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Arts Council’s Celes to transfer to WAO
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Posted on May 01 2006
Still flushed after the successful staging of this year’s well-attended Flame Tree Arts Festival, Arts Council director Cecilia Taitano-Celes is preparing herself for new challenges when she moves to another office—the Women’s Affairs Office.
Taitano-Celes confirmed during Saturday’s Parade of Cultures that, although she is happy with the large turnout in this year’s festival, she is indeed moving to the Women’s Affairs Office.
“I’ve begun to love my post at the Arts Council,” she said, quipping that she had told would-be director Joe Limes if it’s all right for them to switch positions. “If that happens, he [Limes] would be the first man to handle the Women’s Affairs Office,” she laughed.
Taitano-Celes said she would be at the Women’s Affairs Office starting May 8. Celes was appointed head of the Arts Council on Feb. 14 under a temporary contract, replacing Robert Hunter. She used to work as a former legislative bureau journal clerk and police officer.
She said it was clear from the start that her post at the Arts Council was only temporary. The new administration had only asked her to handle the Flame Tree Arts Festival.
She said she couldn’t express enough her gratitude to the people she had worked with to make this year’s biggest arts festival successful.
She said the festival only had a meager $70,000 budget, compared with previous year’s over $300,000. She thanked the Legislature for the $20,000 funding and for the community’s financial support for the festival. The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs provided $20,000 fund for the festival.
“This year has been the largest committee ever,” she said, adding that this was why the festival worked successfully even with a limited budget.
The Flame Tree Festival scored the highest turnout of visitors and spectators Saturday night, with thousands of people enjoying the program that night. The festival’s last night was also well attended despite the slight drizzle in the afternoon and at night.
The festival started last Thursday night at the American Memorial Park.
