Thread: Art in Panama?

Oh...I have so many questions.

What is the "art scene" like? Do Panamanians have an appreciation for Art? Do they decorate their homes and businesses with art? If so, what kind of art do you typically see on their walls? Are there any artists' groups in the country where artists get together?

Thanks for any information!

Marci

Welllll - I guess I got my answer

Well I'm sure you'll find some graffiti as that's a universal form of art, whether it's considered legit or not is a different story..

There also seems to be plenty of museums and whatnot related to art. I even heard about one about religious art called "Museo De Arte Religioso" the address is:
A Avenue and 3 Street, San Felipe.

That's what the site I used said anyway, not sure if the address is still up to date so sorry if it's not.. Your local travel agency probably has some up to date brochures with a list of nice attractions, I'm sure some more art related stuff will be mentioned there. So that might be worth a try.

Actually, what I was trying to ask, is if people in panama will BUY art. I am a Portrait Artist and do very well here in the States, but am trying to find out if those that live in Panama have appreciation for Artistic Portraits.

Well, most Panamanians I know would be absolutely thrilled to receive an artistic portrait of themselves as a gift. However, they probably wouldn't want to pay for it themselves.

Hi Photogirl,

I found this notification which might be something you'd be looking for:

Although the opening night is past, this exposition is open until Dec 31.
==============================

Event: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Exposición: CAZADORES DE SOMBRAS
"JUEVES 30 de OCTUBRE 6:00 p.m Conversatorio- Inauguració n."
What: Opening
Host: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
Start Time: Thursday, October 30 at 6:00pm
End Time: Thursday, October 30 at 10:00pm
Where: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. MAC, Ancon
NO COVER CHARGE - Cocktail Reception

The exhibit opens October 30th and closes December 31st, 2008. The donation after the opening night is $2 per person. The Museum of Contemporary Art is a Non-Profit that puts all of their profits into education children in the arts.

I suspect the demand for your art will be based on the market. Since the average professional in Panama makes $30K/year (I read that somewhere), you have to figure out who and where your market will be. I suspect that a Panamanian professional person in Panama, although appreciative of portraiture, would be much less willing to pay what we charge in the USA. For example, you might not be able to charge a $100-$150 sitting fee in Panama to the average college educated professional person (except perhaps in PC). However, if you are known in circles where art and $$ cohabit, that sitting fee might be doable. The path to becoming known in Panama will likely be more difficult....just my thoughts and I could be wrong. My plan is to work my network (my wife/her family are Panamanian) when I get there by doing a lot of free stuff...and work the middle class market (Panamanian and expats) in the area where I will be...I love doing seniors and engagement portraiture. I'm not real interested in working the high end market where art and $$ cohabit because I won't need to (and don't have the desire).