Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association
The Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association (GACPA) was incorporated in 2008 to support producers through marketing activities, training programmes, networking and advocacy.
The purpose of the association is to showcase the work of local artists, to help others find, enjoy and buy quality Guyanese art and crafts at fair prices, and to connect its members and assist them develop artistically and commercially, according to their own aspirations.
The link between the artists and artisans of Guyana is very strong, and the association seeks to preserve that. Members have formed themselves into eight sectors, each with its own representative on the management team: wood and bamboo, leather, clothing and fabric design, jewellery and home décor, straw and basketry, sculpture, painting, ceramics and pottery.
The association has networks in each of Guyana’s ten administrative regions, and aims to provide valuable services to its members. It promotes communication among members through meetings and trade events, organizes training opportunities, profiles members to export markets, advocates for the craft industry, identifies export opportunities, and facilitates participation by all members.
Its members make beautiful objects using natural materials from the jungle, savannah and ocean. They use local materials in their work such as pottery clay dug from the earth and natural glazing materials, leather that is a by-product of the meat industry, plants and seeds with names like Job’s Tears and Buck Bead, harvested by hand from the rainforest to city by-ways. Salvaged purpleheart wood from the jungle is used for jewellery. Tibisiri is utilized in a sustainable way and worked into lovely woven objects.
In an interview, Patricia Helwig the association’s general secretary, said GACPA has more than 100 financial members from all ten administrative regions. The association constantly plans seminars and workshops for the development of its members. Vital information on business management, packaging and pricing are addressed to improve on the quality of their products.
“The association has a strict screening process for the artists who must be producers and not just purchase others’ work and sell it back. They must reach the requirements before becoming members,” Helwig pointed out.
There’s a temporary office at Hibiscus Plaza, GPO Compound, where outdoor kiosks sell the work of association members. Helwig disclosed that former president Bharrat Jagdeo had given $10M and a building lot to erect a permanent facility to house the association. The new building, Helwig stated, would also provide accommodation for artists who are coming from remote locations to attend expositions and other events. This project is to begin soon, and it is hoped it would significantly contribute to the marketing aspect of the association.
Helwig mentioned that the association has received vital funding from various organisations such as the Trade Facilitation Office Canada, which has contributed to the overall development of the GACPA. Last year, the Canadian Executive Service Organization assisted financially in the pottery making training. Many local sculptors benefitted from this workshop.
