Re-Collecting Dove: Virtually Archiving the Life and Work of Cruzan Artist Lloyd "Dove" Braffith

Abstract

My project is an attempt to archive the lifework of Lloyd ?Dove? Braffith, a Cruzan painter who lived, worked, and died on the streets of St. Croix. At present, scarcely any information about Dove or images of his artwork is available to the public. That which can be found is scattered and often unverified in its authenticity. I collected information about Dove and photographs of his work through community-based research methods including phone conversations, email correspondence, sifting through old publications, collaborating with museums, galleries, and archives, and the construction of an extensive web of individual contacts who knew Dove personally. To publicize the information I gathered I created a contactable organization and a web domain banded together under the name ?Re-Collecting Dove?, or less formally, ?the Dove Project?. The Re-Collecting Dove website functions as both an internet archive of information about Dove as well as a virtual museum of Dove?s work. The Re-Collecting Dove website includes official email and postal addresses that can be used by anyone wishing to know more about Dove or contribute to the archive. Moreover, the website is an online memorial for a man who was not only a prodigious artist but also a central figure to his community and the evolving identity of modern day St. Croix.