ST. MAARTEN – St. Maarten was bustling last week with the vibrancy of local talent, art and culture, as more than 600 locals and visitors to the island gathered for the inaugural Arts in the Plaza Festival, at Porto Cupecoy on December 22.
Attendees were greeted by stilt walkers and dazzled by the beautiful and intricate movements of the three-step polka and gumboot dance.
Throughout the plaza, musical serenades celebrated the traditions and ethnicity of St. Maarten’s thriving arts community, while visual artists displayed paintings, sculptures and other pieces of their collections for public viewing.
Notable attendees included: Ida Zin-Fa Leu, President of Tourism Department on French side; Rhonda Arrindell, Minister of Sports, Culture and Education on the Dutch side; and Thierry Gombs, Director of Sports, Culture and Education French side.
The monthly arts festival is the first of its kind to combine visual, performing and musical arts from St Martin/St Maarten’s avant-garde arts scene and it will continue into 2011 with new performances and exhibits each month.
