Director of Culture, Mrs. Luce Hodge-Smith has been appointed Vice President of the Museum Association of the Caribbean effective December 1, 2015.

The Museum Association of the Caribbean (MAC) was formed in 1987 to allow museums and related organisations and societies in the Caribbean to share experiences and skills. The Association recognises the importance of museums as centres of conservation and preservation of natural and cultural patrimony and of common heritage, as well as the vital role they play in the conservation, education systems, scientific research and tourism of Caribbean States.

Mrs. Luce Hodge-Smith said, “I am very moved to feel the confidence that members have shown towards me in electing me as the Vice President of the Museum Association of the Caribbean. For their generous endorsement by acclamation, I strive to maintain that confidence by doing my best to meet resolutely the continued objectives of the Association.”

The British Virgin Islands has been a member of the Museum Association of the Caribbean for a number of years through the Virgin Islands Folk Museum.

Director of Culture, Mrs. Hodge-Smith added that the British Virgin Islands has attended the AGM Meeting and conference and have actively participated in the same. In the early 2000s the British Virgin Islands hosted the AGM through the Virgin Islands Folk Museum.

She added that there is a strong link between the Museum Association of the Caribbean and the British Virgin Islands through the Department of Culture and the Virgin Islands Folk Museum, as the museum is an institutional member.

The Museum Association of the Caribbean is an Affiliated Organisation of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and serves as a forum for the exchange of information and ideas through meetings, publications and museum exchanges.

The Association also works to strengthen links among Caribbean museums through education and the development of professional standards of practice. It supports the cultural policy and programmes of the Regional Cultural Committee of CARICOM (Caribbean Community).

The Association’s main objectives include developing common policies relative to the role of the museums and duties of curatorial staff; acting as an advisory board for governments and institutions regarding museum development and developing relationships with international and other regional museums-related organisations.

For more information of the Museum Association of the Caribbean, persons should visit their website at www.caribbeanmuseums.com.