MAC elects new Board
and visit historical sites
PHILIPSBURG--Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet was the keynote speaker at the opening of the nineteenth annual general meeting of the Museum Association of the Caribbean (MAC) Thursday morning at the Pasanggrahan Conference Room.
Bryson-Pantophlet, who is St. Maarten General Managing Director of Public Education, applauded the conference theme of hands-on, participative museum exhibits. “Museums reflect our truth as a people and a nation,” she said.
She complimented the St. Maarten Museum, which was not made with tourists in mind, but was created for and by the community. She told the attendees representing 19 Caribbean countries, “Your work is important for the development of the person and the development of the nation. Keep the museum alive in the Caribbean.”
After sampling a lunch of local foods, the group was bussed to historical sites on the island, given personalised tours and had an opportunity to view firsthand what three different museums in St. Maarten are doing to engage the public to participate in the museum experience.
Pierre Beauperthuy, proprietor of The Old House, took the museum specialists on a tour of his property and house, with anecdotes about the provenance of some of the artefacts on display.
At Mont Vernon Plantation Museum, Manager Renaud Fonenille explained the intention of the plantation to provide a learning experience for schoolchildren, as they could be self-paced as they strolled through the grounds reading explanatory signs and listening to an audio explanation, which is available in three different languages.
The tour finished at Emilio Wilson Estate, with Sint Maarten Museum Director Elsje Bosch relating preservation and conservation concerns surrounding the property.
A board election was also held in which members voted for three new institutional members: St. Lucia Trust, Nelson Dock Yards and Caribbean University. The two new Associate Board members are Hazel Brookes and David Hayes.
The meeting continues today, Friday, with presentations and a visit to the St. Maarten Archaeological Centre Simarc.
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