COMMUNITY NEWS
Island SPACE Caribbean Museum Brings Island Life to Broward County By Jon Duka
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he United States’ first museum dedicated to Caribbean life, culture and history just opened its doors at the Westfield Mall in Plantation. Island SPACE Caribbean Museumis a museum, exhibition, and event facility in Plantation, Florida featuring a collection of artifacts, iconic paraphernalia, cultural relics, and historical data representing South Florida’s Caribbean communities. The project fulfills the need to create a unified space for exploring and celebrating the ancestry, heritage, and common traditions shared by Caribbean nations.
Within the facility, exhibits, archives and artifacts from around the Caribbean tell the stories of the region’s robust and colorful history, while emphasizing and highlighting contributions to U.S. culture and economy. Visitors will enjoy the gallery’s display of fine Caribbean art and are encouraged to consider hosting their own small cultural events, meetings, and activities at the centrally located museum. “This museum is for the people of the
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Caribbean, whether you live in the Caribbean today, or you live outside of the Caribbean,” said David Muir, President of Island Space, “this is the celebration of all of our history. From indigenous people, through colonialism to slavery, unfortunately, to emancipation to independence.” Broward County is the perfect home for the new museum. There are large, thriving communities from almost every island and nation in the Caribbean, it makes perfect sense to be home the a museum that celebrates them all. The opening of the Island Space Museum is the latest accomplishment of Island SPACE (Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic and Cultural Education). It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development and advancement of arts, culture, history, and educational initiatives that represent the Caribbean region in South Florida and the broader diaspora community. The organization produces
events and supports independent artists, organizations, and groups who deliver highlevel presentations, in various art forms. These may be visual, performing, culinary, or other art forms that represent Caribbean causes and tell Caribbean stories.
⊲ Island SPACE Caribbean Museumis a museum, exhibition and event facility in Plantation, Florida featuring a collection of artifacts, iconic paraphernalia, cultural relics and historical data representing South Florida’s Caribbean communities. It is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00am to 7:00pm.
