Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources
(DPNR) invites the public to attend the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums’ (DLAM) ongoing artist talk series, “Lunchtime with the Artist,” with our upcoming event happening on Thursday, November 6th, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM at the Fort Frederik Museum.
These engaging conversations feature artists whose work is part of DLAM’s annual Emancipation art exhibition, “Tides of Freedom: Histories of Resistance from the USVI to the USA.” The upcoming and final presentation will spotlight renowned Crucian artist El’Roy Simmonds, a painter and sculptor whose visionary body of work spans many decades, styles, and genres. Simmonds’ masterful art weaves together the complex narratives of Virgin Islands history, culture, and identity, transforming local memory into timeless visual storytelling. Fort Frederik Museum is blessed to have Simmonds’ large-scale mural, “Emancipation,” on exhibition, which powerfully depicts the Emancipation Uprising of July 3, 1848, on St. Croix, Danish West Indies, resulting in the Emancipation Proclamation outside the very walls of Fort Frederik.
The “Lunchtime with the Artist” series will commence with this final artist talk by Simmonds. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch. Each session will offer a unique opportunity to hear directly from participating artists about their creative process, inspirations, and how their work contributes to the broader narrative of freedom in the Virgin Islands and beyond.
Admission is $5, with free entry for students under 18, who are especially encouraged to attend and engage in the dialogue. For more information, please contact:
| • | Amy Parker DeSorbo, DLAM Director: amy.desorbo@dpnr.vi.gov |
| • | Monica Marin, DLAM Chief Curator: monica.marin@dpnr.vi.gov |
| • | Or call Fort Frederik Museum at 340-772-2021 |
