Page 19 - Artesania Catalogo
P. 19
Manuel García Arévalo
Minister of Industry and Commerce
CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF
HANDCRAFTS
Handcrafted products are manifestations of practical Dominican handcrafts are at a stage of recuperation
use to which popular creativity has added an esthetic conno- due to the opportunities offered by the export markets and
tation, establishing an intimate relation between the utilitari- tourist trade—where there is interest in acquiring hand-
an (useful) and the beautiful. Thus, while they play a starring made articles and accessories for decoration, which reflect
role in domestic and quotidian life, they are also decorative the images and color of the typical, tropical caribbean.
objects which contribute to the spread of popular art and
the reinforcement of the national identity— which conserve In addition to the demand generated by the real estate
patterns in their use and designs—passed from generation market (national as well as in hotels and restaurants), for-
to generation, and implicitly carry a seal of strong tellurian eign residents, in rented houses, show an increasing prefer-
rootage, than go back to prehistoric and colonial epochs. ence for the style of handcrafted objects which accentuate
the originality of the vernacular character.
It is also important to highlight the contribution of the
artisans, as an ideal way of providing productive employ- It is within this favorable environment of appreciation
ment and generate incomes. This way, the artisanal sector and re-launching of the Catálogo de Artesanía Dominicana;
constitutes a significant segment within the micro, small, with the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
and mid-sized businesses (the MIPYMES), made up of men via the Centro Nacional de Artesania (CENDARTE), the
and women, who with their dedication, steadfastness, and Consorcio Nacional de Competitividad Turística/ USAID,
creative capacity, contribute greatly to the country’s socio- and the Fundación ADEMI, along with the Ministry of
economic development. Industry and Commerce and its Artisanal Development
Direction (Direccion de Desarrollo Artesanal), in order to
Therefore, we can identify the handcrafts as a symbio- highlight the enormous potential of our artisan resources,
sis of culture and development, which by its preservation, showing its regional characteristics and the geographic lo-
foment, and adequate commercialization, can convert into cation of its artisans, and thereby contributing to the rescue,
a never-ending fount of cultural manifestations, jobs, and spread and commercialization of the handcraft business
economic resources. and Dominican popular art.
Artesanía Dominicana | Dominican Crafts | 19
