Crafting Cayman: Exploring Traditional Arts, Weaving & Woodcarving

The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands holds a collection of over forty contemporary craft pieces, each one a direct line to a practice that has shaped life here for generations. Silver thatch weaving, in particular, has been a constant — a skill passed down through families who walked miles into the bush to gather bundles of the palm, known locally as tops. This article looks at the three main traditional art forms still practised today — thatch weaving, woodcarving, and story quilting — and where you can see the work of the artisans keeping these skills alive.

The National Gallery’s collection begins with these craft objects to frame more recent artistic developments, but the older techniques are not museum pieces. They remain in use, though the number of practitioners is small. The challenge for a visitor is knowing where to look and what to look for.

Understanding Caymanian Craft Traditions

Three distinct craft traditions have survived the islands’ shift from a seafaring economy to a financial one. Silver thatch weaving is the oldest and most distinctive, using a unique notch plaiting method to weave strips of the Coccothrinax proctorii palm into ribbons that are then shaped into baskets, hats, and rope. Woodcarving, once essential for building catboats and household tools, now produces decorative sculptures and furniture. Story quilting, a patchwork technique, uses each square to depict a scene from island history or folklore.

What connects all three is a practical origin. Women wove thatch into objects that men carried to sea and traded for goods. Woodcarving produced the tools for daily survival. Quilting preserved narratives in households where written records were scarce. None of these traditions developed as art for display — they were functional first, and the aesthetic quality emerged from the skill required to make them well.

Where to See Traditional Crafts

The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands

The permanent collection at the National Gallery is the single most important place to understand Caymanian craft. The gallery holds works by nearly every significant contemporary practitioner, including Annalee Ebanks, whose Thatch Fish Hand Basket (2007) shows how a traditional weaving technique can be adapted into sculptural form. Deal Ebanks’s 21st Century Gigs (2010) and Thatch Head Rope (2020) demonstrate the range of a single material. The gallery also displays pieces by John Bird, whose woodcarvings Jack in the Box (2012) and Wari (2023) show the evolution from functional carving to conceptual work. Entry is free, and the collection is well labelled with context about each maker and technique.

The Cayman Islands Arts and Crafts Festival

Held annually in November at the Harquail Theatre in George Town, this is the only regular event where multiple artisans demonstrate and sell their work in one place. You will see silver thatch weavers working live, woodcarvers shaping local mahogany, and quilters displaying finished story quilts. The festival also includes live quadrille music and kitchen dance performances, which are traditional storytelling forms using expressive movement. The event lasts one weekend, so it requires advance planning.

Boat-Building Sites

Catboat construction is the least accessible craft to observe. No regular public demonstrations exist. The Cayman Islands National Museum in George Town holds a small display on boat-building history, and the annual Cayman Islands Arts and Crafts Festival sometimes includes a boat-building component. For a deeper look, the history of seafaring in the Cayman Islands provides essential context for understanding why boat-building mattered — and why it has become so rare.

Planning Your Visit Around Craft

The timing of your trip determines what you will see. Outside of the November festival, craft is not presented as a tourist attraction. There are no daily weaving demonstrations, no open workshops, and no craft villages. The National Gallery is your only guaranteed option, and it is worth an hour of your time. If you want to buy directly from an artisan, the festival is the only reliable opportunity.

Getting to the National Gallery is straightforward from any hotel on Seven Mile Beach — it is a 10-minute taxi ride or a 30-minute walk along the waterfront. The museum is a similar distance. Neither venue requires more than an hour, so you can easily combine both in a morning and still have the afternoon free for the beach.

On the Ground: What to Know Before You Go

Understanding Silver Thatch

The silver thatch palm grows only in the Caribbean, and the Cayman Islands developed a distinct notch plaiting method that differs from weaving techniques found elsewhere in the region. The palm’s leaves are harvested, dried, and split into strips. The weaver then cuts small notches into each strip so they lock together without glue or stitching. A single basket can take several days to complete. The National Gallery’s collection includes pieces by Marlena Anglin, whose Thatch Rope Cart (2012) and Ground Basket (2019) show the range of what the technique can produce.

Woodcarving and Its Decline

Woodcarving has shifted from a necessity to a niche art form. John Bird is the most prominent contemporary carver, and his work in the National Gallery collection — Jack in the Box (2012), Ode’ to George (2015), and Wari (2023) — shows a move toward abstract and conceptual forms. The older tradition of carving functional items like tool handles, furniture, and boat parts has largely disappeared. The historic landmarks that tell the story of the Cayman Islands include examples of early woodcarving in architectural details, but these are not labelled as such and require a knowledgeable eye to spot.

Story Quilting as Visual History

Story quilts are the most narrative of the three traditions. Each square depicts a scene — a catboat under sail, a thatch-roofed cottage, a turtle hunt — and together they form a visual record of island life. The Cayman Quilters group created the Love Quilt in 2001, which is held in the National Gallery collection. Unlike thatch weaving and woodcarving, quilting has a more active community of practitioners, though they do not maintain a public studio or regular exhibition schedule. The Arts and Crafts Festival is the best place to see recent work.

Visitor Questions About Caymanian Crafts

Can I buy genuine silver thatch items outside of the festival?

Rarely. The National Gallery does not sell craft items, and most shops in George Town carry imports. Your best bet outside of November is to contact the National Gallery directly and ask if any of the artists represented in their collection sell work independently. Some do, but they do not advertise.

Is there a workshop where I can learn thatch weaving?

No regular public workshops exist. The National Gallery has hosted occasional one-off sessions, but these are infrequent and announced on short notice. The Arts and Crafts Festival sometimes includes short demonstrations where you can try the technique, but these are not structured classes.

Why is silver thatch weaving considered distinct from other Caribbean weaving?

The notch plaiting method developed in the Cayman Islands is unique. Instead of simply overlapping strips, weavers cut small notches that lock each strip into place. This creates a tighter, more durable weave that does not require stitching or adhesive. The technique is specific to the islands and has been passed down through families for generations.

Is story quilting still a living tradition?

Yes, but the number of active quilters is small. The Cayman Quilters group continues to produce work, and younger artists like Nasaria Suckoo Chollette — whose piece Ketchin’ Babies was added to the National Gallery collection in 2023 — are pushing the form in new directions. However, there is no public quilting studio or regular exhibition schedule.

What is the biggest challenge facing these craft traditions?

The raw material. Silver thatch palm grows in specific areas of Grand Cayman, and development has reduced access to the bush where families once collected tops. The cultural significance of thatch weaving is well documented, but without accessible palm stands and younger people learning the technique, the practice faces a real risk of fading within a generation.

Closing

The gap between what the National Gallery preserves and what a visitor can actually experience on the ground is wider here than in most Caribbean destinations. That gap is itself instructive — it tells you that these crafts were never meant for display, and their survival depends on a small number of practitioners who do not operate on tourist schedules. If you want to understand Caymanian culture beyond the beaches and banks, the stories embedded in these objects are worth the effort it takes to find them.

Sources and further reading

Traditional and Contemporary Craft Collection. National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.

Caymanian Art and Culture Through Creativity. Snorkel.ky.