6.5 min reading time
Editorial Travelisimo
Wed Oct 26 2022
6.5 min reading time
Wed Oct 26 2022
National Artist Day in Guatemala
The Day of the National Artist is celebrated on October 27 of each year to commemorate the work of artists and their contribution to the culture of Guatemala.
It was declared by decree 39-759 in honor of the artists who died in a tragic plane crash on October 27, 1951 on a flight from Flores, Petén. Today, this day is an opportunity to celebrate all forms of artistic expression in Guatemala, such as theater, singing, dancing or painting.
From Guatemala, contemporary musicians such as Ricardo Arjona, Gaby Moreno, Alux Nahual or Jesse Baez, visual artists such as Carlos Mérida, or Efraín Recinos, and writers such as Miguel Ángel Asturias or Carlos Wyld Espina stand out. And the list goes on.
So, as a way to congratulate the artists and promote their art, we interviewed 6 artists from Guatemala, and asked them about their experience with art in this country. Each one of them, from their particular way of expressing their art, and from their unique way of living their artistic path, answered us the following questions
- How would you describe your art?
- What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
- What motivated you to be an artist?
And finally we asked them for advice for all new artists in Guatemala.
Wally Godinez
Wally Godinez is a Guatemalan stand up comedian. He has performed nationally and internationally in countries such as Costa Rica and Honduras. He recently presented and recorded his show "Acto cívico" at the National Theater of Guatemala.
How would you describe your art?
My art is comedy, although I'm not sure if I would describe it as art, it is rather the way I have to express what I feel, and I happen to have the opportunity to have an audience that enjoys listening to it. Plus, it's also a way for me to make people forget for a moment about the things they may be experiencing outside of this space. And that during that show they can laugh at what happens in our daily lives through comedy.
What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
To be an artist in Guatemala is to constantly face adversity. It is to open fields in areas where there was no artistic expression before, and to fight to build a worthy scene for the Guatemalan artist.
What motivated you to become an artist?
*Basically I am motivated by two things, to express what I feel and to fight to dignify the career of the comedian in Guatemala. First of all, I feel very fortunate to have found stand up as a vehicle to express my ideas and to be able to transmit them to people. To make comedy my way of communicating to others the things I need or want to express at that moment. However, parallel to that, much of my work in this journey of years has been to fight to dignify the profession of the comedian. *Opening spaces where you can present your comedy, and be recognized for it with money, not with a drink as some people think.
What advice would you give to new comedians in Guatemala?
The advice I would give to new comedians is to start as soon as possible. If you're 15, start at 15, if you're 18, start at 18, but start.
In comedy there is a process of growth that you can't skip, in which your first steps will be slow but necessary for you to improve your comedy. That's why you have to start right away, there is no way to improve as a comedian but to constantly get on stage, and to last in it.
Fortunately now you have spaces to practice all the time, take advantage of those spaces. And as an extra tip, I recommend to all new comedians that you can go to La Resortera every Tuesday, to try your material on the open mic. To learn you have to fail, and the open mic is the perfect place to do it.
Deryc Papadopolo
Deryc Papadopolo is a body language teacher, vocal coach, musical comedy actor and lyric singer.
How would you describe your art?
The performing arts in my life are a tool to communicate all that I am, yearn and desire for myself and others, it is the union of all the artistic branches that came into my life one by one at some important moment (singing, theater, dance, drawing, costume design and fashion) and that stayed to add tools that allow me to give life to a character or a song.
What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
A very great and special honor, I love my country and I am very happy when my profession is an instrument to highlight all the beautiful and positive things of my Guatemala, there are challenges in terms of spaces and economic remuneration, creating public and taste for artistic performances, however there are production companies that have the goal of creating shows and a decent payment for their artists, also the ministry of culture and sports has created spaces and proposals that are gradually increasing public attendance at cultural events, but the challenge remains.* What motivated you to be an artist in Guatemala? What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala? What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?** What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?** What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?** What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?** What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?*
What motivated you to make art?
The process of creating always impassioned me and I always took it very seriously, to be aware of every detail; the voice, the makeup or the perfect costume in order to bring truth in a character to the stage, that brings an incomparable light to my life and allows me to share that same light with the public and my students in the classroom or at home in private lessons, sharing that light is what leads me to make art.
What advice would you give to new artists in Guatemala?
Give yourself the opportunity to explore within yourself and share that light that is asking to come out, remember that everything is a process, talent is wonderful and necessary, but perseverance is the key for that talent to shine in its maximum splendor, you also have something to say and the world is waiting to hear it.
We never stop learning and that is the most beautiful thing about art and its different branches, each tool you add to your art will help you to make clearer what you have to say, at each stage of your life, the truth that accompanies you at that moment will add layers of honesty to your artistic expression.
Diego Argueta
Diego Argueta is a scenic artist and film actor, with 8 years of experience creating experiences for his audience through the stage.
How would you describe your art?
My art is to be able to create extraordinary things, both physically and mentally, with messages to the viewer.
What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
It means to go against the current, to want to do something different from others, to have the guts to be able to do what you want without fear of what will happen or what others will think.
What motivated you to make art?
I was motivated by many Guatemalan artists, who were my teachers in some artistic fields. I was motivated by the power I had on stage and how that can change the way people think.
What advice would you give to new stage artists in Guatemala?
My advice would be to do it with determination, conviction and without fear. To be perseverant, and never stop following their dreams.* To take art seriously because it is a profession and it is something that fills you up a lot.** - To take art seriously because it is a profession and it is something that fills you up a lot.*
Clara Fernández
Clara Fernandez does not define herself as an artist, but rather pursues the different roles that her essence calls her to discover. Clara is a writer, administrator, mother, consultant, wife, teacher, Guatemalan and above all, passionate about reading and literature.
Clara started writing short stories when she was a teenager, but published her first book until 2013 with the title "Manual de sombras".
How would you describe your art?
I consider that letters, and poetry, are a vehicle through which one can express that which cannot be said on a daily basis. For me writing has been a way to interact with my emotions, and to be able to develop them through literature.
What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
To be an artist in Guatemala is a very particular path, since our inspiration comes from what we see in our context. So the art we create is intimately linked to the environment in which we live, and we cannot create art outside of the causes of inspiration that we see around us.
That is why reading Guatemalan writers is a reflection of the reality of that particular writer, and the more writers from this country we read, the more we complete the prism of perspectives that build the Guatemalan reality.
This is particularly complex when the scene has been monopolized by an admiration for the foreign, versus the national. Because that does not allow us to be in touch with our reality as Guatemalans.
What motivated you to make art?
*I wouldn't know if there was a canonical motivation as such, even though there were specific events that catapulted my decision to publish my writings, writing was always part of my life, whether I made it public or not. It is an instinctive response to reading, my other great passion. *It is almost like a necessity, a way to fill a latent void in my life that can only be faced through writing.
Because that's what writing is, it's the way I've always had to aesthetically represent my emotions. Remember that one thing is to write, and another thing is to publish. And I have written all my life, but it wasn't until the last decade that I was encouraged to publish.
What advice would you give to new artists and writers in Guatemala?
The first thing I would advise is that it is necessary to demystify the romanticization of the "cursed artist", the taboo of the artist with capital letters, as someone misunderstood in society, with divine inspiration and with a life that is always disorderly and chaotic.
Rather, artist is the one who creates art, whatever your definition of art is. So I would encourage young people to be constantly creating.
Because we all have the need to create, to represent through aesthetics my emotions, the problems of my time and the questions of my reality.
Denise Mendizabal
Denise Mendizabal is a musician and guitarist since she was 12 years old, member of 2 bands, Neurotoxico and Phantom! And at the same time she is a psychologist with a specialization in neuropsychology.
How would you describe your art?
My art, music, is quite varied since I like to work with several musical genres. I play in 2 bands, a Thrash Crossover band called Neurotoxico and a Punkabilly Surf band called Phantom! Basically I like to learn about new genres of music and try to incorporate them into what we create as bands.
What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
It is a challenge because I wish I could have more places to present my music, but there are very few venues that give the opportunity for local bands to perform original music. At the same time I am very happy to have the opportunity to be part of a change in which people start to see women playing instruments especially in heavy genres, but mainly to help more women to do it.
What motivated you to make art?
I have always been a fan of artistic expressions and a big influence I had growing up was rock bands which made me want to learn to play an instrument.
What advice would you give to new musicians in Guatemala?
If you feel the curiosity to play an instrument, do it! Practice a lot, look for the music that motivates you the most and don't compare yourself to anyone. Every learning path has mistakes and that's part of it. Don't give up because the feeling during and at the end is the best. We are creative beings so we just have to find our favorite medium to do it.
Danna Nasser
Danna Nasser considers herself a multidisciplinary person who expresses her art through muralism, interior design, and creativity tools through nature.
How would you describe your art?
Our day to day life is becoming more and more urban and our minds need art and nature to find moments of peace and tranquility. My passion and life goal is to create moving details with green spaces within the big cities. I see this concretely through muralism and gardening, which I achieve with a lot of love and time. For me to be an artist is to be a person who can believe and create, either with their hands or with their minds.
What does it mean to be an artist in Guatemala?
To be an artist in Guatemala, I would consider it a privilege because of all the inspiration I find everywhere, from its fertile land to the warm people we are. In the commercial area, Guatemala is a world to be exploited and the artistic area is on the rise, especially for emerging/new artists like me. Guatemala needs to open its eyes to new currents.
What motivated you to make art?
*Nature. "Keep your love for nature, because it is the true way to understand art more and more. Vincent Van Gogh
What advice would you give to new multidisciplinary artists in Guatemala?
That, even if you don't know what you are doing, keep doing it and when you least feel it, the magic is already happening. To be stubborn with their goals. That an artist who wants to grow must have a portfolio, knock on doors and believe in himself. Insecurity does not go with the born personality of an artist.
On this National Artist's Day, Travelisimo takes this opportunity to celebrate all Guatemalan artists, and to express our gratitude for promoting Guatemalan art and sharing it with the world.