On Wednesday, the Virgin Islands Council of the Arts (VICA) will premiere its emancipation exhibit, “Celebrating the Virgin Islands Freedom Week,” at 5:30 p.m. at its location in downtown Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. The exhibit is free and will be open to the public until July 2.
The exhibit, which kicks off Freedom Week on St. Thomas, features photographs that narrate the cumulative stories that shape the understanding of the Virgin Islands’ road to liberation for enslaved persons in the Danish West Indies and their pre-emancipation reality. Freedom Week marks the seven-day period prior to the official Emancipation Day celebrated on July 3.
Kendall Henry, the special project coordinator for VICA, believes that this exhibit offers an opportunity for the community to be engaged with their history and culture in a meaningful way.
“These archives offer a view through the looking glass of where we have come as Virgin Islanders. We are able to see how our physicalities have shifted through the years, including clothing, landscape and infrastructure. On the other side of that coin, we are also able to see how much still remains the same, offering threads of connection back to our ancestors and their lives before us,” Henry said.
“This exhibit took time to come together. Julianna Berry played an integral role in curating this presentation, as she has spent an immense amount of time researching through the Danish archives, downloading invaluable pictures and documents, as well as organizing them in a way that makes them more accessible for our community to digest and integrate. This exhibit is not just a collection of pictures but also includes short descriptions of the photos and the years they were taken,” Henry continued.
Attendees of the emancipation exhibit can expect an evening of cultural and historical richness, including complimentary hors d’oeuvres, live music and a cash bar. Additionally, VICA will be announcing the opening of its grants portal. This announcement will include the dates of their “How to Apply Programs” and an overview of how the organization strives to support Virgin Islands creatives.
For more information, prospective attendees can contact VICA at 340-774-5984.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the exhibit will open on Thursday. It will open on Wednesday.
