Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Thursday 7 december 2017

Stichting Monumentenfunds Aruba (SMFA) at Curacao Heritage Conference 2017:

‘Acquiring, Restoring and Maintaining Monumental Buildings with

Local and International Funds’

CURACAO, WILLEMSTAD - HERITAGE PRESERVATION, that were realized with the
Stakeholders, profession- BRANDING AND MARKET- cooperation of local finan-
als and those interested ING HERITAGE, and ADAP- cial institutions and interna-
in conservation of cultural TIVE RE-USE OF BUILT HERI- tional funds. And, how lo-
heritage attended the Ca- TAGE. cal institutions invest in our
ribbean Conference of Na- The director of Monuments- monuments by sponsoring
tional Trust and Preserva- fund Aruba, Anne Witsen- restoration projects.
tion Societies that recently burg, was a speaker on Witsenburg made clear
took place in Curaçao The the third day of the con- that this is not an achieve-
title of this year: ‘Making ference where she gave a ment on its own, it’s the
Heritage Matter’. The con- presentation about financ- result of the continuous ef-
ference was organized in ing restorations and main- fort of the foundation to
connection to the celebra- tenance of monuments. bring awareness about
tion of the twentieth anni- She used Monumentsfund the importance of monu-
versary of Willemstad, city Aruba as an example of a ments as an important part
on the World Heritage List foundation that manages of our heritage. Network-
of Unesco. to meet its goal of acquir- ing and continuous con-
ing, restoring and main- tact with the financial and
Different subject areas taining monumental build- commercial sector is also
were the focus, such as: ings and objects without very important as well as
UNDERWATER HERITAGE & subsidy. Examples where the contact with the heirs
ARCHEOLOGY, FINANCING given from recent projects and owners who add more

value to these monuments monuments to give an ex-
with their stories. “We are ample of how Curacao
very proud of the interest dealt with monumental ar-
and cooperation we re- eas, how they find investors
ceive as a foundation from and the change in the use
the Aruban Community of these buildings. It was a
and the general interest in great opportunity for the
projects regarding Aruba’s team of SMFA to exchange
cultural heritage”, she con- ideas and create new con-
cluded. nections with different Ca-
During the conference ribbean organizations that
there were also social ac- have the same objective of
tivities at different sites and conserving our heritage.q