Tunisia Barnes New Interim Director

New Interim Director of our National Museum

We are delighted to introduce Ms. Tunisia Barnes, who joined the Cayman Islands National Museum as Interim Director in March of this year. Ms. Barnes brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the museum, having worked within numerous departments within the Cayman Islands Government, and currently as a Senior Policy Analyst with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage. She will be assisting the Museum with managerial duties until a new Director is hired.

We are confident that Ms. Barnes will be a great asset to our National Museum during this transitional period and we look forward to working with her to continue to share the history and culture of the Cayman Islands with visitors from around the world. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Barnes to the Cayman Islands National Museum!

Museum Association of the Caribbean Conference in Nassau, Bahamas

Colleen Burke; Board Member, Tunisia Barnes; Interim Director, and Wray Banker; Exhibition Coordinator, attended this years MAC Conference in the Bahamas!

Representing the Cayman Islands at the Jamaica Dance Umbrella Festival

Museum staff member, Brian Watler Jr., participated in the annual Jamaica Dance Umbrella Festival (‘JDU’) at the University of the West Indies (Mona) – representing the Cayman Islands and University College of the Cayman Islands. We are super proud of Brian and the team of dancers who represented our beautiful Islands — gaining the knowledge and experience to keep our dance culture alive.

We’re Expanding!

We are pleased to announce that the Cayman Islands National Museum will be expanding to a satellite location in West Bay. While we have been housed in the Old Courts Building for over 30 years, our collection has grown to over 10,000 items and we need more space to display them all.

The new location will allow us to showcase even more of our Islands’ history and culture, including artefacts, artwork, and interactive exhibits. We are excited to have this opportunity to share our collection with even more visitors and to continue to educate and inspire people about the Cayman Islands.

We will continue to have changing exhibitions at our current location, but we hope that the new satellite location will allow us to offer an even more immersive and comprehensive museum experience.

Stay tuned for more updates on the expansion and our grand opening!

History of the Presbyterian Church in Cayman and the Caribbean

We would like to extend a special thank you to Rev. Raymond Coke for generously donating his book, “Called to Serve,” to the Cayman Islands National Museum. The book is an exciting biographical account of Rev. Coke’s journey to becoming a minister of the Presbyterian Church. As a museum dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and culture of the Cayman Islands, we are always grateful for donations that help to enrich our collection and provide visitors with a deeper understanding of our island’s heritage.

What’s On: Exhibitions

From the Collection: Art

For reasons of posterity, Museums worldwide display fewer than ten percent of their collections at a time. The Cayman Islands National Museum, with its thousands of objects and growing, aspires to exhibit objects in its holdings regularly through temporary displays. The Museum Art Collection is our Islands’ largest comprehensive body of Caymanian arts and crafts. 

Objects include paintings, drawings, intuitive works, sculptures, photographs, model boats, and basketry of thatch and sisal.

Miss Annie Huldah Bodden: A Woman of Many Hats

Learn about Ms. Annie Huldah Bodden, born in George Town in 1908 to Arthur Robert and Mary Catherine Bodden. After the death of Arthur, when Miss Annie was but three years old, Mary Catherine devoted her energies to raising her two daughters singlehandedly, homeschooling them until they started their formal education at a private school in 1920. On the opening of the government school, then located across from Elmslie Memorial Church, the two sisters took their place, with Annie completing her formal education in 1923.

What’s Happening: Events

What’s Happening: Education/Outreach

Upcoming Events

North Side District Looky Ya! 29 May 2023 Monday, 29 May 2023 from 10am to 2pm at our National Museum. Traditional Arts Workshops Sign up for our Traditional Arts Workshops today Cayman Art Week – 3 June 2023 For more information, visit www.caymanartweek.com. Immerse Summer Camp (Week 1) 24-28 July 2023 Immerse Summer Camp (Week 2) 7-11 August 2023 Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming Immerse Summer Camp for campers ages 10-14.

Renew your Museum Membership Become a member of the National Museum and receive annual benefits including free admission, access to members-only exhibit previews and receptions, reciprocal memberships and more! Click here for more information. Becoming a member of the National Museum at the Contributor to Heritage Guardian levels grants automatic membership to both NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association) and ROAM (Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums). NARM and ROAM members enjoy free admission to more than 1,000 museums across the United States, Canada, Bermuda, El Salvador, and Mexico. Members also enjoy discounts on concert or lecture tickets as well as at museum shops. Participating museums are listed on the NARM and ROAM websites. When visiting a NARM or ROAM Member Institution, please look up benefits ahead of each visit.

www.museum.ky | 949-8368 | [email protected]