When the Walls Answer

Experience a moving celebration of culture, craft, and community that connects past, present, and future through our built heritage.

When the Walls Answer: Built Heritage Art Exhibition

Honoring Our Past and Living Legacy

Gerville Larsen’s work created a paradigm shift in our understanding of Afro-Caribbean history and the architectural and engineering contributions embedded within our built environment. This exhibition stands as both a tribute and a call to see, to listen, and to carry forward the knowledge systems and cultural expressions that shape who we are.

Join the Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts (VIAC) and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) for an intimate and soulful evening of art, memory, and place at When the Walls Answer, a curated exhibition honoring the life and legacy of visionary architect Gerville René. Larsen.

This exhibition brings together works by featured artist El’Roy Simmonds, students, and local creatives whose practices reflect the living continuum of Virgin Islands built heritage. Curated by Monica Marin, the evening invites guests to experience how art, architecture, and storytelling intersect to reveal the layered histories embedded within our walls, landscapes, and communities.

Set within the historic grounds of Fort Frederik, this gathering is more than an exhibition—it is a space for reflection, connection, and cultural affirmation. Through visual art, shared memory, and collective presence, we honor not only a remarkable individual but the enduring spirit of Virgin Islands placekeeping.

Event Details

Location: Fort Frederik Museum, St. Croix

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026

Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Join the journey as we answer the call within these walls. Together, we build toward a future rooted in heritage, as we bring new life to the vision of the Old Barracks Site. Proceeds from this event will support VIAC’s educational programming, including the VAST Summer Program, which equips the next generation with the tools, skills, and cultural knowledge to steward our built heritage into the future.

Come be part of an evening where the past speaks, the present gathers, and the future is shaped, together.

Funded in part by the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.