THE island’s visual artists, painters, ceramists, poets and writers staged two art exhibitions over the weekend.
It was not only a gathering for professional artists, but also a venue for aspiring artists—junior and high school students, in particular.
“This is like self-study for me,” said Arthur Agulto, one of the island’s promising young artists.
A junior student at Marianas High School, Agulto’s forte is oil painting. He says he is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s “ecstatic and blurry” artwork.
“I am just trying to let out of my feelings through my work,” Agulto told Variety. Agulto has completed 25 pieces of artwork since he started painting 10 years ago.
One of his best works is an untitled oil painting depicting a man on a boat amid the dark night.
Tina Foster, the art coordinator for the Arts Council, said three schools—MHS, Mount Carmel and Saipan Community—participated in this year’s exhibit at the CNMI Gallery for Arts and Culture on Capitol Hill.
About 100 pieces of artworks by students were showcased—water color, oil pastel, charcoal, pen and ink and ceramics.
Mt. Carmel students also submitted various artworks inscribed on school furniture, tabletops, chairs and jars.
Saturday night at Coffee Care was “a night of art.” Over a dozen local artists showcased several of their works—oil and banana paintings, ceramics and stained glass, poetry and fiction.
“ We, as artists, just wanted to get together,” Dorothy Haws, a painter, told Variety.
Haws teaches at Marianas High School and Northern Marianas College.
Writer Arin Greenwood believes that there is a universal language that an artist can convey through her work.
Local artist Barry Wonenberg displayed his “Rare Earth Studio” collections which included “Dark Water Raku,” “Flying Fossil,” and “Jumping Fossil.”
Doug Rankin displayed his paintings entitled “Dandan Saipan,” “Managaha Island,” “Saipan Eastern Side,” and “Waterfalls.”
Connie Cabrera’s “Three Bighorns,” “American Southwest,” “Moonrise,” “Three Girls,” “Year of the Horse,” and “Dancing Warriors” also took center stage.
Joe Caruthers’s intricate pottery and ceramics were eye-catching while Nhung Dunh’s oil works also attracted the attention of art aficionados.
John Davis, one of the organizers of the event, hopes that there will be similar exhibits in the future.
