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LOCAL Monday 14 January 2019

Native Stories in Aruba Today’s New Column: Island Insight

ORANJESTAD — Passionate people
are a delight to listen to, naturally
depending their topic of passion.
A couple of weeks ago Aruba To-
day met an inspirational man: An-
thony Croes, owner and curator of
Etnia Nativa, a museum or better
a unique cultural experience cen-
ter, where he has established his
home and atelier since 2003. We
are more than happy to announce
Anthony as our new columnist. He
will enrich the newspaper every
Tuesday with his knowledge on the tor’s history and their survival chal-
cultural heritage, flora and fauna lenges. This same interest encour-
of our Happy Island. His column, aged him to pursue anthropologi-
Island Insight, will definitely show cal studies as an academic call.
you Aruba from a different per- For someone with such interest in
spective. Welcome Anthony! cultural expressions it is no surpris-
ing that art soon became his yoga
Aruba Today visited Anthony at his and took more time of his life he
home Etnia Nativa and you can expected. This was after having Aruban art world. Initially, he established a studio
have a look yourself to learn about suffered a serious spinal accident Anthony’s work is indicative of a called Shidaharaca in Oranjestad
this amazing place on Facebook during a rain storm. So it was only more sophisticated re-invigoration in 1998.
Aruba Today under Videos Ask Pi- a matter of time that he seriously of the islands indigenous aspect Anthony is currently the owner and
lar – Etnia Nativa. Now let us intro- considered art also as a full-time which is gaining force in contem- curator of Etnia Nativa Art Gallery
duce Anthony to you. entertainment. This later gave way porary art circles. Anthony explains –Museum.
to be invited by many and vari- that his work is an Aruban as it gets A unique cultural experience cen-
Homage to Heritage ous artists and curators to exhibit a blend of two totally different ter, where he has established his
Anthony Croes was born in Aruba his work. On the other hand, it is continents mind the old and the home and atelier since 2003. For
13 April 1961. He is an Etnia Nativa perhaps understandable for some- conquered with native’s Aruban more information regarding the
based artist at Westpunt, original- one of his generation and interest approaching “. In this way, Antho- artist: Etnia Nativa, Westpunt 37-A,
ly from Companashi. As a kid, he to pursue only one ‘single’ career. ny circumvents the conventional Noord, Aruba. Telephone 00 297-
demonstrated a natural interest dichotomy between the ‘tradition- 592-2702, email etnianativa03@
and respect for his old world heri- Since this, he has come a long way al’ and the ‘avant-garde’. gmail.com, website www.etniana-
tage as well as his natives’ ances- in the notoriously hard to crack tiva.facebook.com. q