On behalf of the Ministry of Education Culture Youth & Sport, The Honorable Melissa Gumbs extends her deepest condolences to the community of St. Martin, friends, and family of the late Cultural Icon Louis “Pork Chop” Lambert Richardson.
“Pork Chop” received his Sage Cultural Award at the award ceremony of December 13, 2024, for his incalculable lifetime dedication and commitment to the development, safeguarding, and promotion of our St. Martin culture, our heritage, and our legacy.
The Sage Cultural Award is the Government of St. Maarten signature award for the highest in culture and artistic achievement as approved by the Government of St. Maarten through the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport.
“When I speak about how culture belongs to us all,” Minister Gumbs states, “and how we all have a responsibility to feed it, nourish it, and keep it alive, you can use Pork Chop as an example. No matter the circumstance or the occasion, he was an instantly recognizable and vibrant contributor to our cultural scene. I join generations of mourners as we remember his life, his energy and his creativity and wish his family and friends much strength.”
