Lans Sluder, famous international travel writer on Belize. Many books about Belize.Yesterday we deposited some art, from my wife and I, at the HOUSE OF CULTURE below the Town Hall in San Ignacio. Apparently it is run by the more advanced lady from Benque Viejo TOWN BOARD, HOUSE OF CULTURE. I was a bit disconcerted that I could not get a receipt for my pencil art of Mayan historical scenes, as the two pieces selected were moderately valuable, and that the lady had no idea, or concept, that when requesting and accepting contributions from artists, THEY at the HOUSE OF CULTURE were required to have an INSURANCE POLICY, to cover damage or theft of any art on LOAN to the HOUSE OF CULTURE. My pieces sell for $750 usa, nearly always to foreigner collectors of unique rare, one off art pieces, overseas, via the internet. ( known as INVESTMENT ART, as they will only go UP in value, over time and long after I´m dead ) There was not much there to show in San Ignacio of much value art otherwise. My wife also placed samples of her weaving art. She was very worried that the House of Culture had no receipts or insurance policy either. She elected to remove a couple of weaving pieces, of relatively expensive decorative hand woven ( back strap loom ) belts that she makes and sells locally for $150 bz. Since she has a market for several of her weaving products. They sell reasonably well. Guatemalans like them and that is a bigger market. Our only hold back is the transportation and time necessary to get pieces to distributors in Guatemala and in the case of weaving stuff, it is impossible to buy the wool in Belize, so we have to wait until we can make a vacation trip to Guatemala. We bring back wool, but have found that our bags of wool disappear in our work space, presumably from different housekeepers that work once in a while. Very annoying, because it is irreplaceable wool. A few hundred dollars of wool inventory have disappeared from the work space several times. My wife is a full time weaver. Thickness and quality has a lot to do with weaving art wool. There is a stall in the Macal River market that carries a few types of wool from Mexico, but for greater selections we have to make a trip to Guatemala interior up in the mountains.
Anyway at their ( SAN IGNACIO HOUSE OF CULTURE ) solicitation, we tried to help out and submitted a few pieces for them to show. It will be the last time though, if anything is lost, or damaged.
From: tc vernon
To: Lan Sluder
Cc: Belize Culture
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 7:15 AM
Subject: Re: Bz-Culture: Art Galleries in Belize
Thanks for sharing that Lan! Much appreciated at this end.
Have a great weekend.
On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 4:11 PM, Lan Sluder
Corrections and additions welcome.
--Lan Sluder ( travel writer on Belize specialist ) contributed by LAN SLUDER and received via the bz-culture chat list. Lan is a famous travel writer on tourism in Belize, with regular updates on changing conditions.
_____________________________________________________
Art Galleries in Belize
By LAN SLUDER
BELIZE CITY
Image Factory
91 N. Front St.
www.imagefactorybelize.com
501-223-1149
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5
Established in 1995, the Image Factory under Director Yasser Musa is at the heart of Belize’s art and cultural scene. The Image Factory has shows featuring Belize’s top artists and writers and regularly exhibits around 15 artists.
Fine Arts Gallery
1 Fort St. in Tourism Village
www.fineartsgallerybelize.com
501-674-5868
Hours: When cruise ships are in port, or by appointment
Stocks original art and prints from a number of Belizean artists including Carolyn Carr and Walter Castillo. Sells primarily to cruise ship tourists.
Belizean Handicraft Market Place (formerly National Handicraft Center)
2 S. Park in Fort George area opposite Memorial Park
501-223-3627
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-5, Sat. 8-4
Broad selection of 100% Belizean-made crafts.
BELMOPAN
Art Box
Mile 46, Western Hwy.
501-623-6129
www.artboxbz.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8-6
Large gift shop with wood carvings, jewelry and some paintings by Carolyn Carr, Manuel Gonzalez Daza and others.
CAYE CAULKER
Caribbean Colors Art Gallery
Front St.
501-206-0206 or 877-809-1659
www.caribbean-colors.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8-5
Detroit-born Lee Vanderwalker’s gallery, café and gift shop has wearable art by Vanderwalker, along with Christmas ornaments, jewelry, jewelry boxes and tiles.
Cooper’s Art Gallery
Front St.
501-226-0330
www.debbiecooperart.com
Hours: Mon. Noon-6, Tue.-Sat. 10-8
Co-owner Debbie Cooper, who spent years living in Hawaii, sells her own paintings and prints here, together with work by Walter Castillo, Nelson Young and other artists.
COROZAL
Corozal Art Gallery
Reyes Plaza, 4th Ave. and 3rd St. N.
501-633-8679
www.corozalartgallery.weebly.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 am “until” or by appointment
Newly opened in mid-2011, the Corozal Art Gallery offers the work of several Belizean artists including Donna Williams and David Terrelong of Corozal, along with art by owner Anne de Strijcker, who signs her paintings “Iver.”
DANGRIGA
Garinagu Crafts and Art Gallery
46 Oak St. at Tubroose St.
501-522-2596
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30-6
Owner Francis Swaso, a Garifuna art and culture expert, offers handmade Garifuna drums, dolls, wood carvings and masks.
Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery
3 Aranda Crescent at Gallery St.
501-501-3156
Hours: 9-5 Tue.-Sat. (usually closing at Noon-2 for lunch); Sun. 9-Noon
Admission BZ$5
Dangriga native Cayetano’s well-known impressionist paintings depict Garifuna culture. Also sold here are CDs from Cayetano’s band and needlework and other art by other members of the Cayetano family.
GALES POINT
Sugar Shack
Gales Point village next to Maroon Creole Drum School
501-603-6051
American Jill Burgess sells art made from driftwood and bamboo.
MAYA CENTER
Maya Center Women’s Cooperative Crafts Store
Hours: Daily 7:30-4:30
Baskets, slate carvings, masks, bowls, wood carvings and knick-knacks made by local Mopan women are sold at fair prices in this co-op.
PLACENCIA
Lola’s Art
Seine Bight
501-601-1913
www.jcasadart.com
Hours: Daily 7-6
Belize City native Lola Delgado displays and sells her own bold, strongly colored paintings of Garifuna women and Belizean seascapes, primitive in some ways but strangely appealing.
Art ‘n Soul
South end of the Sidewalk, Placencia village
501-503-3088
Hours: Daily 9-6
Greta Leslie displays and sells her own work, together with that of Nelson Young, Lola Delgado, Omar Sierra and others.
Spectarte
Maya Beach, opposite Green Parrot
501-523-8019
Hours: Thu.-Tue. 10-6
No junk here. Long-time Belize resident Jenny Wildman’s gallery cum café displays the top end of Belizean furniture, crafts, sculpture, textiles and art. Among artists displayed here are Pen Cayetano and Isiah Nicholas.
SAN IGNACIO
Orange Gifts (formerly Caesar’s Place)
Mile 60, Western Hwy.
501-824-2341
www.orangegifts.com
This roadside gift shop near San Ignacio has a large selection of Belizean and Guatemalan crafts, including wood bowls, wood carvings, masks, and others. There also are Orange Gifts locations in San Pedro and at the Ka’ana Resort in San Ignacio.
Garcia Sisters Tanah Mayan Art Museum
Cristo Rey Rd., San Antonio, Cayo
501-669-4023
Hours: Daily 7-7
The Garcia sisters brought back the Maya art of slate carvings, and many beautiful examples are on display and for sale here (most of the slate comes from the Mountain Pine Ridge) along with limestone statues.
Sak Tunich
Cristo Rey Rd., San Antonio, Cayo
501-606-7806
Hours: Daily 6-6
Brothers Jose and Javier Magaña offer their slate carvings, limestone statues, wood carvings and ceramics.
SAN PEDRO
Belizean Arts
Barrier Reef Dr. at Fido’s
501-226-3019
www.belizeanarts.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-6
The first art gallery in Belize, established more than 20 years ago by Londoner Lyndsey Hackston, Belizean Arts today has the largest selection of art by Belizeans and Belize residents of any gallery in the country, with paintings by Walter Castillo, Pen Cayetano, Nelson Young, Leo Vasquez, Piva, Eduardo García, Curvin Mitchell, Jorge Landero and others. The gallery also carries art by Cuban and other Caribbean artists, along with ceramics, jewelry and other crafts.
Dock Street Art Gallery
Black Coral St. at Barrier Reef Dr.
501-226-3232
www.dockstreetgallery.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-6
Dock Street Gallery represents one Belizean and three expat artists resident in Belize: Jose Cantos, Linda Mikulich, Wayne Hammon and Paul Stevenson.
C. Emmanuel Gallery
Coconut Dr., inside SunBreeze Hotel
501-226-2262
www.cemmanuel.com
Hours: By appointment
Christopher Emmanuel, author of Secrets to Life and other self-help books, operates a small gallery selling his paintings of Maya and Garifuna life.
In addition to these galleries, gift shops at some Belize hotels and lodges sell Belize crafts and a limited amount of art. Among notable hotel gift shops with art and crafts are these:
Blancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge
Hamanasi, Hopkins
Jaguar Reef, Hopkins
Ka’ana Resort, Western Hwy., San Ignacio
The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Chial Rd. near San Ignacio
Turtle Inn, Placencia
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