Malta ICOM branch launched

A Malta branch of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) was launched at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta yesterday.

The ICOM-Malta executive board, chaired by Theresa M. Vella, includes Marquis Nicholas de Piro, vice-chairman; Dr Claude Busuttil, secretary general; Joseph Galea Naudi, treasurer; and Mgr John Azzopardi, Suzannah Depasquale, Charles J. Farrugia, and Joseph Schirò, members.

ICOM-Malta was set up on the initiative of Ms Vella and Dr Busuttil.

ICOM is an international organisation of museums and museum professionals dedicated to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world`s natural and cultural heritage.

Speaking during the launch, Marquis de Piro said the Maltese loved to collect things and so many fascinating items had come out of hiding during the past 20 years.

"The Albert Ganado collection is one such collection but please let us keep it together and let us have greater access.

"The recently launched Limestone Heritage in Siggiewi is excellent and Maurice de Giorgio will no doubt do a wonderful job at the Norman House in Mdina.

"Much can be done with archives but somehow there are those who consider archives as cemeteries.

"Dun Gwann Azzopardi, however, likens archives to music which needs to be played," the marquis said.

He commended the curators of church museums who did a thorough job.

Marquis de Piro said that Malta`s heritage was equivalent to that of a great state in Europe but funds for its upkeep were hard to find. Museums should, however, show the aspirations of the Maltese people more, he said.

Mgr John Azzopardi, affectionately known as Dun Gwann, said Catholic cathedrals had since the sixth century held a treasure trove that could be used to bridge any financial problems they came across.

He said that when it came to museums, he found that people were more prone to pass on precious artistic items to the Church than they were prepared to donate them to the state.

Dun Gwann said church sacristies and store rooms held a whole array of religious artifacts that needed to be evaluated and catalogued.

Earlier, Ms Vella, who is also principal officer at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, said that membership of ICOM-Malta was open to anyone interested in the upkeep and study of the country`s heritage.

ICOM will help its members obtain expert advice in their bid to find solutions to the problems they come across, she said.

The meeting was also addressed by Ms Depasquale, assistant curator at the Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, and by Education Minister Louis Galea.

ICOM has 28 international committees who specialise in fields as wide ranging as conservation, management, security and training of personnel.

ICOM has a network of over 17,000 museum professionals from across the whole spectrum of disciplines.

Founded in 1946, ICOM is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation with formal links with Unesco and consultative status with the UN`s Economic and Social Council.

ICOM-Malta may be contacted through PO Box 185, Valletta, CMR 01, or by e-mail icom-malta@melitensia.org