Three women among nine Musgrave Medal awardees
Three women are among nine persons who will be honoured with Musgrave Medals in a ceremony at the Institute of Jamaica, Wednesday. The 2006 awardees will be recognised for their work in the literary, religious, scientific, artistic and cultural fields.
Renowned author and educator Dr Velma Pollard will receive a silver Musgrave Medal for literature; Laura Facey-Cooper, creator of the signature sculpture for Emancipation Park, ‘Redemption Song’, will also be awarded silver for her work in sculpture; and Norma Segre, foundation member of the Jamaica Library Association and fellow of the Library Association of Great Britain and Ireland, will be awarded bronze for her work in library service and community development.
Dr Pollard is a retired senior lecturer in language education in the Department of Educational Studies at UWI. She has done research in creole languages of the anglophone Caribbean, the language of Caribbean literature and Caribbean women’s writing. Articles from these areas appear in numerous local and international journals.
She is involved in creative writing and has published poems and stories in regional and international journals and anthologies.
Facey-Cooper shot to national prominence in 2004 with the controversy and debate surrounding her Redemption Song sculpture. She is a writer, set and costume designer and sculptor.
Her theatre experiences of the ’70s led to her being one of four Jamaican artists selected by Dr Rosalie Smith McCrea for the first Installation exhibition ever mounted in Jamaica and, the National Gallery’s Six Options staged in 1985.
Segre, St Ann-born, a librarian, teacher, social worker, senator and community activist.
She began her service at the headquarters of the Jamaica Library Service in 1949 and has served the St Ann Parish Library, the Kingston & St Andrew Parish Library and the UWI library. She has served as regional director for the Agency for Public Information and was appointed to the Senate and as parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.
One gold, six silver and two bronze Musgrave Medals will be awarded to eight individuals and one heritage preservation organisation at the annual ceremony.
The sole gold medallist is renowned Barbadian poet, playwright, critic and historian Kamau Brathwaite, who will be awarded for his work in literature. Other silver medallists include Professor Eccleston Kean, for his work in biochemistry; Franklyn McDonald, for his work in environmental science; Rev Dr Ralph Hoyte of the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman for his contribution to religion and community development, and The Georgian Society of Jamaica, for its work in heritage preservation.
The other bronze medallist is Clarence ‘Ben’ Brodie, co-founder and managing editor of The News for his work in journalism.
The Musgrave Award is one of the oldest awards of its kind in the Western hemisphere. They were first awarded in 1897 as a lasting tribute to former governor of Jamaica Sir Anthony Musgrave, who founded the Institute of Jamaica in 1879.
Following his death in 1888, the board of governors of the Institute took the decision for medals to be awarded annually in his honour.
Renowned Musgrave medallists include Edna Manley, who was awarded in 1941 for her contribution to the promotion of art and literature in Jamaica, Louise Bennett-Coverley and ProfessorRex Nettleford.
