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Today as they celebrated 15 years, they looked forward while we looked back.....

Jules Vasquez Reporting
This was the Image Factory when we first visited 15 years ago, June first 1995 for their first exhibit in Belize's first contemporary art space Tony O'Farrell and Gilvano Swasey stretching canvasses - and a very young Swasey expressing his devotion to realism:

Gilvano Swasey -Artist - June 01, 1995
"Ms. Perdomo our art teacher at SJC, she teaches us like different techniques right and the one that I am really strong in is like detail, trying to put as much emphasis on the subject as possible. I think that's why I've become a realist or whatever they want to call me."

And while he was laughing then, now he's laughing at himself

Gilvano Swasey -Artist (Ret'd.)
"Cause even I myself was trap in that I mean the name of the show was the young realists, we could only believe what we see while today artists are now creating stuff that they dream of. 15 years we were just painting pretty little pictures, things that people were happy and contented with, even with their cataract they could enjoy it. But today people can close their eyes and still see the art because they understand that art is not just the image but basically an interaction with the artist themselves."

The hope is expressed in this new crop of artists. They are the latest group of art students from SJC and they explore a wide variety of styles and a single expression of commitment:

Damien Perdomo - Instructor
"I believe out of 18 students I can safely say probably about 10 of them are hooked, they are hooked for good. I believe they would be very unhappy if they don't continue expressing themselves in this type of manner."

And indeed they are as lucid as Swasey was in 1995.

Alexander Herredia Artist
"It's expressionism, a sense of freedom like don't make social things bond you to this world. Like do what you want, become anything you want. Express the way you feel, let it out, don't care if anybody ridicules you for it, just let it out."

Briheda Haylock- Artist
"My thing was about identity, be happy about who you are. Who you are as a person and don't let anybody judge you and bring you down. Just be happy with who you are because if you try to be someone that you're not, you won't be happy so just be happy with who you are and don't really worry about what other people have to say."

And more than just expression, there is commitment

Briheda Haylock
"I did it because I love it am very passionate about what I do and art is a form of speaking out your mind and informing people of issues so it's really something I am passionate about. So it's not just for a grade."

Jules Vasquez
"You can't see art as a career."

Alexander Herredia
"Well I can see art as a career actually so even though at times you might struggle if you really love it you must keep to it and you must continue your work. To me that is a career, something you love."

Even for grizzled old veterans like Swasey and Michael Gordon, the hope has to inspire and to remind them, that it's time to move on

Gilvano Swasey
"Yasser, myself, Michael Gordon and many of us we realize that our careers are over it's time for us to go home we attend to our kids. With that we can leave the gallery physically in a sense and see that people, the young artist who have taken over, there's hope."

Michael Gordon, Artist
"You see everybody is different, Yasser can splash, Swasey can detail, I can be there to say like I have something to show which brings a difference because then the eyes don't look like the eyes, the nose don't look like nose and the mouth don't look like mouth, but then it have an identification to show things. There is a perfection"

Gilvano Swasey
"So we get to understand the meaning of the art and not just the beauty of it."

The new show is called Pronto and it runs for three weeks.