For many Guyanese the festivities of Carifesta X have become a distant memory, but Sita Sugrim, a graphic artist, has sought to revive them by designing a commemorative calendar.
The 2009 calendars are in full colour and are 12 inches by 9 inches (when closed) and 9 by 24 (when opened). The calendars display photographs from various aspects of the event and are UV- coated. This means that they have an extra shine which guarantees increased durability, Sita says. Additionally, there is space available on the calendars where businesses or individuals can have personal logos or greetings inserted.
Sita says that the calendars will help people to remember the event for what it was– a rich portrayal of the Caribbean’s culture. According to her, Carifesta “was an extraordinary affair” and says that it put all the scoffers to shame.
“Many people thought we were not capable of pulling it off, but we did”, she added. Sita said that even before the beginning of the festivities, she had toyed with the idea of producing some memorabilia but it was during the course of the event itself, that she “just knew she had to do something to celebrate it”.
Initially, she contemplated publishing a book, but changed her mind after she was informed that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport had plans of putting together a similar souvenir item. So according to her the next best thing was to design a calendar.
For Sita, this was not a very difficult venture since she has been a graphic designer for over ten years. She said over the years she has done work for several large local corporations.
She recently opened her own graphics designing business, Kriti, and took on the calendar project as her first venture.
The one disappointment for Sita is that neither the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, nor the Tourism Ministry partnered with her on the project. She said that such a venture would be an excellent way of promoting Guyana, especially with the new emphasis on tourism.
The calendars are being printed in Trinidad and Tobago and are expected to arrive in Guyana later this month. They are being retailed at $320, but persons who are ordering large quantities will receive discounts. Sita will target business corporations for large orders. Interested persons can contact Sita at 222-3685 or at 619-3105.
