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No Man is an Island? by Susan Campbell Meet Jacob Gelt Dekker and you might think differently!
They say no man is an island, but when it comes to Curaçao, Jacob Gelt Dekker is as close as it gets. This Dutchborn tour de force is behind so many important cultural endeavors and developments on this island that Queen Beatrix herself recently recognized his work. In the spring of 2006, the Queen named Jacob an Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau. Also in 2006, he received the Netherland-America Foundation’s Ambassador K. Terry Dornbush Award. To date, Dr. Dekker has been responsible for the creation of the world-class Kurá Hulanda Museum, the awardwinning Hotel Kurá Hulanda Spa & Casino, the global Dekker Institute for advanced cultural studies, the Jade Foundation for the island’s underprivileged youth, Curaçao’s first dialysis center and the new Lodge Kurá Hulanda and Beach Club in Westpunt. He is also actively involved in many global aid projects such as Childright. But it has been his tireless efforts to ensure Curaçao develops a strong cultural identity and his down-toearth accessibility as a person that have made him something of a local folk hero.
Though he’s often globetrotting in search of new treasures for his museum, his heart always returns here. New digs for Dekker are currently in the works in the form of a tree house! Inspired by the bandas (tree houses) of Africa, his new personal perch, currently under construction in Westpunt, will serve as the prototype for developing unique and innovative eco-friendly guesthouses there in the near future. l
To learn more about Jacob Gelt Dekker and his works, visit www.jgd.cc or www.kurahulanda.com. 60 Nights
Top photo courtesy of The Dekker Institute. Other photos by Pierre Arsenault