by Josée Thissen-Rojer

Gallery Alma Blou celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 4^th and 5^th 2021 with a group exhibition entitled ‘Art feeds the soul’. A group of 25 artists participated in the festive exhibition and during the weekend, the gallery was filled with art that stimulated the visitor’s soul and senses. You could experience the art by seeing, tasting, hearing, smelling, and touching it. The exhibition remained on display for another 2 weeks since then, but now, most of the pieces have been taken down and the location that housed the gallery, Landhuis Habaai, has been put up for sale. This came as a surprise to most. It was time for Amigoe to have a conversation with gallery owner Lusette Verboom-Fairbairn.

When Lusette started as an entrepreneur in 1991 with ‘Spanta Para’, it was the only store, besides ‘Obra di Man’, that offered a large collection of locally made products. Before starting her business, she and her husband Herman Verboom sailed through the Caribbean for a year. It struck her back then that on all the islands they visited, locally made, artisan products were offered as souvenirs everywhere. Because she felt that this was not the case in Curaçao, when she returned, she decided to open a shop here with local handicrafts, souvenirs, and gifts.

In 1998, Lusette moved to a new and larger location on De Rouvilleweg, where she renamed her business Kas di Alma Blou and expanded it with an art gallery, among other things. Although she had seen such a concept function well on other islands such as Jamaica and Antigua, it turned out to be a big step for Curaçao. Initially, she struggled to find artists willing to exhibit in a location that also offered souvenirs and crafts. That seems strange, but Lusette understood the friction. Although the disciplines have a lot in common to an outsider, they are very different fields. Regardless, Lusette had faith in her own vision and persevered. After a difficult start, she managed to win over more artists. The art gallery grew into an increasingly important part of her business.

In 2006, Lusette moved her company to Landhuis Habaai, and its name was changed to Gallery Alma Blou. At this new location, she had more space for the gallery and for exhibiting art. When the Verboom family bought the plantation home, it had been empty for quite some time. There were lots of defects and it had not been maintained properly. In the beginning, artists and friends spontaneously came to help and that was a huge support. Over the years, Lusette and her husband continued the restoration and care of the plantation home. The fact that the Verbooms can now put a monument up for sale that’s currently in use and has been well-maintained is an achievement she’s really proud of.

Lusette has basically grown into her role as a gallery owner over the years. She sees herself as a liaison between the artist and the art lover. What she loves about it is that she builds a bond with both parties that can be very intense and even emotional at times. “At a certain point you know what art lovers like, and you share in their enthusiasm for art. You often interact with the artist over a longer period, and you get to know them on a deeper level. You see how they progress over time, and without realizing it, you’re actually part of their creative process.”

Besides running the gallery, which houses a wide range of artworks, and hosting at least 5 exhibitions per year, Lusette was also active in other art projects. She was involved in the art manifestation ‘Arte’99… ayera awe i mañan’ (1999); ‘Oraño na Plata’ held to celebrate Queen Beatrix’s silver anniversary in 2005; As chair of the Arte ’99 foundation, she was responsible for the major retrospective exhibition ‘Antepasado di Futuro’ (2010); The open-air exhibition on Brionplein celebrating Queen Beatrix’s visit (2011); and the exhibition on the pontoon bridge ‘Riba kadansa di historia’ in 2014. For seven years, she also organized the popular ‘Marshe di Artesania’, where once a month she made Landhuis Habaai’s patio available for people to sell their artisanal goods and crafts (2012-2019).

The recent exhibition ‘Art feeds the soul’ was her employee Lisa Eman’s idea. She wanted to create something that would stimulate the senses, but that would also, for example, shatter the idea that art should not be touched. The artists were really asked to let their creativity run wild because this was a celebration. The response from the artists was overwhelming. Their response and their presence during opening weekend felt like a precious gift,” Lusette recalls.

Artists who had already been associated with the gallery took part, such as Yubi Kirindongo, José Maria Capricorne, Hortence Brouwn, Martie Genger, Ellen Spijkstra, Avantia Damberg, Marjon Wegman, Richard Doest, Audrey Elings, Rita Cijntje, Angel Luis de la Rosa, and Carlos Blaaker. In addition, there was also a group of artists whose work had never been seen in the gallery before, such as Pito Polo, Giovanni Abath, Omar Sling, Jhomar Loaiza, and Kati Qui.

The plantation home is for sale, but that doesn’t mean Lusette is going to stop. She will continue, but in a smaller setting so that she can focus on other things in the art scene as well. Lusette is convinced that Curaçao can achieve much more when it comes to artistry than just what’s happening now. There is a lot, there are activities and exhibitions, but at the same time, she sees that Curaçao is stuck on that level. She wants to get rid of that complacency, of that sense that things are fine the way they are. “We have to get rid of that if we want to continue to grow,” says Lusette.

As an example, Lusette mentions Instituto Buena Bista (IBB), whose students often progress to attending art academies in the Netherlands and becoming great artists. But they don’t come back here, Lusette notes. She wonders what the reason for that is and whether that can change.Lusette also mentions that there’s been talk for a long time about creating a museum for the visual arts in Curaçao but attempts to realize the project have failed. There are many people who would love to see it become a reality, but we must first ask ourselves why we need it. Not only can art serve as a way to document our history, but it’s also a great way to showcase ourselves to the rest of the world.

Lusette points out that the Curaçao art scene is not up to par with the art scene in the Caribbean or Latin America. “If it continues like this, we’ll miss the boat, because the art scene is developing internationally”, Lusette concludes. “We have to profile ourselves as a country that deals with art in a socially conscious way”. For that reason, she also believes that Curaçao should delve into matters such as education, training, as well as creating an organizational institution for museums.

In the future, Lusette wants to focus on this. She doesn’t know how yet, but she thinks the time has come. In the past year, she has sought affiliation with other art galleries in the Caribbean. The galleries then organized an online exhibition together and created various online presentations. This is her way of trying to get a feel for the situation. Lusette is ambitious enough and before we end our conversation, she says, as she smiles warmly “I’m not done with the art here yet”.

This post was made possible by the financial support of Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.
Previously published in Amigoe. Photographs by Ken Wong.

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