Customs Agency Creates a Foundation to Safeguard Its Cultural Heritage

With the idea of contributing to the protection and preservation of its cultural heritage of art work produced by Dominican artists and authors, the National Customs Agency (DGA) has created a foundation to oversee the more than 400 works of art from renown artists and general public. The foundation is made up of well-known personalities related to the world of art and culture. The Customs Agency Cultural Heritage Foundation, as the new institution is to be called, aims to preserve and protect the DGA’s private art collection.

The Customs Agency Cultural Heritage Foundation, as the new institution is to be called, aims to preserve and protect the DGA’s private art collection.

The formation of the Foundation was announced at a ceremony held on Tuesday in the DGA auditorium. Pedro Vergés, introduced as the president of the new foundation, stressed the importance of the foundation’s creation and the responsibilities of his job.

Intellectuals dedicated to art and culture were present at the ceremony where two publications were also issued (a third is still being prepared) with reproductions of a representative selection of the DGA’s art collection.

The Foundation’s art objects not only decorate the DGA installations and underscore the solemnity and importance of its activities, they also soothe the spirit, the ideal aspirations of and serve as a visual delight for the employees, officials and others who frequent the building.

The Foundation’s staff is made up of Pedro Luciano Vergés Cimán, the President; Eridania Trinidad Mir Mendoza, Vice President; the architect Víctor Gustavo Bisonó Pichardo, who in his capacity of commissioner will take on the role of treasurer; Rosa María Vicioso Tuero, will work in administration; and art critics Cándido Araújo Gerón, María del Carmen Ossaye Tejera and Virginia Elisa Franco Hernández, will be spokespersons.

Along with the board of directors of the new Foundation, numerous intellectuals and artists participated in the ceremony including the Ministers of Culture and Finance, José Rafael Lantigua and Vicente Bengoa respectively; the directors of the Listín Diario and Diario Libre newspapers, Miguel Franjul and Adriano Miguel Tejada, respectively. Also, opinion makers such as José Israel Cuello and Federico Henríquez Gratereaux were in attendance along with critics León David and Mirianne de Tolentno. The Director of the General Archive of the Nation Roberto Cassá was present.

The artists present included Ramón Oviedo, Cándido Bidó, Juan Medina, Guillo Pérez, Elsa Núñez, Domingo Liz, Rosa María Vicioso, Sousi Pellerano, Dustin Muñoz, Milán Suero and Rosa Elina Arias. As part of the mission and goal of the Foundation, the principal obligation will be to supervise each individual work of existing art in the institution. To do so they will conduct on-sight audits and inventories annually, or as often as the Board of Directors deems necessary, to monitor the art inventory which the DGA put into place in May, 2007.

It is the responsibility of the foundation to denounce and take adequate measures regarding any disappearance, wholly or partially, of the artwork

The Foundation has the authority to require of the Director General of Customs, or another representative of this entity, any information over the status of the of art work including acquisitions or purchases, accidents involving the work and any other related occurrences.

The Foundation can also supervise the technical maintenance of the art collection, seek advise with respect to recommendations in finding the ideal personnel for any of these tasks, denounce and take measures regarding any acts of vandalism or deterioration or negligence of the artwork.

It is the responsibility of the foundation to denounce and take adequate measures regarding any disappearance, wholly or partially, of the artwork – particularly in the case of an illegal sale, transfer or acquisition, sale at an unreasonable price or a donation. The Foundation will denounce this and take adequate measures to impede any obstacle to carrying out its work of supervision and maintenance.

The possibility of denouncing – if its statues permit – to the authorities is being contemplated in cases where there is suspicious that a crime is being committed with regard to the artwork.

The Cultural Heritage Foundation of the DGA is the result of a process begun at the beginning of last year following the request by the registrar in the commercial name before the Department of Distinctive Signs, part of the Office of Industrial Property, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and a request for its incorporation with the General Prosecutor of the Republic through a series of statutes and pertinent relation of its constituent assembly. By Resolution 0016, on March 10, 2008 the Attorney General of the Republic declared the legal incorporation of the Foundation.

To be a member of the Foundation, in addition to the honorable conditions, the person seeking membership must have the training, education or artistic sensibility in the area of painting or in the area of art in general and culture. And they must have public recognition as a protector and lover of art and painting and art in general, and must be aware of and in agreement with the statutes upon which the four member categories have been established: founders, honorary members, members for life and active members.

With respect to the patrimony of the Foundation, it is understood that it will include the furniture and real estate possessed or acquired in the future and that the satisfaction of all expenditures will be made with the incoming resources in the form of contributions from members, bequests and contributions, donations, heritage tax investments that can be made and the income from its specific activities so long as they are permitted under the laws.