If you like Caribbean art forms, you can
find a wide variety at the Craft Alive Mall
in the center of Road Town, just off
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Waterfront Drive. You will find every
conceivable form of art from paintings to
an assortment of crafts and Caribbean
style clothes.
Crafts Alive, a picturesque village for
local artists and craftspeople, is worth
the visit. The houses are reminiscent of
the wooden gable end houses that were
prominent features of the landscape
during the first half of the 20th century.
The same type of architecture still forms
part of the vernacular architecture on
the main street complete with ginger
bread trimmings around the roofs. |
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The thatched houses reflect a different
era when slaves built thatched houses
entirely from grass. The fragile structure
of these houses resulted in the great
loss of lives during hurricanes in 1867,
1916, and 1924. Some of the craft items
in Crafts Alive go back to African roots
- dolls dressed in typical African attire,
clothing materials and pottery. Typical
of the BVI is the straw work, which was
once a prosperous cottage industry in
the eastern end of Tortola. Hats and bags
plaited and sewn by the local women take
a prominent place in Crafts Alive. |
