The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, through its Division of Libraries, Archives, and Museums, is inviting the community to help shape the future of the territory’s most historically significant landmarks, Fort Christian Museum on St. Thomas and Fort Frederik Museum on St. Croix.
As both sites move through disaster recovery and restoration planning, DPNR has launched a conceptual exhibition planning process designed to ensure future exhibits reflect the authentic stories, cultures, and lived experiences of Virgin Islanders. “These forts belong to the people of the Virgin Islands, and it is essential that this project reflect the voices, values, and lived experiences of our residents. The multicultural richness and deep historical legacy of the Virgin Islands provide tremendous opportunities to thoughtfully curate exhibits that are educational, inclusive, engaging, and representative of our collective heritage,” said Amy Parker De Sorbo, territorial director of the Division of Libraries, Museums, and Archives.
According to DPNR, both Fort Museums have been designated as disaster recovery projects and are currently undergoing architectural and engineering review ahead of future renovations. Officials say completing the conceptual planning phase now will establish the interpretive foundation for the future exhibit fabrication and installation once restoration work on the structures is complete.
Fort Frederik, in particular, carries deep historical significance as the site where Virgin Islands ancestors courageously demanded and secured their freedom during the 1848 emancipation uprising, which is recognized as the second successful uprising to end slavery in the Western Hemisphere.
FDPNR is seeking public input as part of an ongoing effort to guide the future of the territory’s historic and cultural heritage initiatives. (Photo courtesy William Torillo)
“These Fort Museums are not simply historic buildings; they are civic memory keepers. They hold the stories of resistance, governance, culture, labor, trade, freedom, and identity that shape the Virgin Islands. The conceptual planning phase gives us the opportunity to think carefully about how those stories should be told, whose voices should be centered, and how future generations will experience these spaces,” said Jozette Walker, assistant commissioner of DPNR.
According to the department, each session will include a 15-minute presentation outlining proposed exhibition themes and interpretive storytelling directions, followed by a community question-and-answer discussion with the project team. Residents will also have the opportunity to provide additional feedback through an online public survey.
DPNR officials say community feedback gathered during the town hall meetings will be reviewed alongside recommendations from DPNR staff, historians, scholars, and cultural stakeholders. The combined input will then be shared with Howard + Revis, the exhibition design firm responsible for developing conceptual plans for the museums.
“The town halls allow us to hear what residents believe must be preserved, interpreted, corrected, expanded, and elevated. That feedback will help ensure that future exhibitions reflect a broader and more authentic Virgin Islands story,” Monica Marin, chief curator for the Division of Libraries, Archives, and Museums, said.
Community input will help shape the future storytelling and preservation of Virgin Islands history through upcoming museum restoration and exhibition planning efforts. (Photo courtesy DPNR)
Officials say the online survey is another important component of the public engagement process, allowing residents who cannot attend the meetings to still contribute their ideas and perspectives.
“The online survey gives the broader community another doorway into the planning process. Not everyone can attend a town hall, but many residents have valuable memories, perspectives, and expectations for these museums. Their responses will help sharpen the final conceptual plans so that the exhibitions are not only professionally designed, but locally informed and culturally rooted,” Walker said.
Marin added that survey responses will help curators identify themes and stories that deserve deeper interpretations. “Survey responses help us look for patterns in what the community values most. They can point us toward stories that need deeper interpretation, voices that should be included, and experiences that will make the museums more meaningful to students, families, residents, researchers, and visitors,” Marin said.
DPNR expects the final conceptual plans for both museums to be completed by August 2026. Those plans will guide future exhibition design, fabrication, and installation once restoration of the historic structures is finished.
Officials encourage residents across the territory to participate in the planning process and help shape how Virgin Islands history will be preserved and shared with future generations.
The Fort Christian Museum virtual town hall is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. using the Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 254 059 854 527 850 and the passcode yL3CH7tX.
The Fort Frederik Museum virtual town hall is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. using the Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 280 538 223 443 173 and the passcode HD6yTi7.
No registration is required to participate.
A proposed deal would settle all sex-crime claims against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein and block any future claims. A St. Croix attorney said the proposal would reward Epstein’s enablers and punish those who have not yet come forward. (Photo courtesy Bespoke Real Estate)
A Virgin Islands attorney has objected to a proposed settlement of all sexual assault and trafficking suits against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. The agreement would also block any future suits related to Epstein’s abuse of women and girls while setting aside tens of millions for Epstein’s friends and heirs.
A federal judge in New York preliminarily approved the proposed settlement, brought by Florida-based attorneys for the lead plaintiff in a class-action suit against Epstein’s estate, in February, setting a timeline for details to be hammered out through the summer.
The settlement would cover all sex-crime claims against Epstein between Jan. 1, 1995, and Aug. 10, 2019, when Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell at 66. It would release Epstein’s estate — estimated to have dwindled to around $120 million — as well as its managers, longtime attorney and accountant for the sex offender Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, from the current litigation and any future legal action related to Epstein’s crimes, many of which allegedly took place in the territory.
St. Croix attorney Russell Pate, who has represented Virgin Islanders in suits against tobacco, oil, and other industries, wrote to the court expressing his objection. The settlement would reserve $80 million to be distributed as Epstein laid out in his will — potentially rewarding people who aided and abetted the financier’s notorious sex crimes, Pate said.
Pate wrote to the court Friday, saying he had just learned of the settlement plan. If it took a docket-watching attorney months to hear of the plan, what hope would a nonlawyer have, he asked.
He planned to be at the Sept. 16 hearing.
“There could be dozens of unknown victims, who never receive actual notice of this class-action settlement, but would have their claims extinguished even though these victims may have timely claims pursuant to statute-of-limitations tolling available in the U.S. Virgin Islands or their home court jurisdictions. This is a Due Process problem,” he wrote to the court Friday.
The agreement should be altered, Pate said, to allow any potential victim to join the class action suit and not shield the estate from future suits. Further, the deal made in New York would undermine legal proceedings underway in the Virgin Islands, where the estate is situated.
“The Epstein Estate, however, is a Virgin Islands entity administered under Virgin Islands law, and the situs of the Estate – including its approximately $120 million in remaining assets – is in a U.S. Virgin Islands’ probate proceeding. The proposed Judgment from this Court would effectively adjudicate the rights of present and future tort claimants against the Epstein Estate, including those who might sue in the Virgin Islands,” Pate wrote.
A key difference is how the wealth of a deceased person is treated in New York — where named Epstein plaintiff could see $875,000 — versus the Virgin Islands, where Pate estimated those same women could be estimated to millions.
“New York follows an archaic legal principle that when a defendant dies, like Jeffrey Epstein, victims can no longer seek punitive damages, despite Epstein’s outrageous, egregious, and reprehensible intentional conduct. The Virgin Islands, like Pennsylvania, Ohio and a minority of other States, follows a more enlightened approach: That the death of a defendant changes nothing in the case; not the claims or the damages. Essentially, Jeffery Epstein’s Estate inherits the same liability and damages as every claim ‘survives’ to his Estate, including punitive damages,” Pate wrote.
“Further, it makes little sense to bar unknown victims who may live anywhere in the world from coming forward in the future. She may decide to come to the U.S. Virgin Islands to sue Epstein’s Estate in its home forum,” Pate wrote to the court. “New York should not rob that victim of pursuing punitive damages against Epstein’s Estate under U.S. Virgin Islands law; the law that Jeffrey Epstein chose to live under, and that his Estate exists under.”
The court should set aside the $80 for future claimants rather than pay out Epstein’s heir and enablers, Pate argued.
“In the plainest English possible: This settlement provides absolute immunity to the Epstein Estate from any future victim’s lawsuit, which, logically will protect tens of millions of dollars in Epstein’s Estate. The Epstein Estate will then distribute this excess money to Indyke and Kahn as Epstein’s heirs. This result is perverse,” he wrote. “Further, this class-action settlement robs victims who may come forward of going to the best venue possible for justice, the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
The Southern District of New York court planned a teleconference for Tuesday afternoon, but under the proposed agreement, the time for other victims to come forward has already passed.
In order to receive funds from the settlement, women who were part of the class action suit must have filled out a questionnaire and other forms by May 12.
Two men were killed and a third man was wounded Saturday night in a shooting at Lindbergh Bay on St. Thomas, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Police said 911 received a report at about 7:50 p.m. of shots being fired in the area. A second caller shortly afterward reported hearing multiple gunshots and said three men had suffered gunshot wounds.
Responding officers found two unresponsive men who appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel checked both victims and determined they showed no signs of life, according to the police report.
One of the deceased was identified by next of kin as 54-year-old Lidio Arturo Jimenez Montero. The second victim was later identified by next of kin as 49-year-old Guillermo Soto Guerrero.
A third male victim sustained at least one gunshot wound and was transported to Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment. Police did not release information about his condition.
Jimenez Montero and Soto Guerrero’s deaths mark the sixth and seventh homicides on St. Thomas and the 13th and 14th for the territory, according to the Source Homicide List.*
The homicide investigation remains active, and no suspects had been identified as of Sunday, according to the VIPD.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211, extensions 5555 or 5556, or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 800-222-8477.
*The Source Homicide List is a chronological log of the homicides recorded in 2026 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as reported by the VIPD. Cases are broken down by island. While this listing is based on VIPD reports, the Source does not include suicides or vehicular homicides in its listing, which the police and some other media do. This can lead to a discrepancy in the number of incidents reported.
UPDATE:
Progress continues with stabilizing the power plant and bringing additional units online, including Unit 27. Portions of the following feeders have been restored:10B, 9B, 5A, 6B, and 8B.
UPDATE:
WAPA Plant personnel have made progress in stabilizing the power plant and have restored portions of Feeders 10B, 9B, and 5A. As the team continues to be cautious during restoration, please note that power may not be stable until full generation is brought back online at the Randolph Harley Power Plant. In the event that sufficient power is not brought online, customers can expect a 2-hour rotation.
EARLIER:
Following significant restoration progress earlier this evening, St. Thomas and St. John is experiencing another district-wide service interruption due to the loss of generation at the power plant. Plant personnel are actively assessing the situation and working to safely restore generation capacity and return customers to service as quickly as possible, WAPA said.
Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, May 31, through Saturday, June 6.
Please stay safe and follow the Source for more weather updates!
A Moko Jumbie dances with a reveler during Friday night’s May Jump Up in downtown Christiansted, adding to the festive atmosphere as the annual event ushered in the summer season on St. Croix. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
The streets of downtown Christiansted were filled with music, culture, and community spirit Friday night as May Jump Up returned to downtown Christiansted, drawing residents and visitors alike for one of the island’s signature events.
Young revelers dressed in ghoulish costumes make their way through downtown Christiansted during Friday night’s May Jump Up, adding a playful and theatrical element to the annual street festival. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
With warm temperatures and an even hotter atmosphere, the popular street festival served as an unofficial kickoff to the summer season. Thousands lined the historic streets to enjoy live entertainment, local food vendors, arts and crafts, Moko Jumbies, and the vibrant energy.
Members of Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies make their way through the streets of downtown Christiansted during May Jump Up on Friday night, dancing with the crowd and bringing vibrant energy to the celebration as the annual event kicked off the summer season on St. Croix. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
Families, friends, and tourists strolled through Christiansted’s waterfront district, taking in performances from local musicians and entertainers while supporting small businesses and vendors. The event showcased the rich culture and hospitality of St. Croix, offering something for attendees of all ages.
Festivalgoers take a break from the festivities during Friday night’s May Jump Up, relaxing on a wall in downtown Christiansted while enjoying the lively atmosphere. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
The festive atmosphere highlighted the importance of community events that bring people together while supporting the local economy.
Vendors sell sweet treats during May Jump Up on St. Croix. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
As music echoed through the streets and dancers moved to the rhythm of the night, May Jump Up once again proved why it remains one of St. Croix’s most anticipated annual traditions.
The heat may have been noticeable, but it did little to slow the crowds as Christiansted came alive for a memorable night of culture, entertainment, and food.
Freshly made johnny cakes are prepared and served to hungry festivalgoers during Friday night’s May Jump Up in downtown Christiansted. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
Sooty Terns hover over the top of Saba Island with St. Thomas in the background. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
After my recent report on seabirds coming to nest on cays around St. John, I got a message from Steve Prosterman, from the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas. He was kind enough to invite me on a boat trip to see the nesting colony of Sooty Terns out on Saba Island, which is about three miles south of the St. Thomas airport.
I was enticed by the idea of thousands of birds nesting out on this little island. I had never seen even one Sooty Tern before. That’s not surprising since they are pelagic seabirds that stay far offshore except when they are breeding.
Steve Prosterman took us out on a dive boat leaving from the UVI research lab in Brewers Bay (Photo Gail Karlsson)
A group of students and teachers from the Gold Leaf Education Association, which focuses on nature studies, were the main participants on the boat trip. Steve Simonsen, a well-known St. John photographer, also came over with me to join the group.
Ella Troutman led a group of young Gold Leaf students. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
We weren’t going to get off the boat and go onto Saba Island because that would disturb the nesting birds. This is a small uninhabited island managed as a wildlife sanctuary by the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The name Saba was actually quite confusing for me. A few months ago I had been at Saba Rock Resort off Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. And then there is also the Saba that is an island down near Saint Martin. Later I read that ‘siba’ is the Taino word for ‘rock’, which got converted by Europeans to ‘saba’. That helps explain why it became a popular name for small, steep islands.
Saba Island rises to about 200 feet, with steep cliffs on the south side. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
If I had learned that about the name of the island before I went out there, I wouldn’t have had a picture in my mind of a low, flat sandy cay with thousands of birds all sitting on nests in plain view. As it turned out, the nesting birds were mostly hidden down between the clumps of grasses and shrubs growing on the steep hillsides.
After we pulled into a small cove offshore, there was a chaotic scene onboard, with the boat rocking, hundreds of birds whirling around making shrill cries, and children moving around on the boat also calling out excitedly.
At first I started swinging my heavy telephoto lens around madly, trying to focus on different birds as they whipped by. It seemed like a miracle when I was actually able to catch one in motion.
A Sooty Tern flew up to the top of the grassy hillside. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
Eventually I was also able to locate a few that were settled down in a more open area than the others. Like many seabirds, these terns don’t actually make nests. They just scrape out a small patch in the soil or sand, maybe covering it with a few leaves, then placing their egg on top.
Sooty Terns only lay one egg, and the parents take turns incubating it for about a month. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
Some of the dark-backed Sooty Terns were going out fishing in the cove. However, when they are fishing, they don’t hover and then dive deep down under the surface, like some terns. That’s because their feathers don’t have oil to make them water repellent, and they could become water-logged and sink. Instead, they dip down while flying over the water, nabbing fish near the surface.
When the eggs hatch, both parents will help catch fish to feed the chick. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
Once the breeding season is over and the chicks can fly, the young ones may not return to land again for years, until they are ready to breed themselves.
Since they are flying at sea all the time and can’t rest on the surface because of their water-absorbent feathers, I wondered where do they sleep? I read that Sooty Terns have developed a way to let one side of their brain sleep for short periods of time while the other side stays alert. That doesn’t actually sound very restful, but it does seem to work, because there are lots of Sooty Terns out there. The piercing call that the Sooty Terns make is described as ‘wide-a-wake’, which sounds appropriate given their sleep habits.
After a while I spotted a couple of the Brown Noddies flying past just above the water line along a rocky edge of the island. I didn’t see their nests, as those were probably on the south side of the island because they prefer the cliff ledges there.
We saw only a few Brown Noddy terns, and they seemed less sociable than the Sooty Terns. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
Brown Noddies are pelagic terns as well, but don’t spend as much time flying. And they are very different looking. The Brown Noddies are chocolate brown with pale gray heads. Many types of terns have white underbellies – maybe so they are less visible to fish as they hover over the water. But Brown Noddies apparently stay close to the surface and sometimes even pat the water with their feet to attract small fish. When they are doing that, their dark coloring might help camouflage them.
One striking thing about the Brown Noddies is that their eyes are set close to their bills, which makes them seem like they are frowning.
Even the resting faces of the Brown Noddies look angry. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
Supposedly these birds got their names because they nod and bow to greet each other, as part of their courtship behavior. However, the ones I saw did not seem to be very courteous. They looked like alien gangsters.
These Brown Noddies might not have sorted out who was mating with whom. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
I read that although the male noddies are larger than the females, both sexes can be territorial and squabble with their neighbors. It’s probably not due to lack of sleep, though. Unlike the Sooty Terns, the Brown Noddies seem to get plenty of rest, as they don’t mind setting down on the surface of the water while they are out to sea.
The Brown Noddies seemed to be exchanging angry words, as well as looks. (Photo Gail Karlsson)
I had thought of pelagic seabirds as solitary voyagers traveling for years over the vast ocean – wandering lonely in the clouds. But apparently both these types of terns are sociable at sea, fishing in mixed flocks, and using their loud calls to keep in touch with their group members.
I was grateful to Steve Prosterman for offering me a chance to meet these birds while they were settled down close to shore. Maybe one day I will go on a long sea voyage myself where I could see some of them out flying around in the open ocean.
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Gail Karlsson is the author of a photo book Looking for Birds on St. John, as well as two other books about nature in the Virgin Islands –The Wild Life in an Island House, and Learning About Trees and Plants – A Project of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. John. Follow her on Instagram @gailkarlsson and gvkarlsson.blogspot.com. More info at gailkarlsson.com
Casting of lots was conducted Friday for the 2026 primary election in the St. Thomas-St. John District, determining candidate ballot placement. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
The primary ballot order is set for incumbents, first-time candidates and returning aspirants hoping to be the Virgin Islands’ next Delegate to Congress, governor, senator or board member overseeing the territory’s elections or schools. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 1.
Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes said the Virgin Islands has long used a numbered ballot system, allowing voters to identify candidates by number as well as by name. While many U.S. states do not use numbered ballot positions in the same way, the system has remained a familiar feature of territorial elections even as voting technology has evolved.
In previous elections, party symbols appeared alongside candidate names, but those design elements have largely been phased out as ballot layouts and election equipment have changed. Candidate numbers, however, remain a prominent feature on ballots and in campaign materials.
Fawkes emphasized that the casting of lots affects only ballot order and does not impact a candidate’s eligibility. The numbering sequence is organized by contest and resets for each race. She said the system helps voters identify their preferred candidates, many of whom are widely recognized by their ballot numbers during election season.
In the race to determine the territory’s next delegate, Emmett Hansen — a former Virgin Islands National Committeeman, Democratic State Chairman and senator — drew the first lot. Former U.S. Attorney Delia Smith came in second, followed by Government House’s Washington representative, Teri Helenese. Former Sen. Janelle Sarauw drew the fourth lot.
Candidate for Delegate to Congress Emmett Hansen draws lot number one during the Casting of the Lots Friday evening on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach and Sen. Novelle Francis Jr., who are running to be the territory’s next governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, drew the first lot in their race. They were followed by Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and Milton Potter’s ticket. Former Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory and running mate Rodney Moorehead drew the third lot.
Jonathan Buckney-Small, husband of Delegate to Congress and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Plaskett, draws a lot on Plaskett’s behalf Friday evening on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
The ballot order for Senate candidates from the St. Thomas-St. John district will be: Kashief Hamilton, Carla J. Joseph, Marvin Blyden, Lawrence Boschulte, Peter Bailey, Avery Lewis, Shenelle Fina Francis, Michael Smith, Mayard Leader, Joel Browne Connors, Ray Fonseca and Rudel Hodge Jr.
Lisa Charles, running for a seat in the 37th Legislature, grins after drawing seventh during the Casting of Lots on Friday evening at the V.I. Elections System office on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
The district’s Education Board candidates, from first on the ballot to last, will be Arah Lockhart, Michelle Cawthron, D’Vonte Xavier and Judy Gomez. Kevin Rodriguez’s name will be the first to appear on the ballot for candidates to the Elections Board, followed by Barbara Petersen and Atanya Springette.
On St. Croix, the order for senate candidates was set at: Hubert Frederick, Clifford Joseph, Dwight Mike Cartier, Lynda Nikki Brooks, Kurt Vialet, Jose Besse Gonzalez, Lisa Charles, Nemmy Williams-Jackson, Omar B. U. Henry and Kenneth Gittens.
Mojania Mo Denis drew the first lot for the Education Board in that district, followed by Terrence Joseph, Christopher Jacobs Jr. and Winona Hendricks.
First time candidate to the V.I. Education Board Mojania Mo Denis draws lot number one during the Casting of Lots Friday on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
The group of candidates who cast their lots at the V.I. Elections System office on St. Croix included seasoned lawmakers and first-time hopefuls seeking to bring fresh perspectives to the territory’s government.
Mojania Mo Denis and Christopher Jacobs Jr., both of whom are running for a seat on the Education Board, spoke to the Source about the need for candidates who understand the challenges and opportunities young Virgin Islanders have. Denis, a graduate of St. Croix Educational Complex, said he considers himself a successful product of the island’s public school system but that many of his counterparts were not able to realize their full potential.
“I believe it’s important for the Board of Education to have a younger perspective — a perspective that is closer to the reality that students experience today,” he said. “We have good, esteemed individuals on the board, and I’m very grateful for their support and their experience, but I think we need to combine that institutional knowledge that they have with a modern perspective that is more aligned — and more in tune — with the current realities of our world today.”
Other candidates, like Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet, hope to continue work they’ve already started during their time in office. Vialet told the Source that if reelected, he intends to do more to help people who have special needs and the territory’s growing aging population.
Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet, running for reelection, draws lot number five Friday evening on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
“There’s such a void as to how we can better serve that population,” he said. “The lack of living assisted facilities, the number of individuals that have dementia or Alzheimer’s, the large, growing population of caregivers that are just burnt out — so I’m really looking as to how we can do a better job in those areas, or how we could provide some type of relief.”
Sen. Hubert Frederick grins after drawing lot number one among St. Croix candidates for the Legislature Friday night at the V.I. Elections System office. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
Fawkes urged residents to pay close attention to the election calendar, particularly upcoming deadlines for voter registration and absentee voting.
She said the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is July 2 and encouraged residents to ensure their registration is active.
“If you’re inactive, become active,” she said, urging voters to check their status ahead of the deadline.
Fawkes encouraged residents to verify their registration status using the Elections website’s voter lookup tool, which allows users to search by name, year of birth and ZIP code.
“We got a lot of information on our website too. We encourage people to go on the website and look it up,” she said.
Senate candidate Lynda Nikki Brooks draws lot number four Friday evening on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
She said absentee ballot applications will be available beginning June 2 for voters who expect to be off-island during early voting or on Election Day, as well as for military and overseas voters. Local residents may also request absentee ballots.
According to an email from Fawkes, former Board of Elections member Lydia Hendricks will replace Member Lawrence Boschulte.
In a separate update, the email said Jaylen Gabriel of St. Croix has been disqualified after not returning nomination papers with the required number of signatures by the 5 p.m. deadline.
The Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts opened its 2026 Dialogues on Freedom Series and Pride Month observance Thursday evening with an opening reception for “Conversations on Pride,” an exhibition featuring work by artists from the Virgin Islands LGBTQIA community.
Co-curated by Sonia Nahar Deane of Cane Roots Art Gallery and CMCArts, the exhibition was developed in collaboration with the STX Pride organization. According to promotional materials, the partnership is rooted in “celebrating the right for our LGBTQIA family and friends to be themselves and to live their lives as they choose.”
From left, Johánna Bermudez-Ruiz, Sonia Nahar Deane, and Lisa Mordhorst, gather Thursday during the opening reception for “Conversations on Pride” at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, part of the museum’s 2026 Dialogues on Freedom Series and Pride Month observance. (Photo courtesy CMCArts)
Organizers said the exhibition reflects a shared commitment to freedom of expression and recognition of the LGBTQIA community in the Virgin Islands.
Several artists whose work is featured in the exhibition attended the reception, which included complimentary hors d’oeuvres from Barb’s Bites, a cash bar and music provided by a DJ in the courtyard. Artists represented in the exhibition include Johánna Bermudez-Ruiz, Victoria Rivera, Augustin Holder, Gene Rotter and Saroo Gena.
One of the first works visitors encounter upon entering the second-floor gallery is “Worthy,” an acrylic painting on a found shutter by Rivera. The piece features a silhouetted figure with a raised hand extending into bands of the Pride rainbow.
“Worthy” Acrylic on found shutter by Victoria Rivera (Source photo by Joshua G. Canning)
Rivera described the work as “a contemporary look at age-old societal constructs. The androgynous figure is superimposed on a discarded, traditional wooden shutter found on St Croix. It represents growing up and out of that which no longer serves our well-being and ability to thrive and flourish. It is a signpost declaring we are worthy as we are; we have always deserved to be seen and cherished.”
For the exhibition, Rivera said she chose “to create pieces representing struggle, defeat, lessons and growth.”
Nearby is “Soul Love: A Celestial Meeting (Amour Del Alma: Un Encuentro Celestial),” a 52-by-52-inch acrylic-on-canvas work by filmmaker, writer and painter Johánna Bermudez-Ruiz.
“Soul Love: A Celestial Meeting” (“Amour Del Alma: Un Encuentro Clestial”). Acrylic on canvas by Johánna Bermudez-Ruiz. (Source photo by Joshua G. Canning)
According to the artist’s description, the painting depicts two women who “live fully independent physical lives, yet they cross time, space and past lives to meet across the celestial sky.”
The work combines influences that the artist describes as “the bold geometric facial structures of Picasso, the surreal metaphysical dreamscapes of Dali and the symbolic dualities of Frida Kahlo.”
The composition also incorporates what Bermudez-Ruiz describes as “sacred botanical, cultural and cosmic iconography,” including lavender and orchids, which she notes have historically been used by members of the LGBTQIA community as symbols of resistance, identity and bodily autonomy.
Rivera also contributed two self-portraits to the exhibition. “Self Portrait 2025,” she said, “portrays my struggle with identity as a young queer adoptee of color in a rural town.”
“Self Portrait 2025” Artist: Victoria Rivera (Photo courtesy Victoria Rivera)
She described “Self Portrait 2026” as “a visualized inner dialogue. It is a lifelike portrait and offers a resting place for abandonment, shame and fear … leaving sacred space for love, vulnerability, and self-acceptance.”
Self-Portrait 2026” Artist: Victoria Rivera (Source photo by Joshua G. Canning)
The exhibition serves as the opening event for both CMCArts’ 2026 Dialogues on Freedom Series and St. Croix Pride Month activities.
“We are honored to support everyone in their creative endeavors,” said Lisa Mordhorst, executive director of CMCArts. “Our work is rooted in freedom of expression, empowering the voices of our entire community.”
Mordhorst said the exhibition reflects that commitment.
“Freedom is a part of the human condition,” she said. “We all live. We all breathe. We all wake up in the morning and we all want to be free.”
Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released the following statement on the passing of former Charlotte Amalie High School Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Arthur “Jimo” Jamison Sr.:
Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett (Source file photo)
“The Virgin Islands has lost one of its great pillars. Coach Arthur ‘Jimo’ Jamison was more than a coach, he was a builder of people. For decades, he walked the halls and fields of Charlotte Amalie High School not simply to win games, but to shape young men and women into disciplined, driven, and purposeful human beings. His work was never just about athletics. It was always about life.
“Jimo arrived on St. Thomas in 1962 and made these islands his home and his mission. As athletic director, head football coach, and the Interscholastic Athletic Association’s territorial tackle football commissioner, he set a standard of excellence that extended far beyond any scoreboard. He saw potential in young people before they could see it in themselves, and he refused to let them settle for less.
“The stories of students he guided to college scholarships, of athletes he called back home to contribute to their community, of young people he steadied simply by being present are his true legacy. The Virgin Islands is full of doctors, educators, coaches, and professionals who carry a piece of Jimo with them every single day.
“To his children Tracey, Stacey, Arthur ‘Aree’ Jr., and Aixa, and to all who loved him, Jonathan and I extend our deepest condolences. Coach Jamison gave 91 years of life, and he used them well. May he rest in eternal peace.”
