Cubans display art of silver jewellery

A two-day art exhibition opens tonight at the Smokey Mermaid restaurant in Belize City; but this will not be your usual display of pretty paintings hanging on the wall. In fact what you will see will be an array of handmade sterling silver jewellery straight from Havana, Cuba. A pair of jewellers from the island, Cecilio Tejeiro and Miguel Angel Morgado, have travelled to Belize to share a bit of their culture with Belizeans. According to president of the Silver Jewellers Association of Cuba, the visit will also raise some funds for Belizean charities.

Cecilio Tejeiro Sanchez, Pres., Silver Jewellers Assn. of Cuba

“This is the first time we’re travelling out of Cuba. We were invited to come to Belize by the International Women’s Club of Belize and the Cuban Embassy in Belize. Our main objective is to share with Belizeans the traditional art of hand crafting silver jewellery that is still being practiced today in Havana. Also today is World AIDS day and we are offering a piece of our work to raise funds for children suffering from the disease, and another piece to help the people afflicted with cancer. “

Debbie Gegg, Treasurer, Intl. Women’s Club of Belize

“We’ll be having tonight two pieces of the beautiful artistic silver jewellery for auction. One will be to the World AIDS Day, which is today, and the other one, which in this display over here, will be for the cancer society. ”

“What is happening with the auction I believe is that fifty percent of the proceeds will go to AIDS and fifty percent to cancer an then the artist gets fifty percent of the share.”

In addition, five percent of the proceeds of sales on Tuesday and Wednesday will be donated to the Belize Cancer Society. The exhibition at the Smokey Mermaid opens to the public from nine a.m. to five p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.