http://sanpedrosun.blogspot.com/2009/12/angela-gegg-proshka-hosts-art-show-at.html
Category: Media
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15561&frmsrch=1
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15527&frmsrch=1
Interview with Angela “Proshka” Gegg, Featured Belizean Artist
Belize News Post Interviews Angela “Proshka” Gegg, Featured Belizean Artist
First, I would like to thank you Angela for taking to the time to speak with us. Belize News Post is happy to have this opportunity to speak with you. Angela you are the first artist to speak with us, so for some background it may be helpful to know that part of our mission statement at Belize News Post is, “bring the news of Belize to the people of Belize.” We think it is important to think of Belizean cultural production i.e. art, as an essential part of that mission. That’s where you come in. Belize News Post is interested in getting handle on what makes Belizean art and artists unique. Hopefully, these questions will get us in that arena.
Belize News Post
Can you give us a short run down of what it is that you do? Tell us about what you make or produce. Obviously, we are aware of your youtube video series, your paintings, poems and other works, but can you tell us more about your practice for the benefit of our readers?
Angela Gegg
Im an artist, poet (spoken word artist), and TV personality in Belize. As an artist, I find it necessary to be inventive, self-expressive, searching, daring, even disturbing, and in doing so, I am hoping to enlighten others and open ways for a better understanding of my art. I speak my mind, some people love me for it and others loath me for my pure and utter honesty, that’s life!
Belize News Post
We know that among other things you are a poet, Belize News Post re-published a piece called “If Da So You Stan”, which deals with gossip and pretenders. We get the sense that you are really concerned with issues of identity. Is this right?
Angela Gegg
That is Right…and that’s all I have to say about that (for now).
Belize News Post
Many of know you as the artist “Proshka”, why do you use this pseudonym or stage name?
Angela Gegg
Whether you see a work of art signed as Angela Gegg or as Proshka, they are one and the same. The name Proshka is derived from my Latvian heritage. It was taken from the maiden name of my grandmother, Lia (Praskevic) Tattersfield. My grandmother left her hometown of Latvia when she met my grandfather, Tom Tattersfield. They both moved to Belize in 1948, making it their home, and starting a family; one of their three children was and is Deborah (Tattersfield) Gegg, my mother. (the rest is history)….. I never did have the pleasure of spending much time with her as breast cancer took her life when i was only two. As a tribute to her, I took her name, Praskevic pronounced (proshka – vicks), and shortened it to PROSHKA, and have used it ever since…To break it down – its a family thing! Gotta REPRESENT…
Belize News Post
Do you have any thoughts on being an artist in Belize? Or are there issues that are unique to being an artist in Belize?
Angela Gegg
Do you really want me to go there?!?
Belize News Post
What’s the art scene like in Belize?
Angela Gegg
We need more artist to step up and out! More galleries, institution’s, and educational means…
Belize News Post
We already touched on concerns with identity, how do you see your role or identity as an artist? What is your role as a Belizean artist?
Angela Gegg
To uplift and motivate our women of Belize
Belize News Post
Tell us more about your past show “Hott Chicks Can Paint To“, what is your experience of being a woman artist ? Are there unique obstacles for a woman artist or just being a woman in Belize?
Angela Gegg
“Hott Chicks Can Paint Too” is only one of my many solo exhibits, opened by the then Prime Minister (Said Musa). The show was a group of subconscious works of art was opened by the Honorable Sir Colville Young, our Governor General. I have also exhibited at the Princess Hotel and out-district in San Pedro. As an artist in a country that is severely lacking in ART, it has not been an easy road. Often times I feel like throwing in the towel and moving on to somewhere that will more appreciate my work BUT at the end of the day given the positive feedback I get from our countries youth, I tend to persevere.
Belize News Post
Do you have any shows coming up? Any other events you would like to share with our readers? Anything you would like to add?
Angela Gegg
November 13th, 2009 – at the Mexican institute of Culture & History I am having a full exhibit called IMPULSE and another book launching, titled ARTIST CONFESSIONS
Belize News Post
Thanks again for you willingness to contribute to what we are doing at belizenewspost.com.
For more information about Angela Gegg visit her websites. Angela Gegg’s Homepage Angel’s “pure art” website Proshka.com
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE –
The Mexican Institute in Belize City plays host to an impressive exhibit of the works of Belizean women artists whose creations are being showcased in the Women in Art Exhibit, organized by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) as a part of Women’s Month 2009. “Women and art, whether we look at these two words individually or collectively, have always been undervalued, under appreciated, and quite often misunderstood. When we think of female artists in Belize, the names Rachel Heusner and Carolyn Carr, to many are perhaps the only names that come to mind,” said Icilda Humes, Director of the Women’s Department, in the keynote address. “…there has not been enough done to feature the work and talent of women who perhaps have not been able to reach the stature of prominence as others.” Humes said that it has been a while since such a showcase of women’s art has been organized, and she applauded NICH for resurrecting exhibition as a part of Women’s Month 2009.
The event is the first highlight of a month of activities being spearheaded through the collaborative partnership of the Women’s Department, the National Women’s commission, the Women’s Issues Network and NICH.
(International Women’s Day was celebrated on Monday, March 8, and the full calendar of events is available in at least the last two issues of the Amandala.)
Mexican Ambassador, Luis Manuel Lopez Moreno, gave the welcome remarks, which was followed by a video montage of Belizean artists and their works.
Poet Angela Gegg recited two pieces: Baby Mama, Baby Drama; and You Are the Bain of My Existence.
After the performances, NICH president, Diane Haylock, gave the vote of thanks, and expressed her appreciation to all the people who contributed to making the event a success, especially the many women artists, and curator, Gilvano Swasey.
Haylock also welcomed home Belizean writer, Zoila Ellis, based in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and her husband, Mike Brown, Minister of National Mobilization in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
After the formalities, the ribbon was cut for the opening of a three-part, audio-visual exhibit featuring the works of an array of women artists, including digital photography works of Mrs. Myrtle Palacio, Carolyn Carr, Winsom Winsom, Nashanda Higinio, Mary Sabal, Ingrid Cayetano, and much more.
Some highlights are Sabal’s ethnic and folkloric dolls, Cayetano’s fine needlework, and Higinio’s rich oil paintings.
Belizeans are invited to see the exhibit, which runs through to April 2.
NICH has organized two activities for Women’s Month. Apart from tonight’s exhibit, NICH is also presenting the grand Women in Art Showcase at the Bliss on Friday, March 27, featuring performing artist, Billie Jean Young, the first Black graduate of Judson College in Marion, Alabama, USA, performing Three Women Talking.
Belizean artists featured on the line-up are the Belize Dance Company, Samantha Smith, Tanya Carter, Angela Gegg and Adele Ramos.
Channel Five has brought you numerous live programs over the years that net cash to viewers. And this coming Wednesday just in time for the Christmas, the new entertainment show “Tek It or leave it” will be launched. It’s a game of chance and luck which will have audience participation and thousands of dollars as prize money. Jose Sanchez met the new host today.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
And recent income earners for participants came from KTV and this year’s first Duets. The newest is a game show in which people can win thousands of dollars per show. The host of the new show, Angela Gegg, explains how you can take home some big bucks.
Angela Gegg, Host, Tek it or Leave It
“Alright Jose you wanna know, Tek It or Leave. It is a brand new game show Channel Five is bringing to Belize. Nothing like this has ever been seen before. I know a lot of people say that right. But when I saw the set for Tek It or Leave It I really realized, like wow, this is gonna be something totally different. It’s totally unique to Belize and it’s gonna be very interactive with our audience. And if you guys don’t know yet, we are gonna be giving away five thousand dollars which is a pretty good amount of cash. Tek It or Leave It is kind of a little spin off of a little show called Deal or No Deal whereby you have cases up on a board and you have contestants up on stage. That contestant will actually pick one case. Maybe you have a lucky number, they have pickni, maybe they want five, something along those lines. They’ll end up picking one case, and then we’ll work from there depleting cases off the board. Throughout the depletion process the banker will be calling in and giving me an offer. You see what I mean. And it’s up to the contestant and the audience hypeness to see whether they are going to take the offer or if they are going to leave it and play on for the five thousand dollars in cash. Should in case the five thousand dollars gets wiped off the board, we have different dollar amounts, for example thirty-five hundred, three thousand, two thousand. So even if the five thousand gets wiped off the board they still have a pretty good chance of a good amount of cash.”
The contestants will be selected from the studio audience whose entrance tickets automatically make them eligible for participation.
Angela Gegg
“If you are a contestant and if you are eighteen years or older, that ticket stub basically gives you entrance into the contest. So once you are an audience member you have a chance to be up on stage and take home some cash and I think that’s a pretty good deal. And I want to invite you to all to come on down on Wednesday because maybe you can take home five thousand dollars in cash.”
The free cash sounds good at Christmas time but it is up to you to decide if you want to Tek It or Leave It. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
Tek It or Leave It starts recording this Wednesday night at the Bliss and after editing, the first episode will air Tuesday, December seventh on Channel Five. And you can get tickets now at Channel Five for five dollars but you can get a free ticket if you are an early bird. The first ten tickets on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will be given away, so get here early.
The Other Voices International Project is a cyber-anthology that erases the boundaries of nations, ethnicities, religions, cultures, and age to bring you some of the world’s best poetry. No poetry or art is used in this project unless permission has been granted by the artist or his/her estate.
Participation in Other Voices is by invitation only.
Other Voices is listed in the journal section of the World Poetry Directory of UNESCO.
Angela Gegg -Featured Poet in Volume 34
http://www.othervoicespoetry.org/vol34/index.html
Belizean born Angela Gegg has been featured in over twenty Joint and Solo Art Shows and has exhibited in Belize, Texas, New York, Miami and Trinidad; and Every other year she has a massive solo Art Exhibit and Gala in Belize. She has collaborated on and been affiliated with Art Books, Art Calendars, Spoken Word DVD’s and CD’s; She is the author of “The Light, The Dark & Everything In Between” and She is a regular stage performer of the Spoken Word. Gegg’s work is a visual representation of the ideas, thoughts and imagery that have fascinated her for the entirety of her life. She states: “As an artist, I find it necessary to be inventive, self-expressive, searching, daring, even disturbing, and in doing so, I am hoping to enlighten others and open ways for a better understanding of my art.” She expects her works of Art to create a new feeling, vision, or experience that exists outside of the rules of realism; she considers herself to be an abstract, surrealist painter, but based entirely on objective subject matter. His quasi-abstract paintings explore the relationship between shape, color and life, it is his aim to create a subconsciously inspired composition that explores the natural wonders of the universe. The rest of her collections include, “Her Abstract Linear Layering Collection”, “Art on Art”, “Red and Black”, and the “Series in which she calls Tears”. As a writer and poet, she breaks boundaries and stirs up contraversary. In 2006, after reading and endorsing her first book, the Prime Minister said that her works are “a liberation for women’s movements in Belize”, the press and local literary critics have compared her “audacious poetic style” to that of Maya Angelou, claiming that “unable to put her book down, you will dive into a world full of intelligence, mystique and taboo. The Artist continues to write and produce her Works of Art. In December of 2008, she will be having a Mixed Media Art Exhibit, Audio Visual Installation and launching her second book titled “Artist Confessions”
On Saturday May 3rd, the Belize Red Cross Society hosted their second annual radio thon, which took place in the heart of Belize City, corner North Front and Queen Streets from 9am – 6pm.
Following the Parade, people from the length and breadth of the country visited the booths of the various programs and learned new and interesting facts relating to Disaster Management, First Aid, HIV and AIDS and the history of the organization.
They were also given the opportunity and were encouraged to become members and volunteers of the Belize Red Cross.
The BRC Saint Catherine’s Academy Youth Group raised funds for their group with a bake sale while along with volunteer, Darwin Slusher, they persuasively stopped traffic passing the event and asked for donations.
First Aid Volunteers of Detachment 6 sold Belizean traditional rice and beans; Orange Walk Branch Volunteers turned out in full force and manned a Spanish food stall raising funds for their branch; and for those looking for additions to their wardrobes, Headquarters Staff organized a jumble sale, which proved to be extremely popular!
The day was awash with different types of music, from The Pantempers Steel Band in which our very own Volunteer, and Chairperson of the Federation’s Youth Commission, Mr. Ian Courtenay plays a pan.
Other musical artists, Punta Rock star, “Supa G”, Kenny G also contributed their time to entertain the crowd with selections to suit every ear. MC’s Brian Moziah, William Neal and Angela Gegg entertained with their humor.
Throughout the course of the day, the President, Director General, Norwegian Red Cross partners, Program Staff and Branch Coordinators and Chairpersons had the opportunity to promote Red Cross work on live radio.
This allowed for continuous promotion of programs and activities and showcased the good work being done by the Belize Red Cross throughout the country. LOVE FM covered the entire day and continually encouraged listeners to call in and pledge.
Many people responded to our requests for pledges and in total the Belize Red Cross raised in excess of $24,000 through donations from individuals and Businesses.
Although the Radio Thon is over for another year, anyone is able to donate money to or volunteer with the Belize Red Cross at any time.
One never knows when assistance will be needed. Remember we’re ready, are you? Have your Emergency Plans ready!!
Women in literature
A Published Women Writers Forum
