Free Saturday Activities At National Museum
The National Museum of Bermuda is offering free Saturday activities — including Palmetto weaving, book readings and chair yoga — during the month of February.
A spokesperson said, “National Museum of Bermuda is offering free Saturday activities during the month of February. This coming Saturday, February 22, local artist and historian Ronnie Chameau and Bermudian author and storyteller Florenz Maxwell will be at the Museum, providing unique opportunities to experience the Museum, learn a new skill or craft, connect with the past and engage with people from our community.
“Ms. Chameau will be conducting a workshop on palmetto weaving focusing on women and work in the 17th and 18th centuries. From Bermuda’s first recorded discovery in 1505, palmetto provided food, drink, shelter and other forms of material culture like baskets, fans and hats. By the late 1600s, plaited palmetto leaves were the source of a female-led export economy, keeping Bermuda in essential trade relationships with North America and Britain.
“Ms. Chameau started handcrafting dolls from banana and palm leaves in the 1980s. Since then, she has decided to preserve the art of weaving with palmetto palm leaves and has created a variety of baskets from all-natural materials found locally, such as palmetto leaves, screw palm, cedar bark, honeysuckle vine and Chinese fan palm leaves.
“Her Saturday workshops will demonstrate how simple, organic materials can be used creatively to achieve the fashionable looks worn by women throughout the ages, such as hats, bags and fans.
“Florenz Maxwell will be sharing highlights from two of her published books: ‘The Spirit Baby” and the award-winning “Girlcott’. Written in 2008, ‘The Spirit Baby’ is a rich collection of uniquely Bermudian tales reflecting the history, culture, and motifs that have shaped our island home.
“Adults and children, locals and visitors, will delight in stories about unlucky fishermen, a woman’s curse on the annual Agricultural Exhibition, the origins of the Bermudiana flower, monsters dwelling in limestone caves, and more. More recently, Mrs. Maxwell wrote “Girlcott”, a story based on the real-life events of the 1959 Theatre Boycott, which led to the breakdown of segregation in the community, detailed from the perspective of a 16 year-old Bermudian girl.
“Next Saturday, February 29, registered Yoga Teacher Lisa Wingood will join the line-up and demonstrate ways to do yoga in a chair to improve flexibility and reduce stress. NMB Museum staff will also be on site in the Hall of History, Commissioner’s House to connect with visitors and guide them through the 1,000 square foot mural masterpiece by Graham Foster.
“Every day of the month, a kid-friendly scavenger hunt is available, encouraging participants to explore the expansive Museum grounds and focus in on otherwise passed-by details.
“During the month of February, admission to the National Museum of Bermuda [NMB] is free for all Bermuda residents [with ID].
Schedule:
Saturday February 22:
- 11am – 12pm: Palmetto weaving with Ronnie Chameau in the Boat Loft, lower grounds of NMB
- 12 – 1pm: Book readings by Florenz Maxwell, Commissioner’s Room, second floor of Commissioner’s House
- 1 – 2pm: Palmetto weaving with Ronnie Chameau in the Boat Loft, lower grounds of NMB
Saturday February 29:
- 10am – 2pm: Hall of History Q & A with NMB Staff, Commissioner’s House
- 10am – 11am: Chair yoga with Lisa Wingood, Queen’s Exhibition Hall
- 11am – 12pm: Palmetto weaving with Ronnie Chameau, Queen’s Exhibition Hall
- 12 – 1pm: Book readings by Florenz Maxwell, Commissioner’s Room, second floor of Commissioner’s House
- 1 – 2pm: Palmetto weaving with Ronnie Chameau, Queen’s Exhibition Hall
The Museum is open every day, 10am – 5pm [last admission 4pm]. Visit www.nmb.bm to learn more.
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