La Vaughn Belle Transforms St. Croix’s Architectural Story into Art With Powerful Smithsonian Exhibition

The story of artist La Vaughn Belle's latest project began in 2011, when she contemplated buying a piece of property in Christiansted on which two derelict houses stood. It has led, in 2024, to an exhibition at a prestigious museum in New York.  “They were so cheap it blew my mind,” said Ms. Belle, speaking of the houses she saw in the real estate listing on that fateful day thirteen years ago. She decided to check them out. “They were very damaged, which was why the price was like that,” she chuckled, speaking to the Consortium in an exclusive interview. “It was also in the area of the town that was pretty much abandoned. A lot of the other houses looked as damaged, if not more.” Ms. Belle didn't pursue the purchase at the time, but said she came to regret it when she noticed the houses had been boarded up and cleaned. “I thought someone else bought it, and it's like my heart dropped. I felt like I missed the most important train in my life.” When she got a second chance at the prop...