Artisan Alley Open For Business
Downtown Belize just got a little more colorful with the opening of its newest addition, the Artisan Alley. The Belize Tourism Board, in partnership with the Belize City Council, has opened what they hope, will be a new hub of tourist activity in the city. Today, we attended the inauguration ceremony to hear what the alley is all about.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The Fort Street Tourism Village has always been a hub of activity for visitors hailing in from cruise ships, a one stop place for food, souvenirs clothes and art. However, the surrounding areas of Fort George remained empty, an expanse of untapped potential. The BTB along with the Belize City Council, set out to change that through the introduction of the Artisan Alley, a place to celebrate and support eighteen local artists of varying crafts. A ceremony was held today to introduce the alley and all it has to offer.
Henry Usher
Henry Usher, Minister of Public Service
“And this today is another investment in people. It’s not just an infrastructure development. It’s not only about building these Beautiful boots, having bathrooms, having a nice space. It is about investing in those persons that you see sitting here and the persons that are responsible for these booths. These artisans, these talented Belizeans that are here making sure that the tourists can appreciate what Belize has to offer. So as we invest in people, we invest in our country as well. We invest in the future of Belize. And this is what an investment is, this is what a development such as this can be. It is about investing in the future, but it’s also about making sure that these small business owners, these women and men who toil every single day to earn a living, an honest living, are out here and they get the partnership, they get the support from their government.”
The introduction of the alley is just one of many initiatives meant to encourage support for Belizean artists and bring beauty to downtown Belize for tourist and locals.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations
“This is a combination of some months of work. This area was decrepit maybe a year or so ago, and we started to clean up the entire area. We believe that any good tourist area should have a craft market. It’s all over the world. You can experience anywhere you go to. And so this is the first step in creating those types of experiences. We’re going to improve the street out here, and then we want to do the era by the lighthouse that has eroded tremendously. And so we want to uplift that, but we have some ideas out here and we’re talking to some architects about some potential projects to uplift this area as well.”
The alley is already bustling with activity, with jewelry and clothing stands, as well as handmade wooden figures. We spoke with Frank Malic, an artist that specializes in handmade wood carvings to hear his hopes for this new endeavor. Frank Malic
Frank Malic, Local Artist
“I’m doing this over 30 years now.”
Britney Gordon
“And what does it mean to you to be a part of the Artisan Alley?”
Frank Malic
“It’s very great because I’m proud of making my own money.“
Britney Gordon
“What are your hopes for this endeavor?”
Frank Malic
“I pray for more tourists to stop by so everyone can make enough money.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
