Eight Belizeans Awarded for Creative and Cultural Excellence

Kicking off the September Celebrations under this year’s theme, “Belize at Forty-Four: Stronger Together, Rising Forever,” the National Celebrations Commission honored eight outstanding Belizeans with awards for creative and cultural excellence. For us, September is a time to reflect on tradition and culture that has been passed down since our first independence. Today, awardees and cultural leaders gathered to celebrate the arts and the people keeping Belize’s heritage alive.

 

Zenida Lanza, Reporting

Creativity and culture shined bright today as eight Belizeans were recognized at this year’s Creative and Cultural Excellence Awards. Among them was Sharmane Garcia, who received the Beverly Smith Lopez Award for her contributions to acting in theater and film. Garcia says the honor is especially meaningful, as she once met Beverly Smith Lopez herself. She shared this message with younger Belizeans.

 

Sharmane Garcia, Beverly Smith Lopez Awardee

“Don’t let anybody dull your shine. Be who you are. Be true to yourself. Sometimes, as creative people, you are cast or put outside of that box that people expect we are supposed to behave in, right? We are not that. Creative people, wild, loud, weird. And it’s okay to be that. Be your authentic self. Don’t stop believing in you. Don’t stop doing or being who you are because eventually you’ll get noticed. You understand? Sometimes we do things I know I’ve been in that room where people don’t understand who you are and you’re considered an outcast or a disruptor, being disruptive can be a good thing. So just keep doing you.”

 

As someone who normally nominates awardees, Gilvano Swasey said it came as a shock to receive the George Gabb Award for Visual Art and Design. Swasey says he was humbled to be recognized himself, recalling that Gabb’s workshop inspired his first exhibit back in 1995.

 

Gilvano Swasey, George Gabb Awardee

“I look at the people that were nominated and were getting the awards. And I know that we do it for the love, not the likes. And I said, These are people that I always admire, and I felt very comfortable that I was in their company, all the other awardees, and that gave it so much value for me. And I said, You know what? I appreciate it very, very much.”

 

The six other awardees were: Leroy Young better known as “The Grandmaster” , who was awarded the Zee Edgell Award for Literary Arts; Mamie  Martinez, was awarded the Rosita Baltazar Award for Dance; Derrick Straughan, was awarded the Andy Palacio Award for Original Belizean Music; Andy Chuc, received the Don Elijio Panti Award for Protecting and Developing Indigenous Knowledge; Margaret Welcome, was awarded the Leela Vernon Award for Creative Community Action or Practice, Representation and Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage; and Diane Haylock was awarded for Outstanding Cultural Leadership Award. Minister of Culture Francis Fonseca highlighted the importance of recognizing both the trailblazers of the past and those who continue to shape Belize’s cultural future.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Culture

“The Creative and Cultural Excellence Awards, represent one of the best things we do every year during the national celebrations, the month of national celebrations. I say it all the time that I think it’s critically important for a nation to recognize, acknowledge, pay, tribute and show respect for those cultural icons among us, our creative community, people who are working every day to preserve and promote Belizean culture. So, we are honored at the National Celebrations Commission to award these and recognize these individuals every year. This is the fourth year that we’ve been doing it. So, it’s a wonderful experience. And I’m very grateful for the outpouring of support and love that these awardees have received from people all over the country and all outside of the country in the diaspora. Because people recognize and appreciate the work that they have been doing very often quietly in the background. So, it’s important. Culture, as I said in my remarks, represent for me really the heart and soul of a nation. And so it’s important for us to recognize these individuals.”

 

As the country marks forty-four years of independence, it’s a reminder that our culture is alive, our traditions endure, and together, Belize will keep rising. Reporting for News Five, I’m Zenida Lanza.