Page 204 - Artesania Catalogo_Neat

Lourdes Camilo de Cuello
ARTISANRY IS PATRIMONY
For the Vice-Ministry of Cultural Patrimony, the edition
of this catalog is an important achievement, a sample of
the creativity and innovation of the artisanal sector of the
Dominican Republic.
This publication re-edits the contents of the publica-
tion “Creator Hands: Dominican Artisanal Variety”, the
country’s first catalog of artisanry, made by the Dominican
Institute of Integral Development (Instituto Dominicano de
Desarrollo Integral - IDDI) in the year 2002, with the sup-
port of UNESCO.
On this occasion, the range of products and number of
artisans cited are broadened; the directory and map of pro-
ducers in the six regions established for the collection of
current data are expanded, taking as a point of reference
the study published by our institution in the year 2008,
sponsored by the Program in Support of Small Dominican
Private Businesses (Programa de Apoyo a las Pequeñas
Empresas Privadas Dominicanas - PROEMPRESA) and
the European Union.
Another obligatory point of reference is the catalog
published in 2006 by the Cultural Center of Spain in Santo
Domingo “Dominican Artisanry, Wealth and Diversity” in
conjunction with the exhibition of the same name held the
same year in its headquarters.
The Ministry of Culture, signatory of the Convention
for the Protection of Immaterial Cultural Patrimony of
2003, takes these postulates as its own, for the conserva-
tion of the traditional knowledge and techniques of mas-
ter artisans so that they be transmitted from one genera-
tion to another.
204 | Artesanía Dominicana | Dominican Crafts
Vice Minister Cultural Patrimonial
of the Ministry of Culture
UNESCO sets forth as follows: “traditional artisanry
is perhaps the most tangible manifestation of immaterial
cultural patrimony”.
This is why preserving, safeguarding, protecting, dis-
seminating, and disseminating and appreciating the cre-
ations and techniques of master artisans is a mission of
the Ministry of Culture. This is why the reorientation and
modernization of the National Center of Artisanry (Centro
Nacional de Artesanía - CENADARTE) has been achieved,
setting its foundation on the axes of identification, innova-
tion and competitiveness, in perfect harmony with the vision
and objectives of the strategic alliances with the Office of
the First Lady, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the
Center for Exportation and Investments of the Dominican
Republic and the Mission of Industrial Services of the
Republic of China-Taiwan.
In a globalized world, local artisans acquire a value of
belonging, unique to each country.
And artisanry is one of the cultural industries which,
like movies, books, audio-visuals, music, theater, fashion,
has high components of creativity and at the same time is
determinant in the economies of the world.
Thus the impact of Culture, creativity and innovation as
an economic force that contributes to human development.
Thus the United Nations states in a report published in the
year 2008 on Creative Economics, in which it calls on the
nations, and in particular those countries with a high cre-
ative potential, to the importance of the creative economy
as a possibility for development.