Statement by Minister of Culture Hon. Osbourne Bodden on the passing of Cayman Islands’ Cultural Icon, Mrs. Helen Harquail, OBE

It is with great sadness that Members of the Cabinet and the Government join the people of the Cayman Islands to mourn the demise of Mrs. Helen Harquail, OBE. She was a lady who has had an immense impact on the lives of all who live here, whether they are aware of it or not.

Mrs. Harquail’s life was punctuated by prominent milestones, some of which we in the Cayman Islands shared after she came to live in our midst. One of the most significant of these was her latest – she turned 100 years on 1 December 2012.

A true patron of the arts, Mrs. Harquail’s contributions to the cultural wealth of these Islands are legendary. She has bequeathed us a legacy that we will never forget. Some of our best known cultural institutions owe their very existence to her generosity. She also signalled her love for the environment by becoming a founding member of the National Trust.

Her donation of 12 acres of prime land in George Town and considerable monetary donations on top of that brought to life both the Harquail Theatre and the National Gallery.

In return, all she wanted was to dedicate and name the theatre after her dearly beloved husband, the late Mr. Frank J. Harquail, who was a wealthy, self-made Canadian businessman. At the Gallery, the F.J. Harquail Exhibition Hall is named in his honour. Mrs. Harquail ensured their experience and wealth benefited the Cayman Islands.

However, her contributions did not go unnoticed with Her Majesty the Queen.  Back in 1987, Mrs. Harquail was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her significant service to cultural development in the Cayman Islands. And in 2009, the CNCF recognised Mrs. Harquail as its Gold Heritage Cross recipient.

As our cultural advancement attempted to keep pace with our economic progress and our rapid social changes in the past few decades, Mrs. Harquail stepped in with her benevolence to enable our people to remain rooted to our culture. Her contributions are intertwined in our culture; these are gifts that will impact us for generations to come.

In fact, by enabling homes for the Cayman National Cultural Foundation and the National Gallery, Mrs. Harquail has also contributed to the very definition of who we are as a people. This is because to a significant extent, it is at these two venues that we practise to keep our culture alive and vibrant.

Growing up, for many of our children the Harquail Theatre became synonymous with culture in action, whether it was for participating in the National Children’s Festival of the Arts or the myriad manifestations of CayFest or in our Young-at-Arts programmes, where children can be children and yet have fun.

For our adults and children, Harquail Theatre has added its presence and ambience to the performances of plays, dances and artistic events and, notably, for staging the annual Rundown shows. All elements of the theatre including the grounds come alive annually now for CayFest’s hugely popular Red Sky at Night event, which is a cultural evening featuring many art forms, entertainment and food.

Similarly, the impressive National Gallery has become the venue for artistic expression of our people. Children and adults alike can attend art education courses to learn and experience art in many forms. The distinctive building is also the permanent home for the national arts collection. Indeed, the Gallery’s home is the hub of all its outreach programmes and off-site events such as the Art@Governor’s.

Mrs. Harquail’s generous backing of the arts and culture in the Cayman Islands has impacted us in yet another way, in my estimation. The two venues have played a significant part in unifying the different segments of our community when the people come together to participate, whether it is to dip their toes or immerse themselves in the cultural flow.

In her own life, Mrs. Harquail lived and breathed the arts and personified the adage that whatever you do, you should do it well. She was a performer in her heyday as a professional skater with the famous Ice Follies (which later became Holiday on Ice). She was also an avid golfer, holding her own among many male golfers. She and her husband were avid theatre-goers and travelled extensively to catch theatre action overseas.

Mrs. Harquail was almost reclusive in her latter years but that did little to diminish her personality or her ability to make her presence felt whenever you met her. Long after you left her presence, you remembered her uncanny ability to get to the heart of the matter in just a few words.

It will be just the same with her contributions to our community. We will remember and cherish them with all our hearts and minds. Moreover, her generosity created a ripple effect and spurred others to give. As a nation, we are grateful for her kind donations and inspiring personality.

On behalf of the people, the Government of the Cayman Islands, I offer our condolences to her family and friends. She is dear to our hearts. She will remain there forever.