I recently came across more information regarding Mes Chamorro (Chamorro Month), as well as the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts which will be hosted by Guam in May.
First, interested people can take a virtual tour of Guam Museum’s 2016 Mes Chamorro exhibit. As the island of Guam celebrates 2016 Mes Chamorro (Chamorro Month) and prepares for the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts, the Guam Museum and its partners have created an exhibit to showcase the rich history of the Chamorro people and their many connections with other Pacific islanders throughout Oceania. The Outrigger Guam Beach Resort is proud to host “Connections Within Our Pacific Ocean”, an event that provides a snapshot of the beauty, creativity, and resourcefulness of the Chamorro people and their neighbors of Oceania.
The exhibit has four sub themes that describe a journey of island life:
Navigating the Seas, Establishing our Roots, Holding our Treasures, and Creating Art.
Feel free to click here to access the virtual tour. There are lots of photos to view!
A Chamorro canoe
Guampedia
Every four years, the different islands of the Pacific region gather to share in a special celebration of the arts. For two weeks, thousands participate in the Festival of Pacific Arts—FoPA, or FestPac as we call it here on Guam—which showcases singing, dancing, painting, weaving, carving, live demonstrations, storytelling, canoe building, and other forms of artistic traditions unique to this part of the world. It is also a time to celebrate the people of Oceania, to share history and knowledge, raise cultural awareness and create memories. More than two dozen Pacific Island states, nations and territories send hundreds of delegates, each prepared to enjoy a giant love fest for the arts and Pacific Island cultural traditions and peoples. FestPac is not only a time to celebrate the diversity of cultures and artistic expression found among Pacific Islanders, it is also a time to show the similarities that connect us as People of the Pacific.
Guampedia presents POP Cultures: People of the Pacific, a series of entries to help our community learn more about the folks who will be visiting us this year at FestPac. There are 27 island nations and territories that are participating in FestPac 2016. With a grant from the Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency (CAHA), Guampedia has produced 30 entries about our Pacific Island neighbors. Each entry provides some basic quick facts about the islands of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, a little description of the history, geography, culture and the arts, as well as a greeting in the various indigenous Pacific languages. In addition, all the entries include each participant’s flag and images of representative arts. It is a great tool for teachers to introduce their students to the various cultures that will be on the island over the course of the festival. And because the entries are Guampedia UOG Station Mangilao, GU 96923 * http://www.guampedia.com * 671.734.0217 online, visitors to the Festival will find the entries a quick and easy way to familiarize themselves with the FestPac participant nations.
Island Time 