Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter
THIS YEAR, three institutions are among the list of awardees named by the Institute of Jamaica (IoJ) to receive its prestigious Musgrave Medals for achievement in the fields of literature, arts, and the science.
The institutions are Mico College in Kingston and two environmental protection agencies, Montego Bay Marine Park in St. James and the Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society in Westmoreland.
A total of 13 medals will be presented at an awards ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, October 13 at the Institute's East Street, downtown Kingston location, starting at 3:00 p.m. The list includes two golds, six silver, four bronzes, and one youth award.
Gold Musgrave Medals will be presented to journalist/author/poet Olive Senior and the Mico College, an educational institution.
Ms. Senior's work is taught in universities internationally and her short story collection, Summer Lightning, is widely used in Caribbean schools. She is represented in numerous anthologies and her work translated in several languages. As a journalist, she has been editor of two of the Caribbean's leading journals Social and Economic Studies at the University of the West Indies and Jamaica Journal published by IoJ Publications.
MUSEUM OF EDUCATION
It was at Mico College that the education of free people began in 1836, and a Museum of Education opened recently at the institution.
Silver Musgrave Medals will be presented to the two environmental protection agencies, as well as author Kwame Dawes, design consultant Valerie Facey, dramatist Anthony Winkler and film/cinematic producer, Franklyn St. Juste.
Bronze Musgrave medallists are author/educator Diane Brown, playwright Basil Dawkins, horticulturalist Keith Goldson and drummer Calvin Mitchell.
The Youth Musgrave Medal will be presented to dancer Roxanne Daley who, despite disability, has performed at several international events as well as locally. She works as a classroom assistant at the School of Hope in St. Andrew.
Until 1969 when the country initiated National Honours and Awards, the Musgrave Medals were the only local 'national' awards for recognising achievements, and the fields the awards covered were so embracing that it touched a wide area of national and cultural life.
Today, the awards are still highly regarded and the concept behind them rewarding excellence and encouraging greater achievement is still important in Jamaica's cultural life. Over 400 medals have been awarded by the Institute.
The annual awards ceremony usually held to coincide with Heritage Week in October has become an important event on the cultural calendar.
