The revelation was made by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, Hon. Olivia Grange, today, September 7, to mark ‘Miss Lou Day’. Miss Lou would have celebrated her 98th birthday today. Miss Lou Square will be created in Gordon Town, St. Andrew, the area where she lived and did most of her creative work. The Square is being established by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, as a Jamaica 55 Legacy Project, in association with Miss Lou’s estate, the Gordon Town Community Council, the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation and the Jamaica 55 Steering Committee in Canada. The centrepiece of Miss Lou Square will be a statue of the cultural icon, to be completed in time for her 100th Birthday. Renowned sculptor Basil Watson has been commissioned to produce the statue. In her message to mark Miss Lou Day, Minister Grange announced that the Public Investment Management Secretariat had approved the project. Ms Grange said: “During this month we will highlight her rich and diverse catalogue of work through a series of activities across the island. Miss Lou is a timeless cultural icon whose life’s work has caused us to understand who and what we are. She taught us to accept, value and celebrate ourselves.” Among the activities to mark Miss Lou Day are a floral tribute at National Heroes Park, A tribute concert billed “Tenky Miss Lou” at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre beginning at 7pm and the Miss Lou Marathon Broadcast on Jamvision, Jamaica’s number 1 cable channel for culture and arts. There is a full calendar of events across the island arranged by the JCDC, to last the entire month of September.

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