Traditional and contemporary arts and artisans.
Segundo Blas (1917 – 2004) was one of the most respected and well-known traditional woodcarvers to emerge from the Mariana Islands in the 20th century. His skill in crafting canoe models, storyboards and other three-dimensional pieces, especially from ifil hardwood (Intsia bijuga), won him awards and recognition as a master artisan and woodcarver.
Adriano Baza Pangelinan (1940 – 2022) is considered one of Guam’s pioneers in contemporary painters who began his prolific art career in the late 1960s, when he was a student at George Washington High School in Maite. Pangelinan went on to teach art at the University of Guam for 20 years. His remarkable understanding and use of color make his works memorable and unique within the arts community.
Adriano Pangelinan Read Post »
Floren Meno Paulino (1925 – 2022) was a traditional master weaver, specializing in plaiting coconut palm and pandanus leaves into utilitarian and decorative items. She demonstrated her skills at the Gef Pa’go Cultural Village in Inalåhan, Guam for many years.
Mark Dell´Isola (1956 – ) is a local artist whose dramatic and colorful paintings have earned him numerous awards and the distinction of holding worldwide exhibitions of his art in galleries in Washington, DC, Spain, Samoa, Palau, Bali, New Caledonia and Guam. He has been actively producing paintings in the Pacific Islands for many years.
Jose J. Babauta (1952 – 2015) was a painter and art professor at the University of Guam. Babauta, born in Hågat and raised in Piti, typically painted large canvases, though he was known to produce miniatures and pen and ink drawings as well.
Richard “Ric” Castro (1961 – ) , a Chamorro artist born to Juan and Magdalena LG Castro of Yigo, is a Professor of Art at the University of Guam, teaching at the Mangilao campus since the 1990s. Castro, the third youngest of nine children, was raised on his family beach, Jinapsan, in the north of Guam. He is known primarily for his paintings but also does printmaking and stone-carving.
Richard “Ric” Castro Read Post »
Ronald “Ron” J. Castro (1954 – ) is an artist known for his graphic design talents as well as his altruistic endeavors assisting several non-profit and volunteer organizations for civic causes.
Joaquin Flores Lujan (1920-2015), commonly known as “Tun Jack” and “Kin Bitud” to family and friends, is part of a legacy of more than 100 years of CHamoru blacksmiths.
Julie “Jill” Quichocho Benavente (1958 – ) is a traditional and contemporary Chamorro body ornamentation artist. Benavente carves fine jewelry from local materials such as hima (Tridacna or giant clam), Spondylus (thorny oysters), stone, cow bone, wild boar tusks, and more. Benavente has been creating and carving since the 1990s.
Julie “Jill” Quichocho Benavente Read Post »
Multimedia photojournalist Manny Crisostomo (1958 – ) is a native of Guam and is perhaps best known on the island for his stunning photographs documenting the lives and culture of the Chamorro people. His keen eye and extensive photography work for almost 30 years have won him numerous awards and accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize in feature photography, which he was awarded in 1989.
