Institutional Member Category
Represented by Katarina Jacobson
Katarina has a background in art history and archaeology and studied Pre-columbian archaeology at Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris) where she obtained a Master’s degree in 2002 in association with the Caribbean Research Centre of Leiden University. For 5 years, she worked at the Edgar Clerc Museum implementing cultural activities; she later became the collections manager and carried out the required ten-year inventorization of the collections. In 2013, she joined the NEXUS1492 ERC research project at Leiden University (the Netherlands) as a PhD candidate in Caribbean archaeology, with a research focus on ceramic technology.
In 2018, Katarina returned to Guadeloupe and the Edgar Clerc Museum with the objective of setting up the conservation and preservation plan for the collections. She was also co-curator of the international exhibition Caribbean Ties, locally named Liens caribéens / Lyannaj péyi LaKarayib in French and Créole. In 2019, she received MAC’s first Emerging Caribbean Museum Professional Award. One of the few first aiders to cultural heritage in time of crisis and natural disaster (UNESCO) from the region, Katarina is the first archaeologist of Guadeloupian origin, specializing in Caribbean archaeology.
Institutional Bio
The Conseil départemental of Guadeloupe ( Departemental Council of Guadeloupe) promotes its heritage through its three museums Edgar Clerc, Musarth and the Ecomuseum of Marie-Galante. All of them are labeled musée de France and are representative of the history and culture of Guadeloupe. These exceptional places of cultural transmission and mediation have been the subject of renewal and modernization programs for several years. Each museum builds its development around scientific and cultural projects allowing the establishment to be part of a prospective and strategic dynamic.
The Edgar Clerc’s museum, the Musarth’s museum and the Ecomuseum of Marie-Galante offer to the public various themes around the history of Guadeloupe, the history of art, the Amerindian and colonial archaeology, the arts and popular traditions, the history of slavery, the Amerindian plants and biodiversity of Guadeloupe. These cultural places present numerous animations and events on varied and renewed themes, exhibitions, guided tours, artistic workshops.
The departmental museums are in direct link with their environment. They play a major role in the social, economic and tourist development of the region. The Conseil départemental of Guadeloupe ( Departemental Council of Guadeloupe) relies on its three museums to make culture accessible to all, and thus contribute to individual and collective development and social ties.
Represented by Nimah Muwakil-Zakuri
Nimah is an art historian by training. She graduated from the Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba in 2007 after spending six (6) years in a country that is now a second home to her. Upon her return to Trinidad and Tobago she began working at the National Museum and Art Gallery eventually heading the organization as Curator/Director before leaving in 2013. She is currently the Curator of the Central Bank Museum, Trinidad and Tobago. At the Bank she is responsible for the Museum as well as the Bank’s Art Collection, including programming and development.
She is an IVLP alumnus in Cultural Heritage Preservation (2014) and a recipient of a Getty Fellowship to attend the American Alliance of Museum’s Annual conference (2015) to be a part of training sessions on Leadership in Museums with other curators from around the world. Nimah holds a Master of Philosophy in Cultural Studies from the University of the West Indies and also currently serves as a member of the Board of the National Museum and Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago.
Statement of Interest
The Museums Association of the Caribbean has been like an extended family to me throughout my career. I have not only been able to expand my professional network but more importantly, forge genuine, long-lasting friendships with museum workers across the region; friendships and partnerships that have enabled the mutual strengthening of all of our projects and institutions. It is heartening to see how much the Association has achieved over the last decade. Having served as a member of the board and many committees over the years, I wish to continue to be of service to MAC as we build upon what has gone before so that MAC can be established as the pinnacle of Caribbean unity and leadership within the cultural sector.
Institutional Bio
The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated its 40th Anniversary on December 12, 2004. During the lead-up to this important milestone, discussions began around the establishment of a museum that would showcase the numismatic history of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the history and development of the Central Bank. The then “Money Museum” was launched in December 2004 and officially opened its doors to the public in February 2005. From 2005 – 2014, the Museum operated a robust schedule of school and other group tours as well as many community outreach programmes. In 2014, after 10 years in operation, and with that year also coinciding with the Bank’s 50th Anniversary, it was decided that the Museum required a redesign and rebranding. This was a major undertaking by the Bank that aimed to keep the museum relevant as well as up-to-date with new trends in museum design, interactivity, and technology. The new, rebranded, “Central Bank Museum” was reopened to the public on January 15, 2019. The vision for the “new” museum was the establishment of a space that encourages curiosity and embraces discovery. The Central Bank Museum has moved away from a predominantly numismatic focus, to also highlight the Bank’s Art Collection which has within its holdings some of the most important and iconic works by local artists, in any public or private collection on the islands. The Museum has a staff complement of 4 people and is also supported by the External Relations department in all its operations, programmes, and events.
Represented by Ina Gemieux
Ina holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Engineering and Political Science. Since May 2021, she has held the position of Project Manager for Public Policies and Mediations at the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique. Her missions include project management (cultural policies, museography, scenography, mediation), design and communication, organisation of cultural events, digital development of museums and public research. She holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Engineering and has studied at the Paris School of Art and Culture, where her research thesis involved a study of sustainable model of exploitation, promotion and protection of Martinique’s heritage. Her professional experience allowed her to do training in Cambodia, event management in Cuba, and cultural project management in Paris, she was awarded in December 2019 the “Young Innovator” Award by the Council of Europe.
Institutional Bio
On 1 January 2016, a new institutional page of Martinique was opened, creating the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique (CTM). It is composed of a Deliberative Assembly and an Executive Council in charge of proposing and implementing public policies necessary for the economic and social development of the territory. The Assembly is made up of 51 territorial councillors. Its work is coordinated by a bureau composed of a President, Vice-Presidents and sectoral commissions. The Executive Council is led by its President, Serge Letchimy, a representative of the territorial government.
Statement of Interest
As the flagship institution of public action in Martinique, the CTM is competent to promote regional cooperation, economic development, health and social development, regional planning and transport, as well as sports, cultural and scientific development. In this respect, the institution implements cultural and museum policies promoting the training of professionals and artists, the education of populations, the promotion of scientific research, as well as regional and international exchanges. After having been the place of the constitution of the MAC in 1988 in the presence of the Chief Curator Lyne-Rose Beuze, Martinique has always been involved in the general assemblies of the association. This is the reason why, after having returned to the MAC’s Board of Directors in 2019, in the person of Laurent Christian Ursulet, the MTC wishes to continue to serve the Caribbean museum community by maintaining an institutional seat, thanks to the presence of Ina Gémieux (Project Manager for the MTC’s museums). This participation will allow Martinique to contribute to the maintenance of the fraternal relations of the association with the Creole and French-speaking areas of the Caribbean; but above all to strengthen, through culture, science and education, the collaboration between peoples and institutions of the region.
Represented by Maia Muttoo
Maia Muttoo is the Education Manager at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) where she oversees community engagement with the museum’s collections, exhibitions, programmes, and initiatives. She holds a BA Hons in History (University of Toronto), a MA in Cultural and Creative Industries (King’s College London), and has ten years’ professional experience in the cultural and creative sector including roles in public and private event coordination, history museum programming and media content writing for the Caribbean region. She has been extensively involved in the Cayman Islands’ cultural community through her work in film, theatre, writing and volunteerism.
Institutional Bio
Established in 1996, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) is a vibrant arts organisation with a mission to promote and encourage the appreciation and practice of the visual arts, of and in the Cayman Islands through exhibitions, education/outreach programmes and research projects. Housed in a state-of-the-art civic centre, NGCI provides a venue and platform for the Cayman Islands’ diverse public to engage with the very best of the islands’ cultural production. NGCI maintains relationships with the global museum community as a member of the Museums Association of the Caribbean, UNESCO, International Council of Museums and the American Alliance of Museums.
As the leading public visual arts organisation in the Cayman Islands, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) is committed to promoting Caymanian visual arts and culture through exhibitions, education/outreach programmes and research projects. Our work aims to bolster education, well-being and dialogue in our community, and to amplify Caymanian and Caribbean voices locally, regionally and globally.
Statement of Interest
Having contributed to the Museums Association of the Caribbean’s Board of Directors for six years through the work of NGCI Director and Immediate Past President of the MAC Executive Board, Natalie Urquhart, NGCI and representative Maia Muttoo (Education Manager) put ourselves forward to continue serving the Caribbean community through an institutional seat on the MAC Board. Through service, we endeavour to diligently share Caribbean history, culture and achievement widely, build and maintain relationships between regional and international museums and cultural organisations, and exchange knowledge with other institutions and individuals working at the forefront of Caribbean culture.
Represented by Dr. Ariana Curtis
Dr. Ariana A. Curtis is dedicated to building inclusive frameworks that disrupt systemic marginalization, misrepresentation, and erasure. She is the first curator of Latinx Studies at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. In this role, she leads museum research and collections that center Latinidad through an African American lens. She is the curator of the award-winning Latinx collections portal and has held leadership roles in major Smithsonian initiatives including Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past and the American Women’s History Initiative.
Ariana’s work has been recognized by museums and community organizations. She received the 2022 Museum Leadership Award from the Association of African American Museums, the DC Mayor’s Office 2020 Somos Award for Art and Creative Economy, the 2016 Community Sustainability Award from Afro-Latino Fest NYC, and the 2016 and 2020 Professional of the Year Award from the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations. She holds a doctorate in anthropology, with a concentration in race, gender, and social justice. She is a Fulbright scholar, a founding member of the Black Latinas Know Collective, and a board member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.
Institutional Bio
The mission of the Smithsonian Institution (SI) National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)mission is to provide for the collections, study, and establishment of programs and exhibitions relating to African American life, history, art, and culture.. NMAAHC’s Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) furthers this mission by developing the museum’s constituent and peer organization services and programs and collaborating with existing networks to strengthen and elevate the profile of African American and African Diaspora museums, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other organizations that promote the study or appreciation of African American, African diasporic history and culture. This is accomplished by creating strategic partnerships on behalf of the museum with national and international networks, cultural heritage service organizations, universities, museums, and others to build capacity and provide professional development opportunities.
Statement of Interest
NMAAHC has been a proud sponsor of MAC’s annual conferences since 2017, MAC’s conference scholarships program since 2015 and various capacity-building initiatives such as the 2022 Disaster Management Workshop. NMAAHC recognizes the value of MAC’s work in the Caribbean museum sector and would be honored to continue to support as well as further MAC’s mission and work as an institutional board member. Ariana Curtis became a MAC member in 2017 and has presented at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 MAC conferences, serving as session organizer in 2017 and 2019. She has served on MAC’s travel scholarship and communications committees. As a Panamanian of West Indian descent and a museum curator focused on Latin American and Latinx art, history, and cultures, she shares both a personal and professional interest in MAC. She looks forward to the MAC conference every year, for the content and community. As we emerge from this isolating pandemic, she would like to join the MAC board so that she can contribute in formal, consistent, and intentional ways on behalf of the NMAAHC.