Thank you MVA and others

In today’s world where monetary income is essential for survival, the perpetuation of the arts and most especially the indigenous traditional art forms is inevitably dependent on their ability to provide economic sustenance to the artist. This is the simple reality. No longer are baskets needed to hold food, canoes required to travel from island to island and traditional methods of construction necessary, as was required some time ago. For the most part, we use items that are readily available at stores, planes hop from island to island and cement and hollow block serve as the building materials of choice.

Although no longer utilitarian in nature, these cultural craft forms are in important in that they provide a log of the long and vibrant history of the residents of the islands. No less important than a written history that might be found in a textbook. These artforms which have shown incredible durability, standing the very turbulent test of time, attest to the strength and resilience of the Chamorro and Carolinian cultures These artforms are unique to the Northern Marianas, and their promotion can provide that flavor that something that differentiates the CNMI from every other sun drenched and palm speckled island tourist destination, at the same time, perpetuating itself through the economic gain reaped by the CNM and the artist through this symbiotic relationship.

I would like to thank the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) for their support in this effort to bring the arts and visitor industry together. In recent months this has included performances at the airport by local musicians for incoming visitors locally produced art and craftwork on display at the MVA offices and at MVA’s activities, facilitation of artist and performer participation at the events of visitor industry companies, sponsorship of the Flame Tree Arts Festival and the upcoming Marianas’ Traditional Dance Festival and in the assignment of the Sugar King Park building as a local arts and crafts gallery and shop.

In a number of recent meetings that included the participation of various visitor industry representatives from different private companies a number of questions relating to arts and cultural activities were posed by these individuals, “where can tourists go to view CNMI culture, see performances?,’ “where can tourists go to view and purchase traditional crafts?”

Through the assistance of MVA and other private sponsors and agencies, initial efforts have been made to make these activities available to our visitors. Inevitably, a resolve to fund facilities for such a cultural and performing arts center in the future, would be the most ideal direction. This has begun on a small scale, with the recently signed House Bill 11-287, that sets aside a portion of the Managaha landing fees for this facility.

Additionally, a resolve by the segment of private companies attending to the visitor industry must be made to incorporate these activities into the schedules and tour packages and promotions for CNMI visitors. It must also be kept in mind, that while such activities might not be met with immediate monetary profit, the profit is a long term one on several levels. Visitors take their experiences back home with them and tell others, visitors are drawn for rerun visits by the ambiance that was present and special experiences that took place during their visit, a whole new segment of the visitor market, those with arts and cultural interests, will be drawn to visit the CNMI, participation and profit through the ability to make a living doing their art will encourage local artists to work in their respective fields and provide additional opportunities for our younger generation who will shortly be making their way into the working world and this participation be the community will bring the abstract importance of the visitor market and its benefits closer to home.

With the onslaught of new “recreational” activities on Guam, such as a world class waterpark and Steven Spielberg’s’ Game Works, the competition for the visitor market is and will become that much more difficult.. the CNMI must find its niche. Perhaps the niche could be the arts and culture? Such a niche would provide an incentive for tourists to travel beyond Guam. Public sculpture and installations, murals on drab buildings, cultural information signs at various island landmarks, the acquisition of collections for the museum, traditionally constructed structures placed around the island, encouragement of traditional design and motifs in the architecture of new buildings, locally produced artwork at hotels and other businesses, the sales of locally created and/or designed products by department stores and shops geared towards visitors, traditional Carolinian and Chamorro dance revues at island hotels, and an appropriate facility or facilities where scheduled performance take place daily and permanent and rotating exhibits can be seen… these are but a few things that could take place in such an effort.

The MVA has begun to take steps to bring the arts and cultural community to our visitors, and vice versa. We thank the MVA Board of Directors, Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director and all of the MVA staff for all of their assistance in recent months and most of all for their vision.

Robert H. Hunter