The San Pedro Sun caught up with Terryl, also known on the island as a One Man Band, to get a little feed back on his grand win. “For this exhibition, we were supposed to do something that represents Coca Cola and happiness, what we can remember about Coca Cola in the past, something that is very happy. I did a piece that showcases what I perceive Belize to have been in the 60′s or 70′s. It really had people’s minds wondering like what or where is this painting. Because of how realistic it seems people try to associate it with a certain place or location.  In actuality, this piece is a creation from my mind’s eyes. I just thought about a scene and I painted it. So the truth is, it never did exist and I don’t know if that’s the thing that probably got to the judges and forced them to take a good look at that piece more than once. But the painting was created to give viewers the effect of visualizing what Belize used to look like, so everybody that lived in that time could probably relate to that painting.”

The exhibition saw the participation of some 50 artists, professionals and novices. In speaking of what the win means to him, Terryl stated, “It’s the first time that I have ever won something and this means I’ve got to keep the art alive. This means to just keep on painting because I believe now that more people will be looking at me and my work and have a little bit more respect for what I do. Even though Papo, Carolyn Carr and Walter Castillo along with all the other artists that were a part of the competition, their work is very good, well, ya now people will look at my work with more respect I believe.” For his win as first place, Tyrell took home a $5000 check. Individuals wishing to view Terryl’s work can do so by contacting him personally at 661-8867.

Carolyn Carr of Banana Bank won second place and San Pedro’s Papo Alamilla won third. The show is a travelling exhibit and runs from May to October 2012.

Village Arts and Craft Expo: All Villages Are Invited To Participate

The BTB is inviting all small village producers in the country to be a part of the first ever “Village Arts and Craft Expo” on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at the Princess Hotel & Casino from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

The Village Arts & Craft Expo is a collaborative project between BELTRAIDE, the National Association of Village Councils (NAVCO) and the BTB. Its major initiative is to showcase the arts and crafts of the country’s villagers. The Expo is expected to draw small craftsmen from across the country that will be able to exhibit their products in one location to the public.

All small village craftsmen are invited to apply today at the BTB office on Regent Street in Belize City, and become a part of this memorable event. Clive Myers, Destination Planning & Development Coordinator at the BTB said, “Small village entrepreneurs suffer from brand recognition and are always in direct competition with inexpensive neighboring imports in terms of arts, crafts and packaged goods. The Village Expo will afford them the opportunity to market their product while gaining recognition by the Belizean public and other visitors.”

The deadline for applications is May 5th, 2012. Each participant will be provided with transportation to and from the Expo, media advertisements and a 6′ x 3′ table. The Village Arts & Craft Expo will be open to the public free of charge on May 12th, 2012 at the King’s Room in the Princess Hotel & Casino from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. There will be live cultural performances.

For further information contact Clive Myers, Destination Planning & Development Coordinator at the BTB at 227-2465 or via e-mail clive@travelbelize.org.

The contemporary art exhibition “The Fire’s Rest” by Mexican artist Arturo Valencia, opened on Thursday, April 26^th, at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City.

The exhibition is the result of the plastic work produced by Arturo Valencia-Ruiz for the past three years. It will tour different countries of Latin America and the Caribbean for the next months and Belize was chosen as the first country for this exhibition.

Arturo Valencia’s research is centered in exploring different raw materials within the painting tradition. For him, artistic materials intervene in communicating reflections or memories to the viewer that have directly nothing in common with the work itself, except that the work relates itself with vital aspects of the human being that in this proposal are represented by wood and iron.

Through conceptual art, he tackles the problem of the work process on an object, where the everyday life piece is used out of its context. The public will see daily used elements that take shape or are placed in a gallery, museum or simply inside a picture, to acquire a different value from the one they had as waste material.

Arturo Valencia also explores the study of time over the oxidation process of various objects that encircle people mainly wood and iron, where oxide is the oxygen that models or consumes all matter just as fire does.

In summary, he states that it is possible to use outworn materials as a dialogue between the object, the observer’s look and the artist’s experience. In this way, he gets a personal meaning of our historic environment, rescuing the material aspect of an object, the colour and their natural interventions to incorporate it to the process of society.

Stirm and 14 other designers were challenged by host and executive-producer Keenea Linton-George to “create an outfit that reflects the style and culture” of their individual countries joined by “the common thread of independence.” The designers who hail from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad were challenged to work within a short time frame and with a US$20 budget.

Rebecca, 18, used Belize Hispanic and Mayan culture as inspiration for her design worn by model Abenah Gonzalez. “We are nestled in between two Hispanic-speaking countries so unlike the rest of the English –speaking Caribbean we have a lot of Hispanic influence. So I chose the cut of my dress from kind of that quince anos bigger skirt (full skirt) small bodice and then chose to do the embroidery based on more of the Mayan culture. I really wanted my piece to have a lot of oomph out on the runway so I wanted a lot of material, so I actually looked in the curtain section for material. I was able to get a lot of this very, very light; airy fabric for a little bit of money since we were on a tight budget. I added embroidery to give it some detail and intricacy.”

Rebecca was the first of the show’s designers to win a challenge as no winner was declared in the first episode where five contestants went home.

She describes her win as exciting, “I was really, really excited to be the first to win something, that’s really huge and I got so excited that when I went to leave the stage I tripped on my model’s dress and kinda fell on her. It was really funny. I was over excited definitely!
Rebeca, who calls her fashion label Fancy Purple Paint says she has enjoyed the intense experience of the reality show. “The experience so far I’ve had to learn how to definitely think on my feet very quickly. Like we get a challenge and we have to execute it all in a very short period of time, so I’ve had to choose fabric quickly sketch quickly, sew quickly everything has been fast I’ve really enjoyed meeting the people, the internationals and the Jamaicans, it’s been great connecting and getting to know everyone. I really like Jamaica so far it’s very similar to Belize actually it’s kinda like being at home but just different people”

Rebecca and the remaining 13 contestants are vying for JA$3 million in prizes including the chance to show at London Fashion Week. Mission Catwalk airs on televisionjamaica.com Tuesdays at 7:30 pm Belize time and repeats at 4:30 PM on Thursdays.

ABOUT MISSION CATWALK

Mission Catwalk is a fashion reality series created by Jamaican fashion designer Keneea Linton-George aimed at discovering and developing new talent. The Kingston-based show tests the creativity and skill of each contestant through various challenges. On each episode, a guest judge joins Linton-George (who also serves as host and executive producer), menswear designer Carlton Brown and Jamaica Observer Lifestyle Editor Novia MacDonald-Whyte to critique the designs and eliminate one designer. Mission Catwalk is directed and edited by Mykal Cushnie. Title sponsors are Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), National Commercial Bank of Jamaica (NCB) and Digicel. The show airs Tuesdays at 8:30PM on Television Jamaica.

In speaking to The San Pedro Sun, Emmanuel outlined how the concept of the charity started.  Emmanuel explained that he was inspired when a child would stop by his art gallery, peep through the show glass and marvel at his paintings each day as she would make her way home from school. Emmanuel came up with a concept where he could paint a portrait per month of a child or a pet. The painting will then be commissioned by members of the public for a minimum donation of $150. The monetary donation would go to the any of the two charity organization while the portrait goes to the child that is featured at the end of the year. “I am glad for this opportunity to give back to the children of Belize. This project is my way of giving back to my community. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the children while helping a charitable organization,” said Emmanuel.

The project has a list of requirements which is as follows:

• The person commissioning the work must live in San Pedro and allow the painting to be displayed at an exhibit if requested at the end of the year.
• All children’s charity receipts will be on display beside the portraits at the exhibition.
• Please submit your name, a photo to be painted and contribution amount to Chris Emmanuel’s gallery is located at the Sunbreeze Hotel, submission must be made no later than the 15^th of the month.
• If more than one person submits, all names will go into a drawing.  You will be notified if your submission is chosen.  If your name is not chosen, you will be placed in the next months’ drawing, unless you notify Chris that you no longer want to make the donation.

Donations must be made to the Liberty Children’s Home in Ladyville, Belize or the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center at the corner of St. Thomas & 19th Street in Belize City, Belize.

The monthly oil portrait will be in a standard size of 12 inches by 16 inches and available for display. For the month of April, Emmanuel decided to depict a six-year-old student from the San Pedro Roman Catholic School, S’Lyn O’Brien. Emmanuel explained that O’Brien was the child that inspired him to start the charitable project. He also painted a portrait of a puppy that reminds him of one of his childhood pets. For any further information regarding the charitable project, you can contact Chris Emmanuel or Beth Hart at Sunbreeze Hotel.

Joris Groenendaal (Joris Hendrik) (L)

Joris Hendrik, a young Belizean designer, will showcase an eco-fashion show at the Xunantunich Maya site in honor of His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales’ visit. Alongside representatives of several of the world’s major media houses in tow, HRH Prince Harry will visit the archaeological site of Xunantunich to take in more than panoramic views and ancient ruins. In a special show titled “Playing with Dolls” – a puppet and puppeteer drama – female models will assume mannequin poses while Hendrix gives the royal an explanation of each outfit. They will be wearing high fashion outfits made from recycled materials like newspaper, bottle caps, plastic tarps and magnetic tape.

“So many Belizean girls would like to meet Prince Harry while he’s here and my models are no exception. They are so thrilled about this opportunity. I’ve made sure they know that if the Prince asks them anything, they can break composure to respond,”

said Joris, who is all too aware that Saturday’s event may well be the highlight of his career.

“I was ecstatic when I found out I was getting the opportunity to meet Prince Harry and show His Highness, and indeed the world, my designs.”

Hendrik’s pieces definitely stand out in Belize’s budding fashion world. Ever since his initial designs hit the runway in June 2011, his definition of eco-fashion has been in high demand.

“I was really surprised at the reaction to my designs. I was just trying something I’d never tried before, testing the waters. I definitely try to focus on symmetry and that avant-garde look for my female models.”

More About Joris Hendrik
The Belizean designer behind the eco-fashion show is Joris Hendrik, a twenty-year old Belizean university student who dropped his major in Architecture to pursue a career in couture. “I have always had a thing for fashion but I actually started sketching designs when I was fifteen,” Hendrik says. “And I knew I wanted to do a different type of ‘Belizean’ with my clothing.”

You can find out more about Joris on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JorisHendrik

Abridged from original article: http://www.travelbelize.org/royal-tour/prince-harry-to-enjoy-eco-fashion-show-in-belize

Belize's Tattoo Artists

A delegation of tattoo artists and assistants from Belize travelled to Cancun, Mexico on Friday February 17th to participate in Cancun’s Tattoo Expo 2012. The delegation was a collaboration of three tattoo shops; House of Pain in Corozal, Belizean Ink in Cayo and from San Pedro, Tattoo Life. Tattoo artists included; George Alamilla, aka Inkman; Karim Sosa aka Wimpas and Fabian Mansania.

Wilhemina Vasquez of Tattoo Life spoke with The Sun about their experience at the Expo. “We had a blast to start of with. We took down three artists; Ink Man; Wimpas, and Fabian Mansania from House of Pain in Corozal. We got a good crowd when we got there and got a lot of people excited. It was the first time a shop from Belize actually participated in a Cancun convention. Other than that we did some very good work.”

The team, unfortunately did not produce any tattoos that qualified for the competition itself; “We did not do any tattoos that qualified for the competition, which were the larger pieces for black and grey. We had color portraits as a competition and we had best in show. For best in show the tattoo that was being done did not finish until midnight so it couldn’t compete. Time frame wise, it was a different atmosphere to what we were used to. The booths were close to each other and we had to fit our three artists in one booth including the assistants. We were right next to these guys that were from Villahermosa who had some sick, sick, sick work. So it was kind of intimidating at the same time, to be next to a guy who has over thirty years of experience tattooing people. But other than that it was a very awesome experience. We got some awesome input and now we are being asked to host an Expo here in Belize.”

The Expo is mainly about exposing artists and their work. The Tattoo Expo also features live music, live shows, fire plays, bikers, skate boarders and more; “We also have other art work being on display. People who paint, people who do air brush, all forms of arts are on display, including body modification. Some of these artists are actually body modifiers. They don’t only do piercings they modify people’s bodies through implants. It’s insane.”

According to Vasquez, they are projecting the last weekend in November for the Belize Tattoo Expo and are seeking the assistance of the entire community to bring this new experience to the Island. “If we can get our artists and our sponsors to help us out then that will be great because these guys need to come down here and see what we have. The venue would definitely be here in San Pedro. They’ve had Expos in Belize City before but that hasn’t really come to comparison to what happened in Cancun. However, I do believe San Pedro has A – the tourism and B – the capacity for it.”

Vasquez is targeting artists from Belize as well as artists from abroad to be part of this Expo. “If we can get the artists we want down here it’s gonna be a go-gain for us. I’m targeting the artists in Belize City, the artists that are from Belize that have moved to Chetumal to tattoo. I’m targeting pretty much the Belizeans that have ran away form Belize to come down here. In Belize City itself, we have some good artists. We have Patrick from Prick Custom Designs – he does some amazing portraits, we want him to bring his butt down here for that. We have Wimpas who has Belizean Ink in Cayo. We have Alan who is from here. We have this other guy in Chetumal, Graciel who does some sweet work. We also have Fabian and Beto – we have all of these guys down in
Belize that do some really good work.”

Work for this Expo is underway and Vasquez is reaching out to the business community and the community of San Pedro to be a part of this historic and epic event that promotes Art and Culture here on the island through sponsorship. This can be done by contacting Wilhemina Vasquez at Tattoo Life located on Barrier Reef Drive immediately north of Holiday Hotel or by calling 629-3986. The shop is opened Mondays through Saturdays from 10AM to 9PM.

The San Pedro Sun congratulations the artists that travelled to showcase Belize’s talents in Cancun: Inkman, Wimpas and Fabian. The Belize delegation to Cancun takes this opportunity to thank sponsors: Rebecca Arceo from Seaduced by Belize, Ultimate Rentals, Chuck and Robbie, Giovanni Marin and Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. “Without these people we would not have been able to go. You made it possible for us to be able to leave a little mark of Belize back there with them.”

There is a lot of skepticism about the year 2012. Depending on who you are listing to, there are all sorts of theories, even ones speaking about the end of the world or the end of time. Other theories even predict the end of the universe as “predicted” by the Maya. But what did the Maya actually leave behind in their records regarding the year 2012? That question dominated the lecture presented by Dr. Mark Van Stone on the night of Wednesday, January 11th, at the Bliss Center in Belize City.

According to Dr. Van Stone, a world renowned author, Maya expert, archeologist and professor of Arts at the Southwestern College of California, USA, the year 2012 represents “a period ending”, for the Maya. “A period ending” is a Maya date that is very important to the Maya. It was a date ending with a lot of zeros just like our year 2000. To them, the year 2012 was a number that they wrote as 13 followed by four zeros; 13 times a 400 year period since the creation of their world and that’s a period of just over 5,125 years,” explained Van Stone.

As to what can be expected in the year 2012, Van Stone said that from the evidence discovered so far, there is nothing that suggests that an extraordinary occurrence will take place. “There is no actual evidence that shows the Maya themselves believed anything of particular importance would happen. From the evidence that I have found from those who recorded this particular date [2012] none expected more than a celebration of 13.0.0.0.0.” Van Stone explained that there are about four to five pieces of evidence that support that the Maya simply expected the “celebration of 13.0.0.0.0.”

The main piece of evidence is located in the ruins of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico at the monument called the West Tablet of the Temple of Inscription. “The king that was buried at the temple was crowned on a certain day. On the anniversary of that day in the year 4772 AD, which for them was 4000 or more years in the future, they would celebrate the anniversary of his coronation. That piece of evidence tells us that they [the Maya] did not believe the calendar would stop or even restart at 13.0.0.0.0, but would continue to 14.0.0.0.0 then to 15.0.0.0.0 and so on. That tells us that the calendar does not stop, it does not restart, it continues and it also tells us that they did not expect the world to end or change profoundly for the better. I think that is the most important piece of evidence,” explained Van Stone. According to Van Stone, there are several inscriptions that show that the calendar was regarded differently by various groups within the Maya civilization, which shows different schools of philosophies that made powerful statement, such as the inscription at Palenque. “Almost nobody who is writing about 2012 knows anything about the Maya. You will find all this speculation about what will happen in 2012 and that is just that, speculation,” clarified Van Stone.

In his lecture Van Stone explained that one of the interesting things about the Maya is that they made mistakes which they choose not to correct. “One of the interesting things in the Maya world view is that they apparently believed that a card laid was a card played. We know this because they made arithmetic mistakes; they added six and seven and came up with 15. They must have thought that the gods intended for them to make that mistake. There is no evidence of any ancient Maya making any correction at all,” added Van Stone.

What makes the year 2012 important for the Maya is that in using the long count calendar, it reaches a round number since the day of creation. “Round numbers were important to them. Dates that ended in two or three zeros were extremely important to them because it’s sort of an anniversary during which they sit and look back at their progress. They perform ceremonies on these dates. They would repaint and rebuild things on these period ending dates. Maybe half of the large inscription that the Maya erected begins with a date that is a round number date so the number 13.0.0.0.0 must have constituted a very important period ending,” emphasized Van Stone.

Van Stone said that other ancient civilization like the Aztecs, who used a 52 year cycle calendar (different than the long count calendar used by Maya) had prophesies of their own regarding the end of their calendar. According to Van Stone, the Aztecs believe the world will end with an earthquake in 2027. Then there is the return of Quetzalcoatl that the Aztecs predicted in 2039.

“The Maya were not prophets of doom. They are a lot more interesting than that. The Maya are worthy of our admiration and respect. 2012 is a time to learn about the Maya that still occupy some parts of the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala and Belize and this year is an opportunity for people to see how wonderful the Maya culture really is instead of what they might have been taught,” ended Van Stone. 2012 (13.0.0.0.0) is the year of Bak Tun for the Maya civilization.

The attendees had an hour of entertainment by flutist Pablo Collado. Many Maya songs were rendered beautifully with the flute, and Collado certainly had a captive audience. In addition, there were performances by the Otoxha Deer Dancers. Both Collado and the Otoxha Dancers set the stage for the launching of the activities planned by the Belize Tourism Board and the National Institute for Culture and History.

In his remarks, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. explained that Belize represents “the Maya heartland” of a grand civilization that dominated the region. Recognizing the importance of the year 2012 for the Maya, Heredia explained that “Belize would celebrate the year with events that are sensitive for the Maya cultural traditions, a civilization that must be treated with respect and admiration for their great achievements.”

During the unveiling and launching of the Maya 2012 Calendar, Director of NICH Diane Haylock unveiled the Belize Maya Passport and presented Heredia with his copy of the passport. The acting Director of BTB Javier Paredes also took the opportunity to officially launch the 2012 website and blog.

Following the launching of the calendar, world-renowned Archeologist and Author Dr. Mark Van Stone presented a lecture. The theme of the lecture was “What the Ancient Maya actually said about 2012.” The one hour lecture was packed to capacity and included a question and answer segment. Read more about this event in the upcoming issue of The San Pedro Sun Newspaper.

In speaking to The San Pedro Sun, Ms. Williams shared, “The CD includes all types of music, from dancehall, reggae, punta and even one country song.” Abbey recorded her first hit single in February of 2011 “Mrs. Crack” along with “Put down the Gun” and was overwhelmed at how well the public welcomed her music. With the success of her first songs, she took to the writing board and a year and a half later, released this CD, “One of the songs on the CD “Mrs. Crack” is all about my true experience of my marriage gone bad because of drugs. I lost my husband because of crack and a lot of we ladies for years just pity ourselves and I just got tired of that.”

The other tracks on the CD include titles such as Blessed Empress, Mama Lift your head up, Nuh mek no man hit yo, Love of a lifetime, Lying Cheater and Wicked Wine. The six new songs included on the CD speak of dead-beat fathers that refuse to take on the responsibility of their kids, violence, abuse by men and cheating among other issues that she sees women facing in the country.
Abbey hopes that the lyrics of her music will speak to women and the general public and encourage them to be victims no more. “A lot of us ladies we put up with a lot of abuse because of the kids and I want the ladies to know that we won’t put up with anymore abuse because if they bruise you they got to lose you.”

“Blessed Empress” is not presently available in stores in San Pedro but will be shortly. However, for your signed copy of Abbey’s CD, you can contact her at 628-8285. Abbey takes this opportunity to thank San Pedro and everyone that contributed to making her first CD a reality. She promises that this is just the beginning, as she has much more stories to tell through her music. She also plans to be able to produce music videos to go along with her songs.

Belize Hutz and Raul’s Grille held its grand opening on Saturday night, with the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr, cutting the ribbon and food and drinks galore to follow. Entertainment was provided by San Pedro’s Punta boys.

Central Park was jam packed with people awaiting the count down and fire works. While many places on the island hosted their own New Year count down, the major hot spots were: Holiday Hotel – where their usual patrons gathered to bring in the New Year.

Another hot spot was the Lion’s Den. The Den was roaring with its usual crowd by 11PM and went on through until 9AM on January 1st. Cool J’s kept the crowd well entertained throughout the night and past daybreak. Despite the many reports of fights, thankfully, there were no serious incidents. Happy News Year’s San Pedro!

The Dance Company brought the nativity theme to the stage at the opening of the show with several combined dance performances starting from the beginners and eventually leading to the senior level dancers.

Lights, combined with beautifully choreographed performances wowed the audience, and certainly brought the Christmas spirit to life. The performances flowed smoothly; each transition being met by rousing applause.

Like every year, it seemed that this year was the best one yet – it seemed the dancers bested their previous efforts by aiming for a bigger, better show. The San Pedro Dance Company would like to take the opportunity to thank all those businesses and individuals in San Pedro who supported them in 2011 and looks forward to an even more spectacular performance in 2012.