Times of the Islands Summer 2024

quite petite.” Later that day
when we viewed the space,
I finally understood what
he meant and I couldn’t
help but be puzzled by his
suggestion. “Quite petite?
Try minuscule,” I thought
to myself as I stood in
the 116-square-foot former
foyer of the splendid
and historically significant
“Guinep House,” which
serves as the home of the
Turks & Caicos National
Museum.
It is said that “things
happen for a reason” and
it was time to look at all the positives of this move—
and there were several. For starters, the location and
the address, Turks & Caicos National Museum, are hard
to beat, parking is ample, and your footfall is guaranteed.
As the weeks rolled by, with freshly painted walls
and carefully selected artwork, I grew increasingly convinced
that perhaps this was a hidden blessing. When an
astonishing 45 works of art graced the walls, it became
abundantly clear that it was indeed a stroke of good fortune
in disguise.
As Picasso wisely stated, “Others have seen what is
and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why
not.” On December 4, 2023, as dozens of visitors enthusiastically
appreciated local art and photography adorning
the walls of Grand Turk’s newest and only fine arts gallery,
I knew that a new and exciting chapter in Turks &
Caicos art history had begun.
Here’s to the Renaissance!—
The artistic marvel of “Made in the TCI”
I’ll be perfectly honest, when the TDB Fine Arts Gallery
opened within the Turks & Caicos National Museum on
that memorable day in December 2023, I was uncertain
about what to expect. While many established artists
from the Bamboo Gallery such as Dwight Outten, Benada
Oduma, Pamela Leach, and Patricia Moore had joined TDB
Fine Arts, along with new talents like Grand Turk’s Aysha
At left (from top): The TDB Fine Arts Gallery has fast become a focal
point for residents and visitors who like to come in and talk art and
culture, surrounded by some great art, “Made in the TCI.”
Grand Turk artist Aysha Stephen creates one of her iconic “Cool
Donkeys” in the TCI National Museum’s botanical garden.
“Team TDB Fine Arts” pose outside the Turks & Caicos Islands
National Museum, the gallery’s new home.
42 www.timespub.tc