Minister salutes artistic "giants" of our community

Remarks by the Hon. Patrice Minors JP, MP
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14: To Mrs. Tona Symonds, Chairperson, Bermuda Arts Council, and the members of the Bermuda Arts Council, Award recipients, invited guests:

Good afternoon everyone.

I am simply thrilled to be here today to recognise some very special individuals who over the course of our history, have made some very significant contributions to the artistic and cultural landscape of Bermuda.

This is a big event, not only in the lives of the artists whose work and talents we are acknowledging and encouraging today, but for me as well and I am honoured to be in the presence of such cultural and artistic greatness.

Ladies and gentlemen, we join today to salute those artistic “giants” of our community – persons who have excelled in their particular area of expertise.

For the past several years, we have paid tribute to nearly 100 individuals in our community who have dedicated their lives to shaping and preserving our artistic and cultural heritage.

And today we welcome into this prestigious group eight more deserving Bermudians.

They are Irma Washington Butterfield, Maria Gleeson (Posthumous), Christian Humann Foundation and Georgine R. Hill, MBE and receiving this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards are Milton Hill, Ethel and Katherine Tucker (Posthumous), George Rogers, Earl Darrell, for their significant body of original work which is truly representative of the Bermudian spirit.

All those being honoured today have much to be proud of. For they have truly left their mark on our Island.

Everything we see, everything we do in our lives, is influenced by the artists around us.

Art and creative expression, no matter their form, are part of our lives and part of our identity in tangible ways.

Simply put arts and culture matter in Bermuda, because it helps us to see our world around us in a different more beautiful light.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am inspired by what today means, and it is my hope that you will leave here feeling lifted and inspired by what these individuals have managed to accomplish in their lifetime.

It has been my singular honour to address you today and I am proud to have been a part of this momentous occasion.