National Park Service Will Unveil Two New Exhibits On 100th Anniversary Of Transfer Day

ST. CROIX — The National Park Service announced on Wednesday two new exhibits at Fort Christiansvaern, which opens to the public on the 100th anniversary of Transfer Day (Friday, March 31).

According to N.P.S., the first exhibit, entitled “Visionary Reflections: St. Croix at the Centennial Crossroads”, captures stories of Virgin Islanders living on St. Croix as they reflect on the past 100 years, and addresses the questions being asked as plans for the next century are forged. It highlights memories and events from the past 100 years and asks what does it mean to be a Virgin Islander, and what are the hopes for the future. This exhibit is a collaborative effort between N.P.S. Dr. Meredith Hardy, Greening Youth Foundation Intern/UVI Graduate Akeem McIntosh, University of Aarhus, Denmark, graduate student Gitte Westergaard, local historian Dr. George Tyson, and Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The second exhibit, entitled “Chaney, Stories from Migrant Fragments”, explores how small pieces of ceramic, called “chaney” on St. Croix, viewed as fragments of a cosmopolitan past, are today representative of processes of discovery, economy, style, and community identity. This exhibit is a collaborative effort by Ms. Gitte Westergaard, a graduate student at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark and St. Croix artist Ms. La Vaughn Belle. N.P.S. expressed special gratitude to Brian and Nathan Bishop of Crucian Gold, David Hayes, Archeologist, DPNR Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office, David Brewer, and the St. George Village Botanical Garden for their assistance and contributions to the exhibit.

These two exhibits will be open to the public at 12:00 noon on Friday, following the close of the Transfer Day events sponsored by the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Virgin Islands Transfer Centennial Commission on the grounds of Fort Christiansvaern, according to the N.P.S. Exhibits will be open to the public daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during Fort Christiansvaern hours of operation.

For more information contact Zandy Hillis-Starr, chief resource management at 340-773-1460 x 235 or Dr. Meredith Hardy, Cultural Resource Program Manager/SEAC at 340-773-1460 x 236.