store historic documents.

Museum Director, Dr. Michael Pateman explains that “Over the next year we will be premiering many new programs including a documentary on traditional boat building, several history books aimed at the local schools, new exhibits on Salt and Governance in the TCI and so much more.”

President of the TCNMF Seamus Day said, “On behalf of the Members and Directors, we thank the Turks and Caicos Islands government and especially the Hon. Premier for this support. Over the last several years, the Museum has refocused on incorporating the local community more into our events, programs and exhibits and the government’s support will really allow us to expand on that.”

The sponsorship check from the government was not the only donation the Museum received during heritage month.   Mr. Alton Higgs a traditional “bush doctor”  from Lorimers, Middle Caicos (now resident on Grand Turk) gave the museum a basket he made from coconut leaves and stems marking the occasion of his 99^th Birthday on October 17^th 2019.

The TCNMF is a registered not for profit organization aimed at recording, interpreting, preserving and celebrating the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.  The TCNMF is headquartered at two-hundred-year-old Guinep House on Grand Turk and also has a facility in the Village of Grace Bay on Providenciales.

August Newsletter

July Newsletter 

A day to show our appreciation to the community and supporters.   Free Entry.  Food, Drinks, Games & Prizes for the kids, Live Music with Island Vibes Band, Kids Karaoke, Face Painting, Horse Rides and more!

Back in the Day-2019

The third annual Museum Day Event, ‘Back in the Day’, was successfully held by the Turks and Caicos National Museum, Grace Bay, Providenciales on Friday, June 21 2019. The inclement weather that resulted in the postponement of the event from its originally scheduled date of May 18, International Museum Day was certainly not an issue this time around, as it was a beautiful sunny day. However, attendees welcomed the shade provided by the many tents in the garden.

Attendees stepped into the Caicos Heritage Homestead and were transported to the last century where they had the opportunity to learn, participate and observe many aspects of the traditional lifestyle typical to the early mid-1900s. Once some of our younger visitors understood workings of the hand crank ice cream maker, they enthusiastically helped Ms. Malcolm to turn it, while anxiously awaiting the promised ice cream. I have the fond memory of hearing a young student proudly say to her peers, ‘This is the ice-cream that I made’ satisfied with the outcome of her first time experience. The women of the Leeward Methodist Church Women’s Fellowship served up some delightfully delicious traditional treats.

Ms. Daphne Forbes, Mrs. Jane (Oleta) Missick and Mrs. Alveria Duncombe shared their stories they weaved baskets, made scrap mats and made grits. Many watched with interest as Ms. June Hawkins washed clothes using wash tubs, basins and scrubbing boards while others remembered those tedious tasks not very fondly I might add. Mrs. Bathel Handfield took us back to the days of roasted corn and sweet potatoes, which was a real treat. No detail was lost on the audience as Ms. Brenda Clare vividly described various aspects of life ‘Back in the Day’ and interjected colourful anecdotes. Mr. Bill Clare also shared stories from yesterday and Mrs. Cheryl Foreman who also co –hosted the event, helped to put everything in context.

The Caicos Sloop that Pastor Goldston Williams began building at the first ‘Back in the Day’ event was completed in time to be donated to the museum in time for this year’s event. Pastor Goldston, also demonstrated the weaving of fishing nets as he spoke of the importance of the Caicos Sloop in the cultural heritage of the islands.

Traditional games were a big hit especially the spinning of tops that were hand made by Pastor Gold. Mr. Dwight Myrie, Pastor Gold and Ms. Almartha Thomas were on hand to ably demonstrate, teach, reminisce and even compete with top spinning and other games. It was loads of fun and it shows that the pastimes of yesterday are still able to entertain today.

Enid Capron Primary School ripsaw band delighted the audience and got support and tips from the maestro Lindsay Butterfield (Zeus).  Zeus, Alfred Robinson and Vaughn Hinds gave a fantastic performance and were able to give quick lessons and gain additional band members from the audience, young, young at heart, visitors and residents all got an instrument and joined in the fun. We even got a chance to see Dr. Jameiko Harvey’s skill with the saw. Mr. Arthur Dean’s performance included a repertoire that took us through time. Wrapping up the entertainment was the young Jahvian Braithwaite singing oldies as if he lived in that era and TCI poet Rachael Harvey reminding us of the importance of embracing our cultural heritage.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Department of Culture, Turks and Caicos Tourist Board, Turks and Caicos National Trust, TC Marina, Turks Head Brewery, T&C Refreshments, IGA Supermarkets, CBMS Ltd, Island Bargains, International Waste Water Treatment Technologies Ltd., Friends of the Arts, Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Grace Bay Branch, Provo Water Company Ltd, June Hawkins, James Parker. A big thank you to Clement Howell Tourism Club, Abiola Streete, Shirley Atkins and to all of our volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event the success that it was.