Save for the fact that not everyone who promised was there, not even the Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnarine, the Philip Moore Artists’ Retreat at Yukuriba Heights got launched successfully last Sunday.

However, can’t help getting the impression that not everyone cares to identify with this POV, shared in last week’s column, stating unequivocally, inter alia –

“…History should be taught to Guyanese children with the idea of inculcating (in all of them), a sense of pride in self…of their original culture, and an awareness of the contribution each group/community has made and continues to make in creating the overall design of the Guyanese persona. We especially need African Guyanese to understand and dignify their history, which does not begin as chattels of slavery.”

…will not shed tears about a perceived disinclination to recognize the necessity for a “new cultural paradigm for people of African descent”, though I must confess my mystification about the fact that Black folks are a great part of this reluctance.

The Philip Moore Artists’ Retreat at Yukuriba Heights was launched; Philip Moore Jnr was there, and so was his wife Sheira, and his daughter Anistasia, who told me on the phone that when the time came that her grandfather could not write fast enough, he talked to her and she wrote for him.

His granddaughter was chronicling a great mind when she became Philip Moore’s scribe; I urged her to recognize the importance of those documents now stored in a suitcase – to digitalize, preserve them. Even though she must have known before then, she was privileged to hear expressions of how great a man your grandfather was at the launch of the Philip Moore Artists’ Retreat at the Burrowes School of Art last Sunday, I submitted.
“Ohhh yes”, Anistasia Moore affirmed.
Testimonials on Philip Moore’s influence on their choice and direction of careers were presented by Ivor Thom, Burrowes school of Arts Director and creator of the Damon monument as well as Barrington Braithwaithe, prolific Guyanese artist and historian. Philip Moore, Jr. read from this document (below), written in his father’s own hand, expressing some of his unfulfilled dreams.
In Philip Moore’s own words –

• Restoration of the 1763 Monument
“The 1763 Monument was designed by Philip Moore in 1975, while working in his Studio-Museum in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. It was cast in Basingstoke

England, by Norris Singer in 1975-1976 and was unveiled by L.F.S. Burnham, the first President of Guyana, in May 1976. It has a running fountain and lights. Hundreds of people from Lodge Village Charlestown Alboystown and around visited the environs of this monument for relaxation in the evenings; it was their sea walls.
After the death of President Burnham, the monument was grossly neglected and has become what it is today, a vandalized, neglected abused and unvalued work of art.
Psychologically speaking, its an object of derision and scorn especially in the lifetime of the artist. Therefore it’s with great expectations that the public and myself will want its immediate attention,

Thanks
Yours
Philip Moore

Philip Moore hoped to supervise the restoration of our national monument he’d created thus:

Proposals for Possible Funding
1. Funds for the restoration of the 1763 Monument

a. Cleaning of Plinth
b. Restoring of lights and water pump for Fountain
c. To design and build a proper fence around, making it a Park, which will accommodate working artists and other performing artists
d. To erect crafted seats around, made of scrap metal and concrete
2. Funds to restore and frame paintings, clean up sculptures with the co-operation of the Curator of the National Collection at Castellani House of which 120 pieces belonging to the Philip Moore’s Collection (stored with Castellani…)
3. Money to move my entire collection to different parts of the country until a permanent (place is found)
4. A joint-venture business, making duplication of specific sculptures for worldwide sales distribution; printing of Post Cards, Pictoral Prints of some of the best pieces of paintings for worldwide sales distribution.

Two things were clear at Sunday’s launch. First of all, in Guyana art is still seen as a secondary subject not only in schools but in our everyday life. There is a disregard, a non interest in art, especially pieces produced by Guyanese.
Secondly, our students are taught about van Gogh or Picasso…Europeans. Ask them about our homegrown talents – dead or alive – few would list even Philip Moore, the great mind behind the spectacular 1763 National Monument.
But who can blame them? How many of our local artists’ works – sculptures, monuments, etc – are on public display in our towns and cities?
The change must start with our schools’ curriculum. There’s a pressing need to review our schools curriculum, promoting art giving artists the prominence they deserve. This is the main reasons we were so disappointed that the Minister of Education did not make it to the launch on Sunday.