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volunteer craft teachers wanted in belize

updated tue 25 mar 03

 

Linda Arbuckle on mon 24 mar 03


Request for help to post this on ClayArt and to interested parties:

_____________________

I'm forwarding this announcement I had posted recently on SNAGnet. We
need all media craft teachers...especially jewelry and CERAMICS! and
they just started doing some fabric things--stenciling, fabric painting,
sewing, embroidery, so we need that too. Does NCECA have a web site or
announcement board for this type of notice?

Hope you are all well!

Cheers!
Karen

-------- Original Message --------


Subject:

[SNAGnet] We need your help in Belize!


Date:

Thu, 13 Mar 2003 11:35:14 -0700


From:

karen pierce ken piner


To:

snagnet@yahoogroups.com



Greetings:

Volunteer jewelry teachers are needed for workshops. We also need
tools and equipment.

My name is Karen Pierce. As a graduate student at ASU, I joined
SNAG in 1991 and at that time I voluntarily served as one of the
SNAG Bookservice co-directors. I was also a founding member of
COMA(Colorado Metalsmithing Association) in 1994. I have been a
studio artist since that time.

In 1998 I started doing part time archaeological architectural
recording at the Maya site of Lamanai in Belize, Central America. I
began to get to know many of the local villagers, and since then I
have become quite involved with the village of Indian Church,
adjacent to the Lamanai site.

In the summer of 2000, we (a group of artists, architects and
archaeologists working at Lamanai and the Lamanai Field Research
Center) were awarded a small grant from CFLI (Canada Funds for
Local Initiatives) to help incorporate people from the local village
into Lamanai site activities. Because the site receives a large
number of visitors daily, we felt it was a perfect opportunity for
the locals to sell souvenirs to these tourists (but they had nothing
but beans and corn to sell!).

We began developing a craft training program in Indian Church. For
the past 2 3/4 years I have been voluntarily teaching jewelry making
and helping set up a cottage industry for the village. We are
also teaching ceramics, woodcarving and several fabric techniques.
By providing the villagers with an alternative income source, this
income generation program forms a crucial part of promoting
sustainable development within the area.

We are also involved with educating the locals about eco-tourism and
archaeology and I have been working to obtain scholarship funds for
the children to continue their education beyond that provided by
the village primary school (substandard quality) which most
students complete at age 12 or 13.

We recently received a grant from the British High Commission in
Belize to construct a building in Indian Church Village for the
craft training and production. The building is now complete and we
need volunteers to go to Indian Church to teach jewelry and crafts,
and to help the artisan group develop basic business and marketing
skills for their new vocation.

We also need donations of tools and equipment. If you have any
tools or metal in your studio that you are not using this is the
perfect opportunity to put them to good use. Or, if you can help us
find sources of funding and assist with grant proposal preparation
that would be terrific.

It's a beautiful place and an incredibly rewarding experience.
Please contact me for more information (see below) and please pass
this information along to others who might be interested. I hope to
see you in Belize!

Karen Pierce
PO Box 3241
Evergreen, CO 80439
kp2ev19@mho.net
Phone: 303 674-2104
Fax: 303 670-2560
Belize Cell Phone: 011 501 609-3992

Please Note:
At this time this project is totally based on volunteer help. We
are not an official organization, although the Indian Church Village
Artisans (ICVA) have registered with the government of Belize as a
CBO (Community Based Organization). If you would like confirmation
of the legitimacy of the project you can contact the following
organizations:

The British High Commission, Belize brithicom@btl.net Phone: 011
501 822-2146
Lamanai Field Research Center, Indian Church Village, Belize
research@lamanai.org
Phone: 011 501 233-3578
Help for Progress, Belize, Elias Awe progress@btl.net
Phone: 011
501 822-0100
The Orange Walk Rotary Club, President Johnny Avila, Belize
johnnya@btl.net
Phone: 011 501 322-3024

Not as likely to respond to your e-mail as to a phone call:
Government of Belize, Office of the Prime Minister, Honorable Said
Musa pmbelize@btl.net
Phone: 011 501 822-0399 (Diana)
The American Embassy, Belize amboffice@btl.net
Phone: 011
501-227-7161 (or 62 or 63)