Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture Executive Director Angel S. Hocog told the Variety yesterday that registration has begun and they have already received inquiries from local artists who are interested to join.
“Artists can bring in all kinds of artwork for sale or for exhibit and they don’t have to pay any fees,” Hocog said.
They will not also ask any fee from the sale of the artwork and all proceeds will go to the artist.
Hocog said this year’s exhibit will be held in the lobby function room or formerly R&C Tours office of the Hyatt Regency Saipan in Garapan.
“The venue will be an advantage because it will not only be accessible for the local people but also for our tourists,” Hocog said.
In the past years, the Cultural Heritage and Arts Pacifica Exhibit had been held at the Arts Council office on Capital Hill, a location which other artists and residents said was “out of the way.”
Saipan has 93 registered local artists while Tinian and Rota have from 20 to 30.
They come from various ethnic backgrounds and they paint, take photos, weave or are into arts and crafts, beadmaking, woodcarving and other forms of art.
“We have over 160 registered artists and only a few of them are inactive. We are still encouraging other artists to register with us for free,” Hocog said.
Requirements to register and be included in the local artist directory are the submission of a bio-data and artwork samples.
Hocog said the Cultural Heritage and Arts Pacifica Exhibit, which will run for the whole month of September, is in celebration of Cultural Heritage Month and will coincide with the Carolinian Affairs cultural celebration.
The September exhibit will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, free of charge.
To register, or for more information visit the Arts Council office on Capital Hill from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Aug. 19, or call 322-9982 or 83.
