It’s not everyday that you see exotic animals at the Museum, but the BMA’s recent Caribbean Day collaboration was anything but average! On Saturday, June 11, the BMA partnered with the Central Alabama Caribbean-American Organization (CACAO) for the fifth Annual Caribbean Festival in Linn Park, and it was a great success. An estimated 1,500 people came out to lounge in the sun, listen to music, dance, make art, and experience the food and cultural traditions of the Caribbean.
This was the first year that CACAO and its president Pauline Ford-Caesar reached out to partner with the Museum, and the result was a dynamic family festival from 10am-3pm. With support from the Jefferson County Commission and the Birmingham Zoo, the Museum was able to offer a curator-led tour of our Haitian Flags from the Cargo Collection exhibition, as well as a talk about an important work by Bahamian-born, Atlanta-based artist Lillian Blades.
The 300 children who participated in art activities in the late morning and afternoon were provided a safe and exploratory experience on both sides of 8th Avenue filled with jewelry-making, hopscotch, flag-making, trying out different traditional instruments, and of course, laughter and surprises. In the morning, museum educators, artists, and staff participated in a large-scale drawing of the Caribbean in the middle of 8th Avenue, complete with palm trees, cities, and a sea monster! In the afternoon, our friends Emily and Becky from the Birmingham Zoo brought over two snakes and a possum native to the Caribbean.
We hope to see you, your family, and friends at next year’s event!
The BMA Family Day — in partnership with the CACAO Caribbean Festival — is sponsored by the Jefferson County Commission.
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