WELL FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS JUNE HAS BEEN A TIME TO ALSO CELEBRATE THE RICH
CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF CARIBBEAN AMERICANS IN HONOR OF NATIONAL CARIBBEAN
AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH HISTORY FORT LAUDERDALE'S LATEST EXHIBIT ISLAND
IMPRINT TAKES VISITORS BACK IN TIME SHOWCASING THE HISTORY AND IMPACT OF THE
CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY OF BROWARD COUNTY FROM POLITICS TO ART
THE ISLAND IMPRINT AS AN EXHIBITION IS A CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
INSTALLATION THAT WE'VE DONE AT HISTORY FORT LAUDERDALE WE HAVE TWO SECTIONS TO
THE TO THE EXHIBITION PART OF IT IS AN ART EXHIBITION WHERE WE FEATURE
CARIBBEAN ARTISTS WHO HAVE LIVED AND WORKED IN BROWARD AND THE OTHER SIDE IS
WHERE WE TAKE A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE CARIBBEAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN BROWARD
COUNTY SO THE EXHIBIT IS OUR MAIN ROOM IN THE
NEW RIVER INN WHICH IS THE RAILROAD HOTEL I REALLY ENJOY FEATURING THESE
HERITAGE EXHIBITS BECAUSE IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THOSE CULTURES WHICH
I HAVE FOUND ARE SO MUCH MORE IN TUNE WITH THE ECOLOGY OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND
PRESERVING THAT FOR ALL PEOPLE WE HAVE FOUND FOUR AWESOME ARTISTS BEHIND ME IN
THE BACKGROUND HERE IS THE WORK OF PAUL CAMPBELL WHO IS ONE OF OUR JAMAICAN
ARTISTS AND THEN WE HAVE SONIA SANCHEZ ARIAS WHO DOES THESE SPECTACULAR PHOTOS
WITH HER IPHONE WE HAVE SYLVIA ELLIS SIMONE THE CUBAN
ARTISTS AND THEN CARL JERRY CRAIG HAS ANOTHER SET OF ARTWORK ON THE WALLS IN
HERE THESE THREE PAINTINGS ARE FROM A SERIES CALLED MANDALA THE MANDALA CAN BE
A MOTHER A CHILD THE MOON THE SUN AND THE TEXTURES AS YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE
SLIGHTLY BUILT UP AND SCORED INTO THEM SO THAT I GET THAT FEELING OF LIKE
RIPPLES IN WATER WHEN YOU DROP A STONE IN AND IT OPENS UP AND GROWS AND I FEEL
THAT WHEN I'M PAINTING
WHEN I LOOK AT THE ARTWORK OF THESE FOUR ARTISTS COMING FROM THE SAME REGION AND
HOW THEY INTERPRET THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND HOW THEY TAKE WHATEVER THEIR FORM OF
ART IS AND CREATE SOMETHING SPECIAL AND BEAUTIFUL IT SAYS TO ME WE ARE DIFFERENT
BUT THERE IS BEAUTY IN THAT DIFFERENCE THE IDEA IS THAT I MAY NOT KNOW YOU AND
I MAY HAVE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT YOU BUT ONCE I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EAT YOUR FOOD AND SEE YOUR ART AND TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT THEN THEN WE'RE
HUMAN BEINGS TOGETHER HERE THERE ARE . MILLION PEOPLE OVER THOUSAND OF THEM
ARE BORN IN JAMAICA HAITI CUBA OR PUERTO RICO AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE THE
BOHEMIANS AND THE TRINIDADIANS AND AND ALL THE OTHER CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES SO WE
REALLY HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE HERE JAMAICANS AND CARIBBEAN NATIONALS
CONTINUE TO EXCEL AND THIS EXHIBITION SHOWS IT AND I THINK THE MORE WE
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE THAT WE'VE PLAYED IT'S A GREATER SENSE OF PRIDE THAT WE
WILL CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT THE INFLUENCE OF US IS EVERYWHERE AND I WANT PEOPLE TO
APPRECIATE THAT BEYOND THE PLATE BEYOND THE SAND AND THE SUN AND THE BEACHES AND
UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE VALUABLE WE ARE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FABRIC OF
AMERICAN SOCIETY STARTING RIGHT HERE WHERE WE ARE IN BROWARD COUNTY AND
ISLAND IMPRINT THE HISTORY OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY IN BROWARD COUNTY
WILL BE AT THE NEW RIVER INN AT HISTORY FORT LAUDERDALE THROUGH SATURDAY JUNE
29TH.
IT IS FREE FOR MUSEUM MEMBERS MILITARY AND CHILDREN AGES SIX AND UNDER
AND FOR MORE INFO YOU CAN VISIT HISTORY FORT LAUDERDALE DOT ORG SLASH MUSEUM AS
ALWAYS WE'LL HAVE THIS LINK ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT YOUR SOUTH FL.