Jamaica museum gives tips to guard art from Hurricane Melissa

The National Gallery of Jamaica in Kingston has given tips to artists to protect their work and studios from destruction amid Hurricane Melissa, which is now barreling toward Bermuda.

The museum has been closed since October 24 as Hurricane Melissa bore down on the island nation, the museum announced in a statement.

“Updates regarding reopening will be shared once conditions are safe to do so,” the museum said ahead of the storm. “Please stay safe and take all necessary precautions as the weather system approaches.”

The National Gallery of Jamaica on Facebook had also shared tips to a conservation education graphic it had made in 2020 that it said “remains just as relevant today.”

“Take the necessary steps to protect your artwork and remember to inspect each piece after a storm has passed,” the museum said.

The tips provided by the museum included photographing and safely storing the photos before the storm, getting appraisals of artwork, removing it from the walls and storing it at least three feet from the floor and covered in a plastic sheet.

“In the case of outdoor sculptures, consider building a support or securely anchoring the work with rope to a concrete beam,” the museum advised.

The museum advised that, after the storm, artists should remove plastic sheeting and relocate works to a brightly lit and ventilated area to inspect them, and then contact your insurance company if any damage can be seen.

“If the damage is superficial, only to the frame for exterior parts of the work, lightly dust the artwork with a soft brush or microfiber cloth and return to the hanging position on the wall,” the museum said.

Melissa hit Jamaica as a strong Category 5 storm Tuesday before making its way to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, killing dozens of people.

It has since weakened to a Category 2 hurricane and was located about 110 miles south-southeast of the central Bahamas on Wednesday afternoon.

“Jamaica, we will rise again,” the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, which also closed ahead of the hurricane, said in a statement Wednesday. “Hurricane Melissa may have tested our strength, but it could never break our spirit. Now is the time to rebuild — together, with love, unity and hope.”