Museum Hosts Chamber Business After Hours

Celebrates Re-opening of Restored Buildings

The National Museum is opening its doors to Chamber members and specially invited guests on Thursday, 15 January 2009, beginning at 5:30 pm, in a special Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours.

This is the first major event that the National Museum will host at its newly restored facilities. The Museum does not as yet have exhibits in place but they will be introduced in a phased programme following the BAH, beginning with the Natural History Gallery, Cultural History Gallery, and Audio-visual Theatre.

The BAH event, re-scheduled from the 2008 holiday pre-season because of intervening weather conditions, offers an opportunity for Chamber membership to view the restored historic building in its “raw” state. Once exhibits are installed, explains Museum Board Chair Harris McCoy, they will tend to inhibit visitors’ ability to appreciate many of the details of the restoration.

The painstaking preservation programme emphasised safeguarding the buildings’ historical integrity while modernising amenities and strengthening capacity to withstand future environmental threats. “The facility is now truly ready to be home to many of Cayman’s prized artefacts and to serve as a key national learning centre,” says Chair McCoy.

As preparations for the much anticipated first quarter re-launch accelerate, high on the agenda is a plan to formalise the buildings’ national heritage standing. This will proceed in concert with consultants’ recommendations to promote the Museum buildings, with the “Old Gaol” as its flagship, with a view to achieving international “heritage-site” status.

In this context, the Chamber event has special significance as the the first post-restoration event to showcase the buildings themselves. The BAH also gives the business sector an opportunity to familiarise and associate members with the overall initiative.

For the Museum, the BAH serves as an occasion in which to demonstrate a strengthened operational framework, as will be reflected in the evening’s agenda. “We are launching our new logo and new membership and sponsorship programmes at this Chamber Business After Hours,” Chair McCoy informs. Lending high-level official sanction, the Minister of Culture, the Hon. Alden McLaughlin, will be officiating.

Because of all of these factors, “the BAH’s post-restoration preview is particularly exciting,” he says. The packed agenda will include opportunities to tour the restored buildings, browse the gift shop, and sign up for the Museum’s volunteer, membership or sponsorship programmes.

Chamber members are encouraged to register online for this event at www.caymanchamber.ky.