Past, Present & Future Meet at Historic Fort Frederik Exhibition

M.A. Dworkin

St. Croix - In order to explore the future we must know well from where we came. In order to learn about our past we must examine all aspects of it in microscopic detail. The current exhibition WHEN THE WALLS ANSWER, featuring dynamic works, from famed architect Gerville Rene Larsen and brilliantly acclaimed artist El’ Roy Simmonds, among a bevy of other local artists, that just opened at the Fort Frederik Museum, issues a resounding call to all those who wish to delve into the dynamics and underbelly of Virgin Islands history. 

“Both the late Gerville Rene Larsen and living legend El’ Roy Simmonds have fundamentally changed the way we understand Virgin Islands history through their discourse-shifting work that honors the rich African-Caribbean legacies and traditions that have shaped Virgin Islanders’ identity. Their art is important not just because they are masters at their craft, but because their work has become a part of how we teach Virgin Islands history: in classrooms, in our museums, in public memory, and in how Virgin Islanders proudly see themselves and their history reflected back through Virgin Islands art and architecture,” states Monica Marin DPNR-DLAM Chief Curator and Curator of WHEN THE WALLS ANSWER.

“What many underestimate is the visionary role of artists, who look to the past for inspiration while understanding the present challenges to imagine a more just future. Both Gerville Rene Larsen and El’ Roy Simmonds followed their calling and the artist’s duty to use their voices as truth tellers. Their work reminds us of the importance of honoring our own culture bearers, artists, and local knowledge, and of looking within for our own advancement instead of looking outside the region to outsiders for authority,” Ms. Marin reflected on some of the aspects that formed the foundation of the exhibit.

“Historic places like Fort Frederik matter, they are where important revolutionaries - Virgin Islands’ forebearers - stood up for justice and freedom right outside these walls, and where history happened. Both of these unique artists that are featured have used their creative practice as a powerful place-keeping tool, connecting Virgin Islands ancestors to the land and these sacred spaces of historic significance. Their work reminds us that these historic sites are not just relics, but vital repositories of Virgin Islanders’ cultural identity and memory that should be protected, preserved, and celebrated.”    

The drawings, visions and works of art that comprise this time-altering show should come with a “Beware Ye Who Fear the Past” sign at the entrance, because the collective has the ability to haunt the mind way beyond a visit to this historic place. The works, taken as a whole, might cause one to contemplate  the past in such a way that the viewer might conjure up the ruins of Rome, the Acropolis, the Mayan temples, in all their glory and drama. Such is the stretch of history laid out here on the walls of the museum. Such is the shock of the past that can be evoked like a lightning bolt to all those who venture inside and allow themselves to be taken in by this electrifying display of times gone by, of present stills, of what the future might hold. 

When you enter the museum, allow yourself to think and to feel, to reach out to a long lost era and shake hands with your ancestors past, a past that has shaped your present day and guides you into your future. 

The many artists featured in the exhibition were invited to share work in which the walls “answer” back, calling attention to the dialogue, improvisational genius inscribed in our built environment. It is the hope that the exhibition will help chart pathways towards cultural preservation, justice and self-determination. 

The Virgin Islands Architectural Center for Built Heritage and Crafts (VIAC) which co-sponsored the exhibition along with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources’ (DPNR) Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DLAM), would like to thank the following artists included in the exhibition: Gerville Rene Larsen, El’ Roy Simmonds, Lloyd “Dove” Braffith, La Vaughn Belle, Xavier Acevedo, Elwin Joseph, Lucien Downes, Sy Sebastien Regina Keels, Stephanie Chalana Brown, Janet Cook-Rutnik, Edney Freeman, Nathan Bishop, Luca Gasperi, Jaliyah Gummell, George Graham, Nicole Canegata, Mike Walsh, Johanna Bermudez-Ruiz, Vegan Ellis, Waldemar Brodhurst, and VAIC’s VAST 2025 summer program student artists.

The Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums encourages Virgin Islands schools and educators to schedule a free educational tour of the exhibition so that students and teachers can engage in thought-provoking discussions centered on the many exhibits of this culturally and historically significant exhibition.  

Contact: monica.marin@dpnr.vi.gov to schedule a free educational tour.

WHEN THE WALLS ANSWER at the Fort Frederik Museum in Frederiksted, St. Croix, closes October 31, 2026.