About the Premises The main hall of the plantation house is used primarily for contemporary art exhibitions, and is also a multi-functional area for poetry readings, short plays, cultural presentations, audio-visual lectures, creativity courses, literary cafés….the possibilities are endless. In fact, it will continue to serve the arts as it has for the past 50 years. We regularly feature shows from our private art collection, stimulate and support emerging artists and welcome visitors interested in learning more about creative Curaçao. The second floor of the main building was used as sleeping quarters throughout the centuries. Here, the constant trade winds provide cool air, almost like air conditioning. Since the renovations, it offers a multi-functional space for workshops, lectures, meetings, and more, in the same spirit of events Bloemhof has become known for. And should the need arise, the facilities allow a foreign artist to live and work on the premises. The old barn and mangazina (warehouse) to the right of the main building houses an archive annex reading room dedicated primarily to the arts; the archives of May Henriquez (and those of her ancestors) are currently being catalogued. These archives include, besides books, invitations to virtually all art exhibitions ever held on the island, posters of cultural events, program books, hundreds of photos, newspaper clippings, and much, much more. The items mostly relate to Curaçao and its culture, although some are about foreign cultural events. The former coach house in the other half of the mangazina wing houses May Henriquez’s sculpture studio, which was frozen in time since she stopped working in the mid-1970s. During the renovation the space was emptied and later her studio was set up again – based on documentation – displaying a permanent exhibition of her work and that of others who often worked there with her. In addition, there are sketches, tools, and work materials that help create the feeling of being in a studio where the artist has just stepped out for a minute or two. In Dutch, the name ‘Bloemhof’ literally means ‘flower garden’; therefore the natural environment of the property cannot be ignored. A sculpture garden is planned in the yard surrounding the plantation house, with benches, tables, and facilities for painting, reading, and meditating. In addition, we have placed nameplates by the plants and trees in the garden. Finally, in the back yard you can find a unique feature: a bathhouse with two stone bathtubs connected to an adjoining well for water..