Exhibition Statement

Jamaica: the cuisines it has to offer, the people to share the culture, the culture itself… What more can you ask for?! Jamaica is a country that has many different cuisines containing many vast and diverse flavors from various different countries that will be researched and explained throughout this capstone project. This work is very important to because it allows the curator to connect more with culture, as the curator is Jamaican, it allow others to learn more about the culture through the act of multiculturalism and diversity as well as bringing awareness for the audience so that similarities and differences between their cultures and the Jamaican culture can be identified. As this capstone project is very important to the curator because it is a part of the identity aspect, the motivation is the new information that the audience will hopefully learn, fulfilling more exploration to the topic of “Travel & Cuisine” in regards to Jamaica.  

The curator's capstone project has a literature review. This literature review will help strengthen the capstone project so that it is more reliable when being reviewed by the audience. Each literature review will have aspects that directly relate to the project as they are direct recipes from the great-grandmother “Granny” (Myrtle Lorraine Allen). Additionally, the curator has used literature work for inspiration and visuals for the cookbook. The book from (Christensen, 2020) has been a great source in order to make a scrapbook that is inviting yet friendly enough for all edges to read and enjoy. These literature implementations have truly helped benefit the project in many different ways. For example, the sites have allowed for more substance from a historical standpoint as well as from a logistical standpoint of the different cuisines of Jamaica. Literature reviews offer a survey of information relevant to a specific topic which is also what will be implementing. 

For a successful capstone project or research project in general, it is very important to have a well throughout background in order to maintain effective research and feedback from methods. For example, to make the cookbook professional and more credible, methods are very important. In order to achieve this, the cookbook (Christensen, 2020) was used for a super moist base in order to add onto the ethnic ingredients for the rum cake recipe. As for the more savory dishes, help from the curator's mother and the generations previously were able to obtain passed down recipes for those dishes. The cookbook is very important as well as for the mediums that will be used. The mediums that were used include cardboard, white acrylic paint, multicolored construction papers, a stencil cutter, twine and additional decorative elements. 

As for the development with the capstone project, the hope is that the audience learns more about the Jamaican culture and that they know there is more to learn about it through ‘Travel & Cuisine’ as well as the similarities and/or differences that may arise in relation to their own culture as well. I hope the awareness of being more open-minded in regards to multiculturalism and diversity of others is more if not appreciated, than respected. I do also hope that there are inspirational elements inspiring the audience to travel and learn about other countries, especially Jamaica, as it will most likely strengthen their facts and ideas of other countries on a more global scale. Personally, the curator hopes that mastering the art of ‘time management’ in order to execute the project from a professional standpoint for the audience is clear. Through Arts Scholars and prior knowledge, the curator has realized how art can be represented in so many different and unique ways. For example, the art of plating food as well as the art of the taste buds that evolve and bloom when tasting the flavors and spices from the cuisines of Jamaica are just some of the many aspects Jamaica has to offer. As a future career as an Orthodontist, the movement of teeth and how it can be altered is art itself. Although it does not directly relate to the capstone project, the idea of art does. As the project is based on the research and impact of multiculturalism and diversity, it will allow connection more with patients and their backgrounds to create safe environments where the learning of multiple different backgrounds of countries is possible. 

References 

Christensen, Emma. “Mi Comida Latina, an Illustrated Cookbook.” Marcella Kriebel Art and Illustration, THEKITCHN.COM, 2020, marcellakriebel.com/collections/illustrated-cookbooks/products/mi-comida-latina-an-illustrated-cookbook  

Family members: 

• Leisa Allen-Warren (Mother)

• Myrtle Lorraine Allen a.k.a Granny (Great Grandmother) 

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my family, friends, parents, faculty advisors from Arts Scholars, and the audience for taking their time to learn more about the capstone project!