Basdeo Panday Museum Of Inheritance Exhibition Opens At SAPA
An exhibition titled The Basdeo Panday Museum of Inheritance, now open at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), is offering a tribute to the resilience and heritage of Indo-Trinidadians as the country commemorates Indian Arrival Day.
San Fernando West MP and Minister of Education, Dr. Michael Dowlath, was taken on a journey through history at the official opening of the Indian Arrival Day Art and Artefact Exhibition at SAPA on Monday evening.
As he reflected on the vibrant tapestry of heritage, where crafted pieces spoke of ancestral struggles, cultural pride, and the enduring spirit of survival, Dr. Dowlath emphasised that art must never be dismissed as secondary.
« Too often we treat arts as decoration, as something extra, as something to be added after the serious work is done. But the arts are serious work, culture is serious work, heritage is serious work. A nation that forgets its culture eventually forgets itself. »
The exhibition, launched on what would have been the birthday of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, was conceptualised and created by designer Kemal Manickchand, called The Basdeo Panday Museum of Inheritance.
Mr. Manickchand said his passion for creative design was rooted in his love for country and people.
« We need to embrace where we came from and what we have as a people, then we could understand why the Indian artefacts and what I have put up there, it is called The Basdeo Panday Museum of Inheritance. »
Minister Dowlath also highlighted the exhibition’s value as a learning experience, particularly for students.
« When a young person walks through an exhibition like this and sees an artefact from another time, something important happens – curiosity awakens, questions begin: Who made this? Who used this? Why was it important? What does it tell us about our grandparents and our great grandparents? What does it tell us about ourselves, and so this curiosity is the beginning of learning. »
The exhibition will run until Friday at SAPA and is open daily from 9am to 6pm.
