Island Art

San Pedro Town, on the island of Ambergris Caye, in the country of Belize, has many talented artists.  The main categories of art are music, wood carving, jewelry making, and painting.  There are many other types of art but these are the most popular.

Music

Music covers the entire gambit of genres to attract all of the tourists that are here.  It covers everything from country to oldies to rock.

However, the local music is either Raggae or Garifuna.  The original settlers here were from Africa and were called Garifuna.  Their music definitely has an African influence along with the Reggae flavor of the Caribbean.

Woodcarving

Wood carving here is a skill that has been passed down through the generations and has now become a staple of the tourist industry.  There are many kinds of wood used from mahogany, the country’s major export, to iron wood.  Many of the local woods have names that are unpronounceable but very beautiful.  Some of the carving is on the crude side,

While others is very sleek.

Here is “Carvin' Marvin”.  He appeared on HGTV International House Hunters when this lady from Calgary came to Belize and bought a condo on the beach.

The one hazard we have found is that the humidity is very high here and when you take the wooden pieces back to a climate that is less humid, they dry out and crack.  You have to constantly keep them oiled.

Jewelry Making

Jewelry making is everywhere, especially along Front Street where there is the most tourist traffic.  The materials used are beads of all kinds including jade, turquoise, and coral.  They also use bone from sharks and crocodiles.  Teeth are also used from sharks, crocodile, wild boar, jaguar, etc. 

Also for sale are conch shells, black coral carvings, locally made hammocks, tapestry, and just about any other article that depicts life in the Caribbean.

Next time we will look at local paintings.