EcoArts fest kicks off tonight

Fifteen bands will be competing for best original composition following the 2005 EcoArts Festival’s opening ceremonies tonight at the American Memorial Park Amphitheater.

The Battle of the Bands will kick off a fun-filled weekend-long event showcasing environmental awareness through the arts. Entrance to the amphitheater parking lot will be closed for the festivities.

Running simultaneously with the Battle of the Bands at the American Memorial Park Amphitheater is an environmental film festival at the Visitors Center Theater, screening films from the Northern Marianas and throughout the Pacific.

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of publicity and support, and we have received many phone calls from people offering to help in anyway they can,” said Fran Castro, non-point source pollution program manager of the Division of Environmental Quality, and one of the organizers.

The festival has six main competitive events:

– Battle of the Bands
– Film Festival
– Sculpture Park and Visual Arts Gallery
– Cook-A-Rainbow Challenge
– Poetry Slam
– Recycle Wear Fashion Show

In addition to these competitions, there will be an original dramatic performance staged by the Friends of the Arts, and a unique “EnviroGame show.”

Castro said the public can look forward to a variety of great performances and displays of art throughout the weekend, all of which will promote the environment. Festival-goers will dance to original songs about the environment, marvel at recycled sculptures and costumes, listen to environmental poetry, relish culinary creations using fresh local vegetables, and enjoy visual artworks, films, and dramatic performances that touch on an array of environmental themes.

“We will also practice recycling at this event, showing people how to separate their aluminum, paper, glass, and plastic recyclables in the bins that will be distributed throughout the Festival grounds,” Castro added.

What makes the EcoArts Festival different from other awareness events, she said, is that this is the first time that the natural resource agencies have teamed up with artists on such a large scale to promote the message of environmental stewardship to the community.

Castro said the idea to hold a three-day environmental awareness event was brought up last October, with a target date for the festival set for January this year.

“But because of the magnitude of the event, we felt that we needed more time to coordinate. So we decided to make it an end of the summer celebration before kids head back to school. We expect a really good turnout,” she added.

Next year, DEQ plans to combine the EcoArts Festival with the Environmental Expo during the annual Environmental Awareness Week.

Sponsors and supporters of the event are DEQ, DFS Galleria, Joeten Motors, Pacific Trading, Mobil Oil Marianas, Power ’99, The Rock, Budget Car Rental, Marianas Cable Vision, Elite Printing, Pacific Islands Club, National Park Service, Bank of Guam, Bank Pacific, McDonald’s, Rifu Apparel, Detry Pumping Service and Safety 1st Systems. (PR)