Scheed Cole behind the magic at Natural History Museum exhibition gallery

“O N SUNDAY, August 31, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange officially opened the Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ) Exhibition Gallery, by way of a ribbon-cutting exercise. Construction had started in 2009, and it was completed a few years,” goes the lead paragraph of an article published under the headline, ‘Natural History Museum of Jamaica’s state-of-the-art exhibition gallery opened’, on Wednesday, September 17.

The gallery is a permanent space consisting of six dioramas, among other things, depicting Jamaica’s natural environments. The ‘Geology’ section was designed to look like one of Jamaica’s mystical limestone caves. The ‘Coral Reef’ diorama immerses patrons into the dazzling world of a thriving coral reef. The ‘Wetlands’ section is modelled after a mangrove wetland.

The ‘Dry Limestone’ diorama is modelled after St Catherine’s Hellshire Hills, the largest intact dry limestone forest in the Caribbean. The forest ‘Canopy’ is alive with the sounds and colours of Jamaica’s bird species. The ‘Understory’ intends to give patrons an insight of what lies beneath the green canopy of a wet limestone rainforest.

The article also says, “Scheed Cole of 360Recycle Manufacturing Limited is the sculptor who created the convincing and lifelike pieces from a recycled composite called 360RM.” After the publication of the article, The Gleaner sought to find out from Cole, how challenging it was to execute the vision, and by extension, creating the magic.

He said the entire process took about a year and the biggest challenge was “making thousands of leaves painstakingly”. Yes, there are leaves everywhere, except in the geology section and the breathtaking ‘aquarium’, replete with aquatic ‘creatures’.

For each diorama, Cole had to research and get the specimens right, receiving instruction from the botanist and zoologist, following the architectural drawings, doing site visits to see the specimens in their natural habitats, and doing a lot of drawing studies to really understand the forms. He would begin the sculpting stage by hand in the museum space, and in other cases, sculptures are moulded and copies are made. The pieces are then painted and installed.

But, was he under any pressure to make the objects look lifelike? “The pressure was not from the museum team; it was my perfectionist attitude that drove me to go the extra mile to make the specimens look exactly like how they are seen in nature,” he said.

“I am never satisfied with any work I have done. I always see room for improvement. I am always under pressure racing against time, so I have the belief that if I had more time and resources I could make it perfect. I also do believe that the pressure makes me more resourceful and creative.”

It is a high-class piece of work that Cole has carried out, and he knows it. For, when he was asked if there was anything else that he would have liked to say, he replied, “I grew up with feelings of abandonment and rejection, so my life has been one of proving my worth to people through my art. Every work I do I represent Jamaica as a visual artist, in the same way Bob Marley and Usain Bolt did in their own creative expression.

“When people make comparisons with works internationally and our work, our work must not look subpar, but first-class. Being ‘Third World’ doesn’t mean our artistic work must look primitive or amateur. As I am inspired by the great legends that have lifted Jamaica on the world stage, I want to inspire my fellow Jamaicans to put out their best in everything they do, so our government or private individuals don’t have to call in foreigners if they need something to be done right.”

The project lead is Tracy Commock, director, NHMJ. Her staff includes, but is not limited to, Leonard Wright, Shemere Lawes, Patricia Parchment, Keron Campbell, Elizabeth Morrison, Leleka Johnson, Kareen Parks-Swaby, Janelle Morris, Tona Rattigan, and Albert Stewart.

“I am really pleased that the permanent exhibition is finally here after many years of preparation. It has been a learning process as we creatively adapted available resources to create a world-class space. We aim to raise awareness in our citizens at all levels about our biodiversity and ecosystems, their uniqueness, and our responsibility to protect them,” Commock told The Gleaner.

Elizabeth Morrison, zoologist, was just as pleased as Commock, as she said, “The newly renovated exhibits bring fresh life to the museum, offering Jamaicans and visitors a modern space to discover and celebrate our beautiful natural heritage, including our unique flora and fauna. This is an investment in education, national pride, and the future of our environment. I encourage everyone to visit, it’s a wonderful adventure for the whole family.”