Page 68 - NEWSPAPER MEDIA MONITORING DECEMBER 12TH, 2018

A16 LOCAL
Wednesday 12 december 2018
Made in Aruba, Unique Gifts from Local Artisans
ORANJESTAD — They are right at the hotels
and offer unique, locally manufactured artisan
products. Foundation Aruba is organizing an art
market that gives you the opportunity to admire
and/or purchase some genuine products, all
locally produced by local artisans. “This is not
your regular souvenir that you may encounter
in various Caribbean destinations, this is made
in Aruba and only offered here”, says Wendy
Op De Weegh, one of the board members of
the foundation.
Wendy Op De Weegh, Tia Hurkmans and Ga-
briella Gonzalez are the three board members
of Foundation Aruba, all artisans themselves.
Wendy: “I started making my own beads of
glass and that triggered Tia and Gaby to join.
We were friends and we noticed that we need-
ed a platform to present our art. We were oc-
casionally organizing events at home, but we
were looking for more public.” That is how the real piece of Aruba. The best vacation memory
three came to the idea to find more local arti- or genuine gift.
sans and encountered a foundation that was The artisans market is on Mondays at Bucuti &
in a kind of non-active state. They decided to Tara Beach Resort between 4.30 and 6.30 PM,
take over and that is how it all started. “2013 at Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6 and 9
our first organized event happened at Fort Zout- PM at the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino and
man in Oranjestad with Christmas time. It was a at Fridays between 7 and 10 PM at the Renais-
big success and from that time on it really took sance Marketplace in Oranjestad.
off. More and more artisans were engaged and
the government also initiated the national seal Check their Facebook Foundation ArUBA for
for artisan products at that time and provided more information.q
us with a list of artisans that were registered.”
Your Vacation Memory
The aim of the foundation is to engage the ar-
tisans that create smaller pieces, locally pro-
duced and linked to Aruba. The perfect gift or
souvenir. Think of jewelry in different materials,
art with driftwood, soap and skin care, small
paintings and so on. There is the jewelry made
of the tail fin of lion fish by Lionfintastic. Lionfish
are an invasive species from the Pacific and
Indian Ocean, voracious eaters with no known
predators. The handmade soap and skin care
from olive oil and shea butter by CC Bath &
Body is another unique gift as well as the won-
derful jewelry made by recycled materials of
Miljenou Tromp. Gloria Filiciana creates awe-
some artisan jewelry from among others gen-
uine Aruban sea glass and what to think of a
necklace of driftwood, created by Wise Wood.
Turning a discarded material into a unique art
craft is what Cemu offers you. But there is much
more. You really need to check it out for your-
selves as this is your change to bring home a