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Honarable Dunstan St. Omer with Mr.
Fred Walcott |
Wednesday, January 12, 2004 - Cable & Wireless unveiled its 2004 / 05
Services Directory on Wednesday, featuring another of St. Lucia’s
internationally acclaimed artists.
The latest version of the Directory carries the picture of the Honourable
Dunstan St. Omer, St. Lucia’s foremost visual artist and the designer of the
national flag. Mr. St. Omer is pictured on the cover with ‘Passion,’ a painting
dedicated to his daughter, Digna. The painting is part of his ‘Madonna’ series.
There are hundreds of Dunstan St. Omer Madonnas, murals and landscapes in
churches, homes, businesses and institutions throughout St. Lucia and the wider
Caribbean. Now, as the 76-year-old father of nine proclaims, “for the next 12
months, my picture will be in households all over St. Lucia – it’s a great
honour.” Mr. St. Omer unveiled the new Directory in the presence of Cable &
Wireless Chief Executive Fred Walcott.
“For all of us at C&W, the unveiling of the 2004-05 Services Directory is a
truly special occasion,” says Mr. Walcott. “It gives us the opportunity to
honour yet another outstanding and gifted St. Lucian who, in so many ways, has
made us all proud to be St. Lucians. One of the things that makes Dunstan so
special is that he is a living example of what it means to be a true home-grown
genius.”
St. Omer has also inspired generations of young St. Lucian artists. He worked in
the Ministry of Education as an art instructor for over 30 years, and is still
passionate about introducing young people to the arts. Having recently judged
the Cable & Wireless Schools Greeting Card Schools’ Competition, he is now
championing the revival of the Independence Arts Exhibition.
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Dunston signs a phone book for a fan |
A 2004 recipient of the St. Lucia Cross, the nation’s highest award, St. Omer
has now been conferred what is perhaps the most public honour any St. Lucian can
hope to attain locally. When he accepted the St. Lucia Cross, Honourable Dunstan
St. Omer delivered a brief speech. One phrase in particular is applicable to
Cable & Wireless’ choice for its Directory cover: “It means my people appreciate
what I have been trying to do.”
Honourable Dunstan St. Omer is the fourth consecutive distinguished St. Lucian
to be featured on the Cable & Wireless Directory. Musician Ronald “Boo” Hinkson
was on the cover of the 2003-04 edition. He was preceded in 2002-03 by Nobel
laureates Hon. Derek Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis.
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