Guyana creating waves at CARIFESTA celebrations

CARIFESTA XI picked up speed on Saturday with the start of the Grand Cultural Market where the participating countries set up booths in the literary, visual and culinary arts, and fashion displays. Guyana has the largest collection of booths. Other countries’ booths showcased displays of craft, fashion and literary works. Guyana’s largest booth – arts and craft – has on display mainly handmade products which include leather slippers, mats, bags, key rings, crochet, earrings and bangles, handbags, jewellery sets, ceramics, tie-dye material and information on Guyana’s tourism offerings.

Guyana’s art and craft representative Denzil Hollingsworth noted that there would be demonstrations of how Amerindian craft items are made. In this regard, she pointed out that most of the people who have since visited the booth are going after the handmade products.
“Not many persons today are into handmade items, and that’s our niche market,” she said.
Kim Gordon, who is attached to the Education Ministry’s Craft Production and Design Division, explained that some of the products in Guyana’s exhibition were made by students of the unit. They were able to produce the items while on attachment with the Education Ministry, which provided them with a stipend.
Good sales
She emphasised that patrons are not only viewing the displays, but are purchasing as well, noting that, “I am afraid that we might run out of some of these stocks… we could not bring all that we have at the department.”
Most of the patrons are going after the tie-dye pieces and leather products. Gordon highlighted that there have been expressions of interest for two students from the Craft Production and Design Division to work on tie-dye pieces and two others were requested by a designer to produce leather products.
With regards to the visual arts, Philbert Gajadhar noted that Guyana is showcasing paintings, sculptures, tie-dye and batik work. Guyana is featuring three artists including the well-known Bernadette Persaud; emerging artist Akima McPherson and a young and promising student Shimuel Jones. The contingent also includes presentations from other artists, including the Main Street Art Group, Winslow Craig, Ivor Thom, Betsy Karim and artists from the University of Guyana and Guyana Women Artists’ Association.
Art displays
Gajadhar mentioned that Bernadette Persaud was recently inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame for artists. Her collection on display entitled the “Green series” includes depictions of Guyana’s rainforest, the mysteries it exudes and the concept of Shiva with regards to life and death.
Meanwhile, McPherson’s pieces entitled “Walk with Me” and “Walk with Me 2” focus on the issues faced by women and girls and their decisions to step out of negative situations and move forward. Jones’ presentations are collectively titled “Continental Relations”, with each painting illustrating the cultural similarities among the Western and Northern regions of Africa and the Guianas of South America.
Gajadhar explained that the visual arts exhibition ties in with several observances in Guyana, namely; the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion, the 190th year of the Demerara Slave Revolt, the 175th anniversary of emancipation from slavery and the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the East Indians to Guyana.
Apart from the cultural aspects of the event, patrons were entertained by performing artiste Peter Ram and were able to witness fashion displays by the participating countries.
Meanwhile, at Independence Square which was packed to capacity, the crowd was treated to a concert where Pastor Donnie McClurkin sang several of his hits.
At the end of the concert, Surinamese President Desi Bouterse belted out one of McClurkin’s songs while greeting him.