(This is my third article about my Caribbean adventures in March 2023.)
Curacao ls the largest of the Dutch Caribbean Islands at 444 square km. It is one of the "ABC" (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) islands located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. The nation's official languages are Dutch, English, and Papiamentu, most residents speak more than one language.
After visiting Serena's Art Factory, I went to Lusette Verboom's amazing Gallery Alma Blou less than 2 miles (about 3 km) from the cruise terminal at Willemstad. Gallery Alma Blou is the oldest and largest gallery on Curaçao, featuring local and Caribbean art. It is located in the former plantation house at Habaai which was built in the mid-18th Century (circa 1752). The mansion has a classical layout with a large main room, flanked by a front- and back gallery, with brilliant Caribbean sunlight drenching the galleries.
Lusette Verboom is a curator, gallery owner, and columnist. She was born in Curacao, educated in Venezuela, and worked as a speech therapist in a deaf school. She and her art-teacher husband, Herman, sailed the Caribbean on their own boat. Lusette discovered a wealth of locally handcrafted arts and crafts products for sale on the islands, and returned to Curacao with a vision for something similar. This started as an arts and crafts souvenir shop and grew into a thriving art gallery which she has operated for 33 years.
"Art is of great importance to a culture. It is a visual representation of what will become history. In the timeline of art you can also learn a lot about what is going on and what happened in society."
-Lusette Verboom
Meryl Ann Butler:
Lusette, thanks for visiting with OpEdNews! I loved seeing the grounds as we drove into the entrance to your gallery, it was like finding a colorful and artsy fairyland, the sculptures outside seem to beckon with magic! And the building itself is amazing, and the Caribbean themes in the artwork are so engaging! Thanks for showing us around.
Why did you decide to start an art gallery?
CCW from top: Otmar Jenny in the sculpture garden with his concrete sculpture, Flirting; Jenny's Kab'i Boto concrete and stone and Spanta Para by Selsio Martha (Ceramic)
(Image by Meryl Ann Butler) Details DMCA
Lusette Verbloom: It is not a decision as such. I was running a very small arts and crafts shop, selling handmade souvenirs to cruise boat tourists during the high season. The shop offered a combination of products done by myself, which I made when the season was over, and local products made by others.
We were also selling small, original art pieces. After five years of doing this, the local demand surprised me--people wanted me to be open the year round! I was discussing this with two local artist friends and they encouraged me to start a gallery where local artists could bring work. That was non-existent on the island at that time.
As my husband, Herman, who was a fine art teacher at that time, supported me in all this, I took the bold step to, together with him, start looking for a place that could serve as an art gallery.
We found this right across from where we were, on the main street. It was a landmark building, just what we were looking for! That was the first big step I took to become a woman entrepreneur as a gallery owner. We called it Kas di Alma Blou, Gallery and Gift Shop.
Local artisan made crafts in the Folk Art Shop at Gallery Alma Blou
(Image by Meryl Ann Butler) Details DMCA
MAB:
Your gallery has been through some changes, I know that you took on a big project when you moved into your current gallery space, which is so beautiful! Can you share a little bit about that?
LV: The start was not easy. To be able to cover all expenses I decided to keep selling souvenirs not only because I didn't want to stop doing this, but also because I believe strongly that we have to promote our local products-almost everything that was sold to tourist were imported products.
But many local artists didn't want to see their art shown in combination with souvenirs. It took years to gain their confidence that Kas di Alma Blou was an asset for their work, a platform to promote the local art, the local artist.
And as I hold firm to myself to also promote the local handcraft, most of them accepted the way I was running my gallery and gift shop.
But after 10 years of renting, I knew that it was impossible to put money aside for my retirement if I kept doing this. The expenses were too high. The only way I could keep the gallery was if we could buy the building, but it was not for sale.
Our location was very central, we were very successful as a gallery, so it was not an easy choice to start thinking about moving.
To choose for a new beginning was as big a risk as it was when we started 10 years before!
It was the knowledge that there was no future in keep renting a place that would never become ours what made us take this huge step to start all over again.
We bought Landhouse Habaai in 2005. It was almost a ruin at that moment, but we saw the potential and how well it would serve as a gallery. As we restored the old building, we had help from many friends. And we were able to save this almost 300-year old historical building, a former plantation home, from falling apart.
Landhuis Habaai, before and after becoming Gallery Alma Blou
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
MAB: That's amazing!
Please give us some highlights of your exhibitions, and please share a little bit about some of the artists that you showcase in your gallery.
LV: In 30 years of serving the art and our artists, the artists grow on you. I have had the privilege to see the development of so many artists. Some were already established when we started, others could build their portfolio through the gallery.
Bianca Berends was born in The Netherlands and now lives there part time, and part time in Curaçao. She is one of the most sought after portrait artists in Europe. Top: Bianca in her studio.
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
When I start with an artist I never start with a show, unless this artist is already known by the public. It gives joy to see the development and the enthusiasm of the public and the artist when the show is successful.
Artist Richard Doest with collector Valentina Engelhardt standing in front of his painting
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
Very rarely we do the show also at the atelier of the artists, but this was the case with sculptors Hortence Brouwn and Yubi Kirindongo.
Born in Suriname, Hortence Brouwn has lived on Curaçao since 1973. Previously a math teacher, she is now a sought after sculptor with works displayed in The Netherlands, the US and around the Caribbean.
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
Hubert Marcolino 'Yubi' Kirindongo was born on Curaçao, and is internationally known as a recycling artist, most famous for his work with chrome car bumpers.
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
My latest show was in the Netherlands, where I was asked to be curator of one of our most well-known artists, Jose' Maria Capricorne, at a very prestigious location in palace Kneuterdijk. Also participating at a The Trans-Atlantic World Art Fair at Artsy, with several other galleries of the Caribbean, organized by Black Pony Gallery in the Bahamas was very rewarding for me.
Jose' Maria Capricorne was born in Curaçao and was the first Curaçaoan art graduate. He uses nature and the history of the Caribbean region as main references for his paintings.
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
The artists Gallery Alma Blou present in these shows draw the attention of the curators and have been mentioned with honor.
Let's look at some of the artwork we have on display in the galleries!
MAB: Yes!
Madonna by Rien te Hennepe. (Stone.) and painting by Bernadette Viererich.
(Image by Meryl Ann Butler) Details DMCA
CW from top L: Mucha mhe' na lila by Richard Doest (oil), Sculpture by Clemens Briels, Firm and Steady by Angel Luis de la Rosa (Mahogany), and Celebration by Stella Fraai (mixed media on paper.)
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
Evening celebration event at Gallery Alma Blou
(Image by Lusette Verboom/Gallery Alma Blou) Details DMCA
MAB: Thanks for the interview, Lusette, and for showing me around your wonderful gallery, what a lovely visit--I am so inspired by your story and all the artwork! Is there anything else you'd like to mention?
LV: Thank you! I'd like to leave you with my contact information:
Phone: (5999) 462 8896
Gallery Alma Blou
Landhuis Habaai
Frater Radulphusweg 4
Curacao
Note: as of Dec. 2023, Landhuis Habaai is in the process of being sold, and is perched for a new adventure: stay tuned!
