An abstract representation of a quilt by Artist in Residence Lauren Austin

The Freeport News - A Question of Faith: The Journey of Freetown," an historical perspective told through fibre art and an exhibition scheduled for November 12 in Grand Bahama, gives the descendants of that old eastern settlement a quilt with enough warmth to cover their expansive histories.

A project of the Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation, the exhibition is the result of a seven-month artistic process, historical documentation and cinematic recording of the history of the old Freetown by the inhabitants of new Freetown. Once located by the coast, all that is left of old Freetown is a cemetery called Infantview for its first inhabitant – a baby – and the ruins of an old house. The settlement was one of the first known communities of freed slaves on the island.

Committed to using art to bring history to life in the absence of artifacts, the GB Heritage Foundation embarked on the project, funded by the Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) in 2008. The group hosted artist Lauren Austin who taught participants from ages four to 77 to make quilts that depicted their personal histories.

"We find that art is a window into the past, and we find that it's a better way to show people history by using the arts," said Chantal Bethel of the group's motto. An artist also, Bethel is Co-chair and Co-Founder of the Foundation along with Laurie Tuchel, a community organizer.

10 year old Elizabeth Roberts sewing her quilt during the workshop

Once a month, Austin facilitated the quilt-making among the group of 15 participants. Participants were asked to select the photographs they would use in what would become Photo Memory Quilts. The photos were printed on fabric. Additional pieces of dyed and painted fabric were used to form the rest of the hand and machine-stitched quilts.

"Perhaps the most fascinating element of this day was listening to participants tell why they had chosen the specific photos or artifacts for their quilts," recounted Austin. "Invariably, their choice involved not a specific day or event, but rather a person or representative object that was very important to their daily life that had helped shape or guide their lives and the lives of those around them. Several stories involved the importance of individual family members to their personal growth and upbringing...

"Our project helped community members to pass on their histories to new generations in a vital and engaging way. The cross-generational aspect of the Freetown History/Art Project was not only ideal to achieve the project's objectives, but also an essential model for similar projects to preserve the sense of identity and purpose of future generations."

The multi-faceted project spurred research by Darius Williams, which the Foundation sponsored. Marion Bethel served as writer for the project and Dave Mackey filmed the entire process for a screening during the exhibition. The Foundation also plans to produce a catalogue of the exhibition and the artistic process for sale. The quilt will become the property of the GB Heritage Foundation.

9 year old Ahamal Lightbourn displaying his finished quilt with his dad

The group, which has already acquired a few artifacts, plans ultimately to create a museum on the island.

The exhibition on November 12 is one of a series of events that the Foundation has hosted since its establishment in 2003. That year the founders were asked to put on an exhibition for the 30th Anniversary of Independence. At that time artists donated paintings representing heritage of the island to the future museum.

"We found out that people were really interested in the history of Grand Bahama and we decided ... we can't stop, so we decided we're going to continue and then we had to start working."

The Foundation's wide range of projects included participation in the organization of Freeport's 50th Anniversary exhibit in 2005; an historical exhibit on the Abaco Lumber Company in July 2006 at Arawak Cay; "Artistic Expressions," a special exhibit by various GB Artists in November 2006 and a March 2007 reading by award-winning Bahamian poet Marion Bethel from her published work Hurricane of Desire.

Later in 2007, the Foundation commemorated the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the exhibition "Freedom Call." In December of that year the group acquired artist Antonius Roberts' "Sacred Women," a collection of 12 sculptures representing the freed slaves of Freetown. In 2009, the Foundation screened the "Artists of the Bahamas" documentary, directed by Karen Arthur and Thomas Neuwirth, that features 11 of the country's leading artists.

The GB Heritage Foundation became a registered non-profit organization in accordance with the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Act in 2004. Its mission is "To research, explore and celebrate the history of Grand Bahama Island through collection, preservation and exhibition of historical objects."

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Freetown children