As always, we’re working on new stuff for the Amuseum. This Tuesday, we’re relaunching the photo essay Shadow of a Drought, featuring a new exhibit on the endemic species that are found only on St. Martin and launching the world premiere of our new film 2000 Feet Under the Sea.
We are excited to launch a new exhibit telling one of the most interesting stories we know about wildlife on St. Martin: the animals that arrived on St. Martin with the human help and have transformed both the ecology and history of the island and continue to do so. The invaders have exterminated native species, spread disease and even helped cause the collapse of at least one agricultural industry.
On Tuesday we launched the new featured exhibit in our special exhibit hall, Women, People of Color and the Making of Natural History in the Caribbean, created by Jenn Yerkes. The exhibit launched with engaging, in-depth displays on four largely unsung figures in Caribbean natural history studies: Maria Sibylla Merian, Graman Quassi, Richard Hill and Felipe Poey. The exhibit will be on display for the next month, with additional profiles to be added during that time.
Island residents and tourists of all ages are invited to the free grand opening of the exhibit Women, People of Color, and the Making of Natural History in the Caribbean, on Tuesday, February 9 from 6-10pm at Amuseum Naturalis in Grand Case.
The exhibit is a special series at Amuseum Naturalis, created to shine a light on the contributions of women and people of color in the study of natural history in the Caribbean, from the 1600s to the early 1900s. The exhibit brings their discoveries, explorations and stories to life with vivid biographical snapshots and reproductions of beautiful historical zoological and botanical illustrations, engravings, portraits and maps.
“The historical contributions of women and people of color to science have often been hidden, suppressed, or simply not as well publicized as those of their white male contemporaries, and this is just as true in the Caribbean as elsewhere,” explains Jenn Yerkes, Amuseum Naturalis co-curator and Les Fruits de Mer President. “We wanted to create an opportunity for people to discover the fascinating stories of these incredible women and men who helped to build the scientific heritage of the Caribbean.”
The free, public exhibit will launch Tuesday night with the first installation of the series, which will include captivating figures such as naturalist and scientific artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717), known for her expedition to Suriname to document Caribbean insects, reptiles, birds, and plants; Graman Quassi (ca. 1690 – ca. 1780), a renowned Surinamese healer and botanist of African descent; Richard Hill (1795-1872), a trailblazing mixed-race naturalist and anti-slavery activist from Jamaica; and Felipe Poey (1799-1891), a Cuban zoologist known for his pioneering study of Caribbean marine life. The upcoming installations will be added throughout the run of the exhibit, so there will be new additions for visitors to enjoy every week. The exhibit will coincide with Black History Month and run through International Women’s Day, March 8, 2016.
Women, People of Color, and the Making of Natural History in the Caribbean will be on display in the special exhibit hall of Amuseum Naturalis, Les Fruits de Mer’s free pop-up museum of natural history located at 96 Boulevard de Grand Case. Amuseum Naturalis is open to the public on Tuesdays during the Mardis de Grand Case street fair, and is sponsored by Delta Petroleum.
We’re happy to share a new trailer with you, 2000 Feet Under the Sea, a vintage adventure from 2009 when the team set out to explore the deep sea just off the coast of Roatan, Honduras with Karl Stanley in his submarine Idabel. Our quest was to find a near-forgotten shipwreck and document for rare and unusual creatures in the cold depths of the sea.
The film will be coming soon to the Amuseum Naturalis theater and a website near you.
Thanks to everyone who came by for World Wetlands Day! It was great to be able to share some of the most fascinating facets of St. Martin’s wetlands with hundreds of locals and visitors. We feel very lucky to have a space where the local community can participate in international events like this. Here are a few photos from last night.