Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery

10/12/2026

10/07/2026

BEFORE THE SHINDIG… THERE WERE THESE GUYS. 🎶

Long before we decided to host our first Shindig at the Lady Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate, music was already part of our family's story.
Lady Ruby grew up surrounded by it.
During the mid-1930s, the young men in her family ventured to Latin countries in search of work. When they returned home to St. Maarten/St. Martin, they brought back musical instruments, influences and sounds that became part of family life.
After working all week, Sunday was special.
There was church. Sunday lunch. The children were properly groomed and dressed. And as evening came, family and friends would gather in Son's (Ruby's father) yard.
The instruments came out.
Her father, his brothers, cousins and fellow musicians would play and sing, entertaining everyone around them.
These are the guys. 🎸🪇

This photograph holds a piece of the story that would help shape Lady Ruby's own lifelong love of music, singing, culture and community.
So when we asked ourselves what the first event hosted by the Lady Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate should feel like, we kept coming back to something familiar.

Not simply a party.
A gathering.
Music. Food. Laughter. Family. Friends. Our People coming together and enjoying one another, just as generations before us did.
And so...
THE SUNDAY SHINDIG was born. 🌳🎶
A new gathering inspired by an old tradition.
This Sunday, we invite you to come gather with us.
Come eat. Come listen. Come laugh. Come make memories.
Because preserving culture isn't only about remembering how things once were.
Sometimes, it's about gathering again. ❤️

Lady Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate
Friars Bay, Saint Martin

09/28/2026

Today, our home feels a little different. 🤍🐾

This morning, we said goodbye to our Lou Lou Bute, surrounded by the people who loved and cared for her.

When our grandmother passed in 2024, she left behind so many pieces of herself at the Silk Cotton Estate, her art, her garden, her memories, and her beloved Lou Lou.

We made a promise to Grandma that we would take care of Lou Lou and somehow it always felt as though Lou Lou had made a promise of her own too, to stay with us and watch over us after Grandma was gone.

And she did.

For almost two years, in the midst of our own grief, we loved her, spoiled her, cared for her and made sure she knew that she was never alone.
This morning, as she took her last breath, she was still surrounded by that same love.

It hurts to lose another little piece of the life we shared with Grandma, but there is also something comforting in imagining Grandma waiting for her Lou Lou again. 🤍

From all of us who loved you and cared for you, thank you, Lou Lou, for staying with us a little while longer.

You were never simply Grandma’s faithful companion.

You became ours too. You were family.

Rest peacefully now, sweet Lou Lou Bute. 🐾🤍
You kept your promise, and we kept ours.

Go find Grandma. Give her all our love. 🌿🤍

09/11/2026

✨ Congratulations to our young storytellers! ✨

We are delighted to congratulate Sanaa Lake, winner of the 2026 Dame Ruby Bute National Short Story Contest, marking her second consecutive win, and Gabrielle Joseph, who proudly placed second. 👏🏽📚✍🏽

It is especially meaningful for us to see young people continuing to embrace writing, imagination and storytelling through a competition that carries the name and honors the legacy of our beloved Lady Ruby Bute.

Lady Ruby believed deeply in preserving our stories, our culture and our history through the written word and the arts. Seeing another generation encouraged to create, imagine and tell their own stories is a beautiful continuation of that legacy.

Congratulations Sanaa and Gabrielle! May you continue to write, dream, create and proudly tell the stories of St. Maarten. 💜

We also commend MECYS for continuing this initiative and investing in literacy and creative expression among our youth.

From the family of Lady Ruby Bute and the Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate, we celebrate you both! 🌳💜

GREAT BAY--Young writer Sanaa Lake has won the 2026 Dame Ruby Bute National Short Story Contest, securing the top prize for the second consecutive year, while Gabrielle Joseph placed second in the annual competition organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS).

Now in its second year, the contest is open to students ages 12 to 14 and is designed to encourage reading, writing, literacy and creative expression among St. Maarten’s young people. It also honors the legacy of Dame Ruby Bute, one of the island’s celebrated cultural icons, writers and storytellers.

This year’s theme, “Beats, Bytes & Bacchanal: It’s St. Maarten Carnival 2050,” challenged students to imagine what Carnival could look like several decades from now in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

For full story: https://www.thepeoplestribunesxm.com/articles/sanaa-lake-wins-dame-ruby-bute-short-story-contest-for-second-consecutive-year

09/04/2026

A Beautiful Addition to Lady Ruby Bute’s Lasting Legacy 🎨🕊️

Today, September 4, 2026, Lady Ruby Bute was proudly honored as part of Princess Juliana International Airport’s Tribute to Legacy. A special installation along the airport wall recognizing 14 distinguished individuals whose contributions have helped shape our community.

Seeing Lady Ruby among these remarkable figures is a proud and deeply meaningful moment for our family and the Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate.

Her tribute captures the woman so many knew and loved. Her beautiful smile surrounded by the vibrant culture she spent decades documenting through her art, poetry, stories and teachings.

Lady Ruby was proudly represented at today’s unveiling by two generations of her family, her daughter and granddaughter who had the honor of standing together beside her tribute.

For those who knew her, may her image bring a smile and a memory. For those discovering her for the first time, may it inspire them to ask, “Who was Lady Ruby Bute?” and in doing so, allow her story to continue.

Our sincere appreciation to Princess Juliana International Airport for this beautiful recognition. We also congratulate the families and loved ones of all 14 honorees whose legacies now stand together as part of our collective history.

Her art lives. Her story continues. Her legacy remains.

Lady Ruby Bute | 1943–2024
Artist • Poet • Author • Educator • Cultural Icon

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

AIRPORT--Princess Juliana International Airport, PJIA, officially unveiled its Princess Juliana’s Gallery of Changemakers on Friday, creating a permanent public tribute to individuals whose leadership, service, vision and contributions have helped shape St. Maarten, its people and, in several cases, the airport itself.

The gallery, located on the wall near the Cargo Building along the road toward Maho, features portraits honoring individuals selected for the lasting impression they have made on the country and its community. PJIA said the inaugural group represents only the beginning, with additional Changemakers expected to be recognized and added to the gallery in the future.

For full story: https://www.thepeoplestribunesxm.com/articles/pjia-unveils-gallery-of-changemakers-honoring-st-maartens-legacy-builders

08/21/2026

✨ A LEGACY THAT CONTINUES TO SHINE✨

It is with immense pride and gratitude that we share that our beloved Lady Ruby Bute has been named among the 2026 SUNSHINE Awards honorees, receiving this recognition posthumously at the 38th Annual SUNSHINE Awards this October.

For the Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate, this is more than a recognition. It is another beautiful reminder that the seeds Lady Ruby planted throughout her lifetime continue to bloom. 🎨

Through her art, her poetry, her storytelling and her unwavering love for culture, Lady Ruby captured pieces of our Caribbean life and preserved them for generations to come.

Although she is no longer physically here to receive this honor, her work is still speaking. Her story is still being told. Her name is still being called. And her light continues to shine.☀️

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the SUNSHINE Awards for recognizing and celebrating Lady Ruby Bute's contribution and legacy.

As her family moments like these make the work of preserving her legacy even more meaningful.

On October 17, 2026, Lady Ruby will be celebrated alongside an inspiring group of honorees whose contributions to art, culture, music and community have left their own meaningful marks.

We warmly invite our friends, supporters and the wider community to join us at the 38th Annual SUNSHINE Awards as we celebrate Lady Ruby and the many remarkable individuals being recognized that evening. ☀️✨

Come celebrate their stories, their contributions and the legacies they continue to build.

Lady Ruby Bute
Artist • Poet • Storyteller • Cultural Icon 🎨

☀️ Her brush may be still, but her colors continue to shine.

Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate
Preserving the Art • Sharing the Story • Continuing the Legacy


https://www.thepeoplestribunesxm.com/.../sunshine-awards

08/20/2026

🌿🎨 A SEASON OF ART, CULTURE & LEGACY 🎨🌿

As we reflect on another beautiful season at the Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate, our hearts are filled with appreciation.

We began 2026 exactly where our purpose lies with Lady Ruby Bute.

In January, just days after her birthday, we gathered at the Silk Cotton Estate for the launch of J'ouvert and welcomed guests into the newly renovated Gallery. Surrounded by her paintings, poetry, music, dance and the people who continue to carry her memory, we opened a new year dedicated to preserving and sharing her legacy.

And from there, the Estate continued to come alive.

We welcomed students through the annual exchange program with the University of New Orleans, sharing our art, culture and heritage with another generation.

We continued The Silk Cotton Experience, giving visitors an opportunity to discover and experience the final stage of our 300 year old silk cotton process while connecting with another piece of our cultural heritage.

Throughout the season, we had the pleasure of welcoming numerous local and international visitors who walked through the Gallery, discovered Lady Ruby's works and learned more about the woman behind the paintings, an artist, poet, storyteller and cultural icon whose love for her beloved country continues to speak through her work.

We were also proud to participate in the AFKA Festival,taking Lady Ruby's artistic presence beyond the walls of the Gallery and sharing her work as part of a wider celebration of art, culture and creativity.

The Estate also provided a beautiful setting for creativity and new experiences, including a special Sip & Paint with the Miss Saint-Martin and Miss St. Barth contestants, bringing together art, creativity and the next generation of young women representing our islands as ambassadors.

But one of the things we are equally proud of this season is seeing the Estate become a space for others to create their own experiences.

Our grounds welcomed events and initiatives that were not necessarily produced by the Gallery, but found a home here from the V.E.I.S.S. Denim & Jeans Women's Month celebration,to Shades of Summer Sip & Paint, a cultural costume presentation, and Nourish Your Bien-Être, among other gatherings.

Each brought something different to the Estate. Art, wellness, culture, community and connection. Reminding us that preserving this space also means allowing it to continue living, gathering and creating new memories for the next set of creatives.

And these are only some of the moments that made this season special.

Every visitor who stopped to admire a painting, every question asked about Lady Ruby, every student who listened to her story, every person who created something within these surroundings, and every conversation about our culture reminded us of the importance of continuing this work.

To our visitors, partners, collaborators, organizations, schools, artists, friends and supporters, we thank you.

Thank you for walking through our gates, greeted by our beloved dog Loulou Bute.

Thank you for supporting what we are preserving.

Thank you for choosing the Estate as a place to gather and create.

Thank you for helping us continue to share her story in our own season of grief.

And most importantly, thank you for continuing to say her name Lady Ruby Bute.

As we move through August and September, we will be taking things at a gentler pace at the Estate ,a little time to reflect, refresh, plan and prepare.

But don't mistake the quiet for stillness. 🌿

Behind the scenes, a new season is taking shape.

We are preparing new experiences, new ideas and a few things we are not quite ready to reveal just yet. 🎨

When the new season begins, we look forward to welcoming you through our gates once again , to discover what's new while continuing to celebrate everything that makes this place so special.

Until then, we carry forward the reason behind it all:

Her brush may be still, but her colors, her stories and her spirit continue to welcome you here.🎨🌿

With appreciation,

Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery & Estate

Preserving the Art. Sharing the Story. Continuing the Legacy.