No matter where you travel in Bermuda you are never too far from a museum. The island’s rich history is recorded in museums from St. George’s through the City of Hamilton and on to Somerset and Dockyard, highlighting everything from art, china, maps, paintings, carriages, stamps, maritime and underwater objects that highlight Bermuda’s turbulent seafaring days.
Between 1885 and 1900, artists began to discover Bermuda's inspiring scenery, using the islands' vibrant hues in their color palette. Winslow Homer arrived in 1899 to paint the local scenery using watercolors to capture the islands' luminous beauty. Following his Buffalo Exhibition of 1901, which included his Bermuda inspired work, many other artists began to travel to Bermuda, laying the foundation for the diverse art community that exists today. Other influential artists made the island of Bermuda their motif also, including Georgia O’Keeffe. Some of Homer’s and O’Keeffe’s works are exhibited at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.
Today there seems to be a revival of the visual arts in Bermuda, not only among artists who visit the islands, but also among those who make it their home. Bermuda’s emerging arts scene is highlighted every two years by the Bermuda National Gallery’s Bacardi Limited Biennial, which is considered the most significant exhibition in the calendar for Bermuda artists. The Bermuda National Gallery features historic European paintings, temporary exhibitions, art education and appreciation and entertainment.
The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute is a museum of the ocean and is focused on the understanding, appreciation, protection and preservation of the marine environment. The exhibits at the BUEI are unprecedented. Explore Bermuda's underwater treasures without getting wet!
The Bermuda National Trust is a key player in the preservation of historic buildings, artifacts, and important gardens, parks and nature reserves. They offer guided tours as well as information to self-explore.
The Maritime Museum is another notable venue steeped in maritime history and a wealth of information in the Royal Naval Dockyard at the west end of the island.
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Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute ~ BUEI
Discover the mysteries of the ocean frontier. BUEI offers many underwater exhibits and interactive educational computer games. See Bermuda's oceans come to life! The Jack Lightbourne Shell collection is one of the world's most spectacular display of ocean mollusks. The Deep & Bioluminescence exhibit takes you on a 12,000 foot dive in a simulated submersible and the Treasure Room & Shipwreck Galley are facinating displays of Teddy Tucker's artifacts from his numerous dives around Bermuda. Underwater Bermuda allows you to try diving yourself! |
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Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art
The Foundation was started in 1987 by its Director Tom Butterfield, who recognized that a unique body of artwork could be compiled to form a collection that would one day gain worldwide recognition. The new Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art is now open. Today, over one thousand pieces make up the collection (currently valued at over $7 million), including three works by Winslow Homer, as well as pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, Albert Gleizes and Ogden Pleissner. Other artists in the collection affirm the influence Bermuda’s beauty has had on the worldwide art scene. Open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm. |
