-renovation, redesign work could cost $30-$50m
The Guyana Association of Art and Craft Producers is mulling plans to take the local art and craft industry to the ‘next level’ but members of the Association have told Stabroek Business that they are awaiting the official handing over of the premises promised to them by government before they can proceed with the implementation of their proposals for taking the industry forward.
Earlier this week, Stabroek Business spoke with members of the Association currently staging a display and sale of their work in Main Street all of whom expressed an eagerness to establish a home for the craft industry in the Water Street building that formerly housed the now scrapped Georgetown Railway Station. The Association’s Public Relations Officer Patricia Helwig told Stabroek Business that plans for the building include the creation of display areas, a permanent Art and Craft shop and a Secretariat to administer the affairs of the Association. Physical occupation of the building, however, could still be some distance away since, according to an Association member, part of the premises is currently occupied by a city business enterprise.
Meanwhile, craft producer and former Association Treasurer Irene Bacchus told Stabroek Business that members will also be faced with the estimated $30-$50m bill for the renovation and design work needed “to create a suitable facility.” Bacchus said that the Association had discussed various fund-raising options for raising the sums necessary for the renovation and design work that has to be done.
The Association comprises approximately 200 mostly small art and craft producers and Helwig told Stabroek Business that raising the amount through members’ contributions is not a feasible option. She said, however, that members appear to favour the option of taking possession of the building in its present state and undertaking renovation work incrementally.
Art and craft producers participating in this week’s Main Street exhibition and sale have commented positively on the outcomes, describing it as a modest commercial success. Bacchus, whose craft pieces featured among the local and regional craft souvenirs produced for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup told Stabroek Business that apart from the commercial opportunity which the event provided, it also offered yet another opportunity to remind the Guyanese public of the skill and artistry that exists in the local craft industry.
This week’s display and sale marks the first public event held by the Association since its recent decision to include the culinary arts as a member of the arts and craft ‘family.’ Head of the Culinary Arts Section Warren Douglas whose locally produced Pandama Wines – made from local fruit – is currently on sale at several supermarkets in the city told Stabroek Business that over the past two weeks eight members had formally registered with the Association’s Culinary Arts Section. Douglas said that the new development would allow the Association to work with the hotel and food service industry, both directly and through the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) to showcase local culinary skills. Douglas, whose wines have won plaudits both for their quality and for their labelling and packaging told Stabroek Business that he believed that the high level of skill and artistry that was already manifest in the local art and craft industry had to be complemented by more attention to marketing and packaging.
The Government of Guyana, through Go-Invest has, over the years, provided some measure of marketing support for the sector by providing funding and otherwise facilitating for local participation in regional and international trade fairs and exhibitions. However, Bacchus-Holder, who has participated in several overseas craft exhibitions told Stabroek Business that part of the current focus of the Association was on partnering with agencies that can help build capacity among members. She disclosed that funding is currently available to members of the Association under the Government of Guyana/Inter-American Development Bank Matching Grants Initiative to assist with product development and marketing. Under the Initiative beneficiaries will receive 80% of the agreed amount through a Government of Guyana/IDB grant. The remaining 20% must be deposited in an account by the beneficiary as a condition for accessing the grant. Recipients of the grant are also required to be NIS and GRA compliant. Bacchus-Holder says that while many members of the Association have been unable to meet some of the criteria set out under the Matching Grants Initiative she believes that it is an entirely worthwhile idea that can help modest enterprises in the art and craft industry find their feet. She said that while the requirement of being NIS and GRA compliant could pose challenges for some of the smaller members of the Association, she believed that the focus on ensuring that businesses seek to meet important operational criteria was a means of helping them grow.
