Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, Sen. The Hon. Owen K. Darrell, JP recently attended the opening of the new Alternative Voices: A Perspective on Contemporary Art from the Azores art exhibition at the National Museum of Bermuda in Dockyard on Thursday, June 6th, 2024. The exhibition, sponsored by Clarien, is part of the NMB’s commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the arrival of Portuguese immigrants in Bermuda. 

Remarks by: Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, Sen. The Hon. Owen K. Darrell

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here this evening to celebrate a commemorative exhibition as part of celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese immigrants. I congratulate everyone who has made this wonderful event possible.

I am proud to be here to experience a rich display of Bermudian and Portuguese culture at the Alternative Voices exhibition held here at the historic Commissioner’s House, National Museum of Bermuda in Dockyard.

I want to especially thank featured Azorean artists Susana Aleixo Lopes, Filipe Franco, and Leonor Almeida Pereira, who co- curated the exhibition with Lisa Howie, for your remarkable work. Art is essential to preserving our shared history and encourages unity in our cultural connections.

The island’s cultural fabric is deeply connected with the people of the Azores, Madeira, Portugal, and Cape Verde, and its origins can be traced back to the arrival of the ship Golden Rule in 1849. This extraordinary voyage marked the beginning of the first immigrants of Portuguese origin to reside in Bermuda, whose familial footprints have remained intact today. It is important to acknowledge the lives and cultural practices of Azorean descendants that inspired these wonderful pieces of art and sculptures.

Our histories are inextricably linked as the first Portuguese settlers in Bermuda were responsible for introducing highly skilled labour techniques in farming and cattle raising, which significantly shaped Bermuda’s economic landscape.

The lucrative potato, celery, and onion crops seeded a new source of income for farmers allowing them to live well, raise families, and be a major component of our import and export economy.