A centuries-old church on the island of Nevis has become the setting for a striking new art installation that merges memory, history, and environment. Congregation, by New York-based artist Cyle Warner, debuts this month inside the ruins of Cottle Church—a site rich with historical contradiction and cultural resonance.
Built in 1824, Cottle Church is one of the first integrated Anglican churches in the Caribbean, originally established as a place where enslaved Africans and plantation owners could worship side by side. Today, the stone structure stands roofless and open to the elements—its grassy floor and skyward beams turning the site into a contemplative space suspended between earth and spirit.
In his first exhibition on his ancestral homeland, Warner has transformed the church into a canvas for Congregation—a site-specific installation comprising thirteen assemblage quilts. These large textile works are coated in black sand from the island’s beaches and mounted on shipping pallets, creating a layered interplay of material, symbolism, and geography.
Each quilt features vivid tropical fabrics, some passed down from Warner’s mother and grandmother, others sourced from nearby St. Kitts. These floral textiles act as both camouflage and expression—evoking the exoticized Western gaze cast upon the Caribbean, while also reclaiming Afro-diasporic traditions of domestic craft and ornamentation.
“The use of fabric is intentional,” Warner said. “It’s a visual language of resilience and identity. These are not just quilts; they’re vessels of memory and labor.”
Beneath each quilt lies rubble collected from the church itself, subtly reshaping the floor’s natural contours. The works are further reinforced with burlap, adding a raw, tactile contrast to the softness of the fabrics—a nod to domestic work and the materials of everyday survival. The shipping pallets, meanwhile, reference the island’s entanglement in global trade and commerce.
Over time, exposure to the elements will slowly erode the black sand, revealing the vibrant fabrics underneath. This gradual transformation reflects Warner’s broader meditation on memory, erosion, and the uncovering of buried histories—a process shaped by wind, rain, sun, and even animal movement.
The installation also functions as a collective memorial. While a plaque within the church names 131 enslaved individuals, Warner’s quilts offer a more abstract remembrance—honoring their presence not through individual names, but through form, space, and spiritual gathering.
Congregation continues Warner’s exploration of how built environments preserve and transmit memory. By inviting viewers to move around and between the quilts, the work reshapes how the site is experienced—turning a static ruin into a living, breathing space of reflection.
“This isn’t just about history,” WarnThe Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is set to officially launch the Medicinal Cannabis Authority on Friday, April 25, 2025. The event is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and will take place on Princes Street in Basseterre.
The launch of the Authority represents the next step in the implementation of the Federation’s regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis. It follows legislative and policy developments in recent years aimed at establishing a controlled system for the use of cannabis for medical purposes.
The Medicinal Cannabis Authority will serve as the primary regulatory body responsible for overseeing the cultivation, processing, distribution, and prescription of medicinal cannabis in the Federation. It is also expected to play a role in licensing, monitoring, and enforcement to ensure compliance with relevant laws and standards.
Friday’s launch event is expected to include remarks from government officials, health sector representatives, and key stakeholders. The agenda may also outline the Authority’s structure, objectives, and plans for public engagement.
The creation of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority aligns with ongoing efforts to diversify the national economy, modernize the healthcare sector, and explore new areas of regulated industry development. The initiative is being observed with interest by both local and regional stakeholders.
The general public is invited to attend the launch event, which marks a significant step in the Federation’s approach to the medicinal cannabis industry.