Culture in the Park, Artists & Musicians Takeover Battlefield Park

If you visited the downtown area of the city, you were treated to Belizean music and arts. The two-day event is being held to promote Belizean artists at the Battlefield Park. The Belize City Council has embarked on a project to boost businesses and link tourists to the heart of the city as they celebrate one year in office. The programme is called Culture in the Park. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

For the past two days, musicians and artists have taken up brief residence at Battlefield Park where their works have either been on display or performed for an audience of passersby.  They are here on the invitation of the Belize City Council as part of its promotion of Belizean music and artistic skills.

Tamara Minto

Tamara Minto, PR Manager, Belize City Council

“This month and actually this week is our one year anniversary and this council is an entrepreneur and small business savvy council, so what we wanted to do, we wanted to give back to the community.  We wanted to actually help the local and Belizean artist, therefore we decided to do Culture in the Park.  I know we just came off of the Street Fest but people love the street art, people love our Belizean culture and so what we decided to do was bring all of them together in a two-day Culture in the Park.  We have artists, we have live music and we actually have artists that are painting on the spot.”

Among them is well-known painter Alex Sanker.  We caught up with at his easel.

Alex Sanker

Alex Sanker, Belizean Painter

“Ah noh really like paint pan site because, you know, sometimes yoh wahn get eena da zone, right.  But actually when yoh have everything fi do with art, as people know, dis da how I earn a living.  Of course, you know, ah cyant complain being in the business twenty something years.  I actually, at that place, actually I have passed my goal that I think I would have achieved in this industry, right.  But at the end of the day, if it has to do with art I am going to be a part of it.”

Sanker, like popular and outspoken young artist Briheda Haylock, is here to showcase his works.  The exhibit is part of the CitCo’s one year anniversary celebration.

Bernard Wagner

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor

“The ships are in today, they will be in tomorrow and we want to start this initiative where we showcase our culture, we showcase our artists and have those people who are visiting us, take a walk in the park and meet local artists.”

For Sanker, his participation in the event is a departure from the norm.

Alex Sanker

“I’m just trying to do something different where everybody knows I do a lot of political, people don’t like to call it political but listen, let’s not fool nobody, everything in this country is political.  But what I do, I don’t do politics, what I do is reality and for me to paint a piece.”

And depictions of those realities sketched on canvas are on full display for all to see. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.