Belize has a fairly rich art scene for such a small country. Several painters and visual artists from Belize have made a name for themselves internationally. Start your research of Belizean art by looking up the work of Gilvano Swasey, Pen Cayetano, Michael Gordon, Benjamin Nicholas, Carolyn Carr, Chris Emmanuel, and Yasser Musa, to name only a couple.

There are many more artists out there, of course. Start in Belize City, at the Museum of Belize, the Belize Centre for Art Education, and the House of Culture, all with space for exhibits, concerts, and exchanges. The Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts hosts performances in music, dance, and drama. The Image Factory Art Foundation (www.imagefactorybelize.com) has a gallery and store on Front Street and hosts many art projects and showings.

The government ministry responsible for the arts is the National Institute for Culture and History (NICH), which encompasses four organizations: The Institute of Creative Arts (based at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts on Southern Foreshore in Belize City); Museum of Belize and Houses of Culture (MOB is on Gaol Lane in front of the Central Bank of Belize; Houses of Culture are in Belize City, Orange Walk, Benque Viejo del Carmen, and San Ignacio Town Hall); the Institute of Archaeology (in the Belmopan NICH Headquarters Building), which manages all archaeological sites in the country; and the Institute for Social & Cultural Research (Belmopan, NICH Headquarters Building). Find out more at www.nichbelize.org.