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local Thursday 4 augusT 2022

Checkpoint Color Aruba celebrated 50th anniversary with

opening of exhibition “50 Years of Perpetual Light”

ORANJESTAD – On Tues- stallation and exhibition. he came back from the
day, the official opening Netherlands and like many
of the exhibition “50 Years As a producer, Croes says other photographers these
of Perpetual Light”, honor- that she made sure to ap- days, began photograph-
ing 50 years of existence proach organizations like ing weddings, families, chil-
of Checkpoint Color Aru- UNOCA – cultural fund that dren, etc. But he realized
ba and its founder Mr. Rob cofinances Art & Cultural that a lot of people want-
Vermeer, took place at Projects in Aruba – that ed color pictures, and be-
Checkpoint Color. helped with the printing cause there wasn’t a color
of photographs, and Prins lab here in Aruba, they had
Natusha Croes, producer Bernhard Cultuurfonds that to send everything to Cu-
for this project, explains supported 11 documenta- raçao or the Netherlands,
that the initiative started ries and interviews with var- and that took weeks before
two years ago, and as one ious models who worked they could get the photo-
of Vermeer’s youngest sub- with Rob Vermeer from graphs back. So he made
jects, a conversation and 1972 until today. the decision that a color
collaboration was started lab was necessary for Aru-
where Vermeer showed “What people can admire ba, but he didn’t have the
Croes his photographs. today is a big collection funds to buy the necessary
“Right away I felt in my of photographs showing equipment. He says that it
heart that it was due time the modern age of Aruba. was with the help of various
for an exhibition”, Croes Starting in 1972 until 2022, organization and people
said. And so the process you can see various impor- that he was able to reach
began to digitalize all the tant characters in our his- 100,000 florins, which back
negatives that Vermeer tory, like Betico Croes, Vale then was a lot of money,
had stored. Croes says that Croes, Felis Ras among and bought all the equip-
boxes full of negatives were other icons and bulwarks of ment.
brought down for the attic the island, and you can see
in order to digitalize, scan, how Aruba developed dur- “I opened my business on
retouch and form a big col- ing these past 50 years. It is the 3rd of august 1972, and
lection consisting of more a historical moment, a mo- the first client who walked
than a thousand photo- ment to applaud and we in was one of the Eman
graphs. Two hundred imag- must be very grateful to be brothers, who put 10 rolls
es can be appreciated in part of this moment”, Croes of photographs in front of
this exhibition, selected by said. me to develop. That was a
Rob Vermeers son and cur- good sign, and from then
rent director of Checkpoint Mr. Rob Vermeer says that I stared developing pho-
Color, Fernando Vermeer, he established his busi- tographs and everything
who is in charge of the in- ness 50 years ago when went smoothly. Eventually we opened seven differ- point to his idea, and still
ent stores around Aruba in on the basis of photogra-
the hotel area, San Nicolas, phy, but in the front of the
Cura Cabay, Oranjestad, business he made a style of
and we grew a lot”, Ver- museum. Checkpoint is still
meer remembers. used to develop and take
pictures. Thanks to Fernan-
But with the digital era, cel- do with his creativity we
lular phones made an en- could live on in the future”,
trance and their business Vermeer added.
diminished, and slowly they
had to close their stores, During the opening, various
one by one. “This hurt me ministers were present in-
a lot, not for the stores but cluding the minister of Cul-
for the workers, because ture, Xiomara Maduro, who
all the years we were work- took the opportunity to
ing and we grew until we congratulate Checkpoing
reached 40 years, they Color for its 50th anniversa-
were family. A lot of the ry and Mr. Vermeer for his
personnel were in our ser- birthday. At the same time,
vice for ten, twenty years, she delivered a commem-
and it was very painful. But orative gift to Mr. Vermeer
for us to survive, it was nec- for his 50 years of work.
essary”, he said.
“Obviously we don’t want
All the stores closed, and to let such a special mo-
Checkpoint Color went in ment pass by without bring
Columbusstraat and they a piece of our heart, be-
started with fewer employ- cause what Rob did for 50
ees, until Fernando took his years, is capture and col-
family business over. lect memories of our coun-
“Fernando made Check- try”, she said.q