On February 7th, Grenada celebrated its 49th year as an independent nation and in what has become a tradition, Grenlec paid homage to the nation with themed Displays at its various customer care centres across Grenada and Carriacou.
The Grenlec Independence Designer Displays have been a part of the Company’s annual tribute since 2012 and true to this year’s theme ‘Reflections of the Past’, the displays documented Grenada’s journey through the ages with uniquely curated exhibits.
For example, the Bruce Street Customer Care Centre display featured a map of Grenada with the original French parish names…names long forgotten…
Our island’s vibrant flora (fruits, flowers and decorative plants), culinary products (farine, chocolate, pepper sauce, rums, spices) and depictions of our traditional mas (jab jab, Vieux Corps) were all on display, positioned against the brilliant backdrop of our national colours.
Over the years, many have come to anticipate the colourful displays and many visit the customer care centres to see the annual Independence displays and take photos and videos alongside them. But have you ever stopped to wonder about the origins of this “new” tradition?
Well, eleven years ago Grenlec had the idea of using the spaces at its Customer Care Centres – spaces frequented by a large volume of people – to affirm national pride while showcasing the talents of our designers.
These Independence designer displays started as the Lantern Floral Exhibition, which featured grand floral displays and later evolved into Designer Displays that feature art, craft and other cultural representations.
Sherma Mitchell one of the Designers of Grenlec’s Independence Displays for the last ten years, in reminiscing on her 2023 display at the Grenville Customer Care Centre said she “reflected on the year of our birth, 1974, and chose to do a Chattel house, which is what most people lived in at the time, and which also most houses had beautiful flower gardens around them.”
Speaking on her first time designing a showcase for Grenlec, she said it featured “agricultural products of Grenada” and that there was “a nutmeg tree and a lady in the market among the exhibits”
As to her plans for 2024 the Golden Jubilee of our nation’s independence … she advises people to expect something “terrific, fantastic and explosive”.
Hosting the Independence Designer Displays also aligns with Grenlec’s commitment to support culture and preserve our heritage – a cornerstone of our Grenlec Community Partnership Initiative (GCPI).