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| History and Mission
The Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing world-class artists and events to St. Thomas that would not be commercially viable to produce here. We sponsor musicians, artists, speakers, theater, dancers, poets and films to challenge, educate, uplift and astonish.
The Forum board is made up of individuals who have, since 1996, volunteered their time, energy and financial support to make the Forum’s work possible. Committed to providing audiences the opportunity to experience high-caliber live performances and discussions, the Forum operates as an independent non-profit (501)(c)(3) organization. We are entirely reliant on individual, corporate and foundation support to fulfill our mission.
Since our inception, the Forum has sponsored nine performances of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. We have also brought top-quality chamber ensembles and performers from the prestigious Casals Festival in Puerto Rico eight times; among them the Leipzig Piano Quartet, Anton Kuerti, the Vienna Trio, the Rossini Quartet, the Rascher Saxophone Quartet, the Moscow String Quartet, the Mozart Piano Quartet, Concertante, Pacifica Quartet and cellist Julian Schwarz with pianist Pauline Yang.
We’ve sponsored exciting speakers, authors and poets, ranging from Elie Wiesel, Maya Angelou, Zainab Salbi and David Eggers to J. Bruce Llewellyn, TV producer Robert Breech, Professor Owen Gingerich and Egyptologist Mark Lehner.
We’ve featured the lively Street Poets of New York, the insight of Anna Deavere Smith, the talent of Awadagin Pratt, the insights of Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Damon Winter, and the beauty of the Oakland Ballet.
Last May, on three successive Wednesdays at Caribbean Cinemas, the Forum hosted its 10th film festival, featuring three films that would otherwise not be seen on St. Thomas. In 2010 the Forum added to its presentations the screening of three films in DVD formal in the fall.
The Forum is committed to introducing young people to our talented guest artists, exposing them to performers they otherwise would not experience and inspiring them to tap into their own potential. In 2007 and 2008, the iO String Quartet performed school workshops for Eudora Kean and Antilles High School students. Members of the Dzul Dance Group did a demonstration and answered questions for Bertha Boschulte students, and Daniel Beaty did a poetry writing workshop at Charlotte Amalie High School. The Forum has also underwritten storytelling and bookmaking classes at the Enid Baa Library patterned after the “Valencia 826” classes that guide young children in creating and producing their own books.
In 2008-09, Cook, Dixon & Young performed and listened to auditions at Charlotte Amalie High School; cartoonist Keith Knight worked with high school art students at Kean, Charlotte Amalie and Antilles Schools. Marc Yu did workshops for Bertha Boschulte and Dober School students and for music students from all over the island; the Assad Brothers did a workshop for music students at Eudora Kean High School; and journalist Mark Bowden talked with Antilles high school students.
In 2009-10, Leymah Gbowee spoke to high school students; Damon Winter shared his photography and expertise with Eudora Kean photography students; Zainab Salbi spoke with girls at both Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS) and Eudora Kean High School; Elisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan did a workshop for music students at CAHS; and the actors in Platanos and Collard Greens did three workshops with high school students – at Antilles, CAHS and Eudora Kean.
In 2010-11 the Forum sponsored more outreach activities than ever before. The four poets who read their works in the courtyard of the Old Stone Farmhouse on a Saturday night had earlier visited high students at Charlotte Amalie, Eudora Kean and Antilles Schools, reading their poems, talking about them, answering questions and listening to students’ poems. Egyptologist Mark Lehner’s presentation fascinated students at Eudora Kean. Misha Dichter talked, performed and answered questions for music theory students from All Saints Cathedral School, along with student pianists from other schools. The Harlem Quartet conducted a wonderful hands-on workshop for Suzuki students from Montessori School. Flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic – the Cavatina duo – entertained over 250 students at Charlotte Amalie High School with their playing, discussion and question and answer session.
Each season the Forum board looks far and wide for people and performers who will open the door, for the first time for some, to the world of human creativity, and who will enrich and engage the lives of everyone in our community. The Board:
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