Chantal E.Y. Bethel, Co-chair of the Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation
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Freeport, Bahamas - The following are remarks made by Chantal E. Bethel at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook on February 25th.
She was born in
Old Freetown…we met her in Sweeting’s Cay in 2009…she was blind….she
was 103 years old, yet her mind was very sharp…she shared many stories
with us…her late husband was the great grandson of
Scipion Baillou, a slave brought from Africa to the
Baillou plantation in Nassau who later landed on Old Freetown’s shore…Thanks
to her, the Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation was able to gather more
information about Old Freetown…. We are glad we interviewed her when
we did because Firstina Baillou passed away 2 weeks ago at the age
of 104….May her soul rest in peace.
Grand Bahama Island has a fascinating
history: from the Lucayan Indians, to the slaves that landed in
Old Freetown and Holmes Rock, to the lumber-jacks and to the pioneers
who transformed this Cinderella Island from miles of pine forest into
established settlements and towns, thriving industries and tourist destination.
In spite of the rich history of
the island, there are very few monuments erected to celebrate that
history. There is no museum where we can go to learn
about our people. There is no real art gallery permanently showcasing
the works of the local artists.
History helps us to understand people
and society. The Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation is a non-profit
organization with the mission to research, explore and celebrate the
history of Grand Bahama island through collection, preservation and
exhibitions. Our First exhibit was held in 2003. We have dedicated
our work to the youth of Grand Bahama who need to learn and understand
the history of their ancestors and become proud and responsible citizens.
The foundation also believes that history
can come alive when art is incorporated.
Recently there was a meeting held
by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in the USA. THE
GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION RECOGNIZED THE ARTS AS A PUBLIC POLICY ASSET and
I would like to share their thoughts which are also very much my philosophy:
They believe that the arts are
a major force in the growth and development of our global business world.
Through the arts, people learn creativity and innovation. The partnership
between the arts and business improves not only economic development
but also the social fabric and enlightenment of society.
They believe that without performing
and visual arts, we don't have a complete community. Both public and
private entities must invest in the arts to enhance a community's quality
of life and its appearance. Performing and visual arts play a key role
in making the city a wonderful place to live.
They believe that how
a community supports the arts provides insight into how the community
views itself. By promoting vibrancy in the arts, positive self-image
is encouraged
.
Combining art, history and community
was a vision that Laurie Tuchel and I had and the idea was executed
in 2008-2009. Recognizing the need for research and exploration
of the culture and history of Old Freetown, we embarked on a multifaceted
project to preserve and showcase the historical and cultural heritage
of that community.
The Freetown project, which is displayed
in the conference room today, is our first project where gathering artifacts,
memories, photos and the purposeful recounting of the community through
art made a powerful, accurate and engaging exhibition. The project was
facilitated by artist in Residence, Lauren Austin – a quilt maker
and story teller - who conducted monthly workshops with 15 participants,
ages 10 to 71. They learnt how to dye fabric, they learn how to quilt
and shared their stories with us while making art. The project was recorded
by Mackey media and partly funded by the Antiquities, Monuments and
Museum corporation of the Bahamas. This effort helped community members
to pass on their histories to new generations in a vital and engaging
way.
The Freetown Project which took about
one year to complete is a confirmation to us that, through art and history,
our Bahamian culture can be preserved and promoted.
While doing this project we also visited
areas such as Water cay. This small island which got its name because
of the fresh water well available to fishermen passing by, at one time
was considered to be the little Egypt of Grand Bahama. In the old days,
the soil there was so fertile that it provided food for most of Grand
Bahama. It was also one of the best places for sponging. Our cultural
experience there was amazing as we relished lobster tails, peas and
rice and coconut tart prepared for us by the Hield family, one of the
few who still reside there.
With art, history and culture, not
only do we celebrate ourselves and educate our children, we also have
a good product to offer to our visitors. So it is with much enthusiasm
that we want to encourage cultural tourism.
We believe that cultural tourism
is very important in Grand Bahama and will benefit the island in many
ways:
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It will celebrate, preserve
and promote Grand Bahama’s unique heritage.
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It will increase opportunities
for artists, and by artists I mean writers, musicians, poets, dancers,
actors as well as visual artists ….
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It will promote public arts
participation and at the same time it will boost economic development
History conveys a sense of where
we have been and a sense of history requires access to the history of
the island.
Our artworks need to be showcased.
Our culture
and heritage need to be shared.
In his article entitled
“ Monuments
and the making of a nation “ Architect, Mr. Patrick Rahming
wrote “
A monument is an object, constructed or natural, which creates
a permanent record of accomplishments, deemed important to a particular
community. The accomplishments may be ideas, actions or events,
and may include the creation of the monument itself. As permanent
record, these monuments have iconic value, and are important to the
development of
identity for the community they serve."
“So Rather than postponing the
creation of a monument for economic or any other reason,
it is appropriate to build a much needed museum
that will documents the challenges, struggles and successes of the people
of Grand Bahama and at the same time
empower them to become more self-reliant, innovative and responsible.
“
(VIDEO) Behind The Scenes - The Historic Journey of Freetown, Grand Bahama
History through fibre
(PHOTOS) "A Question of Faith: The Journey of Freetown," opens at Gloria Banks Galleria
