This visit was a follow-up to the exhibition that was held at the Museum of African Heritage on Barima Avenue during Carifesta X, which was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports and the Commemoration Committee, which collectively are known as The Friends of the Museum Committee.

Other members of the Commemoration Committee include Andaiye, Magda Pollard, Elizabeth Deane-Hughes, Charles Conway, Tom Dalgety, Eric Phillips and Cecil Josiah.

Philip Moore is one of Guyana’s giants. He recently celebrated his 87th birthday on October 12 (African Holocaust Day).

In a release, the committee noted that Philip Moore is a “spirit-trained visionary artist “and one of the most original and creative artists in the Caribbean, if not the world.

“His works are unique, thought-provoking, imaginative and spiritual.

His most visible creation is at Cuffy Square…the Square of The Revolution. Philip Moore is one of Guyana’s gifts to the world, and believes that he is an ancient spirit reincarnated in a modern body.”

As reported in the Fine Art Messenger magazine in 1998 by Anton Rajer, Philip Moore is a genius motivated by love for his native Guyana; and assisted by the Burnham government, he got the chance to create what would be the largest bronze sculpture in the region.

Moore’s 1763 Monument, nearly 25 feet tall, dominates the Plaza of the Revolution in Georgetown, Guyana. A defiant African warrior with pre-Columbian-like helmet and African breastplate stands at the ready to march against any enemy who dares to desecrate his homeland.

It reminds one of the pervasive African beliefs that the spirits of one’s ancestors continue to exercise influence upon the living. Though controversial at first and neglected more recently, the sculpture is a powerful though enigmatic work, combining traditional African motifs, such as the stylized masks used for leggings and breastplates, as well as its non-western sculptural proportions.”

Next week, the Commemoration Committee will launch a fund-raising drive to gain funds to improve the Museum of African Heritage, which was donated to the Government of Guyana by Dr. Nicholson.

This drive is in concert with the committee’s primary goal of “re-igniting and heightening the awareness of Guyanese of the African contribution to Guyana’s Independence and Nationhood.”