Acknowledging a hidden treasure in Oranjestad, Aruba
I was honored to presented my latest Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award on August 28, 2025, to Pancho Geerman, the Director of the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba, for the museum’s “outstanding contribution to historic and cultural preservation in Aruba, and for the rich educational service they provide both in Aruba and for all international visitors.”
Here is the award, an original pen and watercolor painting. My portrait features the entire museum venue as well as the restored historic dwellings. These include the original 1867 cunucu (native) homes and the 1929 colonial mansion, in addition to an integrated modern structure.
As a passenger of the Freewinds cruise ship, I was fortunate to spend time in Aruba, which is where I discovered the museum while exploring the captial city of Oranjestad. I was extremely impressed with its vibrant visual appeal and the architectural contrasts within the beautifully restored complex. The history of the renowned Ecury family, who build these homes is also intriguing, Once drawn into the museum, I was fascinated by the reconstructed dwellings, the multimedia displays as well as the hands-on interactive activities. I have been to many similar museums in different parts of the world, but the Aruba Museum is top-of-the-line in terms of providing enriched engagement.
After my experience, I decided that this stunning museum should be recognized with my 15th Historic Preservation Award. I first launched the award in 2013 as a way to give back to individuals and organizations who “exemplify historic and cultural preservation, therefore enriching the lives of those they touch.”
The museum, initially established in 1981, was re‑inaugurated in its current location in 2009 as the National Archaeological Museum Aruba. From a total collection of over 10,000 artifacts, only a fraction of these are presented in the permanent exhibition. They illustrate a timeline from approximately 1500 BCE to the 19th century covering Archaic, Ceramic, and Historic Cultural periods. Materials include pottery, shell, stone, bone, and glass, capturing facets of daily life, artistic expression, and early communication networks spanning Aruba, Europe, Mexico, and South America. Highlights of the exhibits include a limestone burial as well as thematic galleries offer immersive and interactive experiences.
I asked Mr. Geerman, the Director of the Museum if I could interview him for this blog post as I knew those interested in this project would like to hear directly from him. He graciously accepted, and here is an exerpted version of the interview for you to enjoy.
Interview with Pancho Geerman, Director of the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba
Can you give me a brief history of the Archaeological Museum and how it came to be located in the in Ecury family complex?
The museum was established in 1981 in one of the historic monuments near the main administrative government office. It was moved to another historical building near the main Roman Catholic Cathedral, which has been open to the public since 2009. The location of these premises are ideal as these buildings hold amazing history regards Aruba.
What make the museum unique compared to other Caribbean archaeological institutions?
First of all, the archaeological aspect of the museum tells the history of the region, starting from the first inhabitants all the way to modern history. Secondly, the landmark monuments tell their own story; especially because the Ecury family who built them is very unique. They are descendants from enslaved people, and within their generation, they went from being enslaved to becoming one of the richest families on the island. That’s a story in itself.
The third thing is integrating art into the exhibition itself. There is a very important fourth part, which is that our doors are open to everyone. In alignment with this, our outreach programs are very diverse, because we like to experiment. For example, we once had a request to create a program for pre-schoolers to third graders. This was very successful and the very next day we received requests from similar pre-school groups. Our outreach program is very broad. We cater to everyone, including the elderly as well as special needs groups and have adapted our programs to suit them.
Also, one of the things about the Caribbean is that we in Aruba speak different languages. So we can serve many different groups. The two main languages you have here is Papiamento and English. Papiamento is our national language, and it is considered a Creole language. While these are the two languages we use mainly, we recently we had someone from the Caracas Goethe-Institute, so then we spoke Spanish. Aruba is part of the Netherlands, and Netherland is famous for its integration of languages. It’s part of the Dutch education system.
What are the most important archaeological discoveries made in Aruba?
There is one very important archaeological discovery, and that has been ongoing for almost 20 years. In Santa Cruz, around the middle of the island, exists the only archaeological burial site where remains have been found of both European people along with indigenous people.
And the barrios (village communities) are very interesting, because you can see the Christian influence interwoven into them. This archaeological finding is still being researched, but in 2006 a golden ring was found in one of the burial sites. The gold is from Mexico, and the emeralds are from Colombia, and it ended up in Aruba. So, the migration within the Caribbean is something that has been going on for thousands of years.
Currently there’s still excavation projects underway here in Aruba. It is said that because of this excavation, we definitely know that there was a settlement as well.
How does the museum help strengthen cultural identity among younger generations?
One of the things that we talk about is identity, the sense of belonging. For example, a famous artist, Gion, made a video clip here in front of this building. Being a young singer and artist, he has a huge following. The message in his song is important. He says: If you see someone white, he’s my brother. If you see someone black, he’s my family. If you see a Latino, if you see a Chinese, etc.
It’s about getting out information, as in formal education there is a lack of education about our own history. So, we are trying to do that through both non-formal and informal education. And indeed, we have this philosophy, whenever we get any requests we try to accommodate and offer information.
How is the history of the Ecury family complex preserved and adapted for museum use?
The main reason for buying these historic monuments, is because they belonged to the Ecury family. One of the sons, was particularly famous as a Second World War hero. His name was Boy Ecury. He was heavily involved in the Dutch resistence movement.
Additionally, we want to promote the legacy of the Ecury family, as their impact was very broad. Not only was it a business family, but they brought forward other professions, educators and artists. They were also involved in the theatre and poetry. That all helps. And indeed, their whole relationship to slavery, being that the Ecury family started with nothing, simply as freed slaves. For us they represent the resilience of Aruba. Because, here in the Caribbean we recognize the suffering of enslavement.
But, there is more to this. In Aruba, when slavery was abolished in 1863, it was one of the few places, and maybe the only place in the Caribbean, that enslaved people received land, which the government gave to them. The Ecury family is a model in that they found success. So we want to tell not only the sad stories, but also stories of strength. And this family is very representative of that.
Is the Ecury family still involved with the museum?
Yes they are very involved. Much of the furniture and other historic artifacts were given to us by family members. On national holidays, we have a few of them come here and tell their stories to the public. So, we have a very good involvement with them and today we are mainly dealing with the third and fourth generations of the Ecury family.
What challenges come with maintaining historic buildings like this in the Aruba climate?
The main challenge, especially for historic monuments, is maintenance. We have a very aggressive island climate. Salt causes much decay and maintaining the buildings is very expensive. So, that is really the main challenge but it is a constant one. And this applies to all the historic buildings in Aruba.
We are continually updating and renovating. We also feel it is imporant to maintain the same exterior colors of the buildings in the museum complex which were used by the Ecury family.
How do you feel the museum’s design has enhanced the storytelling of Aruba’s past?
Basically each building has its own story as they were built at different times. The oldest existing one was built in 1867 and the newest one in 1929. So they expanded their buildings and property based on their economic capabilities, and they also used the materials of the day. The older buildings are made of stone but the bigger main one is made of cement.
What are the museum’s future goals and what does that future look like?
There are many plans. One is becoming an independent institution as currently we are part of a government organization. And why is that important? Because it gives us access to international funding. And many times as a governmental entity, you cannot make use of this funding. Especially for historic monuments and for research.
Secondly, in the modern building, we hope to have rotational contemporary exhibitions. It’s perfect for this with a lot of light and glass Another goal is the creation of a European-style gift shop along with a cafeteria. Lastly we must continue with the archaeological research to find out more about how the indigenous people adapted to changing circumstances. We are talking about climate change, which has always been there.
I wish you the best of luck with those amazing plans and thank you very much Mr. Geerman for your insightful interview.
Once again, I would like to thank Mr. Geerman for taking the time to give us an in depth look at the history of the museum and how it plays such an important role in preserving both the cultural and architectual legacy of Aruba.
My mission is to conserve communities and culture through my art. Any building with history has a cultural story and once it is destroyed it is lost forever. My goal is to leave a legacy that will help tell these stories in every painting and with each brushstroke. So that future generations may also value architectural and cultural treasures surrounding us and more importantly, the people who made them so.
On a final note, the main daily newspaper for the island, 24-ORA ran the following story about this event.
Here is the translation of the article in English.
24-ORA
Aruba Daily newspaper (both on-line and print)
(Translated from Papiamento, native language Aruba)
National Archaeological Museum Aruba Receives Historic Preservation Award
September 1, 2025
Acclaimed USA architectural artist, Leisa Collins, who specializes in paintings of historic buildings, presented her latest Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award on Thursday, August 28, 2025 to Pancho Geerman, the Director of the National Archaeological Museum, for the museum’s “outstanding contribution to historic and cultural preservation in Aruba, and for the rich educational service they provide both in Aruba and for all international visitors.”
The award, an original pen and watercolor framed painting by Collins, features the entire museum venue and restored Ecury dwellings, including the 1867 cunucu homes, the 1929 Colonial mansion as well as an integrated modern structure.
The artist stated that as a passenger of the Freewinds cruise ship she was fortunate to spend time in Aruba, where she discovered the museum while exploring Oranjestat.
“I was extremely impressed with the vibrant visual appeal and architectural contrasts of the beautifully restored Ecury complex and found the history of this renowned family intriguing,” said Collins. “Once drawn into the museum, I was fascinated by the reconstructed dwellings, the multimedia displays as well as the hands-on interactive activities. I have been to many similar museums in different parts of the world, but the Aruba Museum is top-of-the-line in terms of providing enriched engagement,” she said.
It’s Collins’ 15th Historic Preservation Award since launching the recognition in 2013 as a way to give back to individuals and organizations who “exemplify historic and cultural preservation, therefore enriching the lives of those they touch.”
One of the most prolific artists of architectural subjects in the United States, Collins travels extensively and has created paintings of homes and historic buildings in all 50 USA states. She selected 650 of these works of art — as well as the fascinating stories behind many of them — to share with readers in her coffee table book, Hand-Painted Homes: An Architectural Artist’s Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America which was published in May 2021.
A full-time working artists, Collins’ work has been seen in many publications such as The New York Times, Huffington Post and Los Angeles Times. Due to her fine eye toward detail and her deep respect and curiosity about the stories behind each home, Collins’ commissioned house portraits are always in high demand.
Said Collins, “My mission is conserving communities and culture through my art. Any building with history has a cultural story and once it is destroyed it is lost forever. My goal is to leave a legacy that will help tell these stories in every painting and with each brushstroke. So that future generations may also value architectural and cultural treasures surrounding us and more importantly, the people who made them so.”
The museum, originally established in 1981, was re‑inaugurated in its current location in 2009 as the National Archaeological Museum Aruba. With a stunning collection of over 10,000 Amerindian artifacts, covering a timeline from approximately 2500 BCE to the 19th century, the museum covers Pre‑Ceramic, Ceramic, and Historic Cultural periods. Materials include pottery, shell, stone, bone, and glass, capturing facets of daily life, artistic expression, and early communication networks spanning Aruba, Europe, Mexico, and South America. Highlights of the exhibits include a 4,000‑year‑old limestone family burial cave as well as thematic galleries offer immersive and interactive experiences.
For more information about the artist and her Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award, https://leisacollins.com/the-artist/leisa-collins-historic-preservation-award/
Or visit her website at www.leisacollins.com
Leisa Collins contact info:
leisa@leisacollins.com or (703) 598-7360.
Now it is time to sign off.
Until next time, Leisa
