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Tonggan Guest House, Inarajan Guam

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Judy Flores has been a part of the Guam community for over 50 years. She arrived in 1957 with her parents, who were school teachers, and her brother and two sisters. Her emersion into the Chamorro culture since that time is reflected in her paintings of community events and village scenes. She learned to speak the Chamorro language and married into the culture. She and her husband, Juan, have two grown children and seven grandchildren.
She has illustrated a local Chamorro-English-Japanese children's book, GRANDMA'S LOVE, and two books of Guam legends, NANA'S LEGENDS OF GUAM, Volumes one and two.
Her works are popular gifts for visiting dignitaries, tourists and local residents. President Reagan received her batik painting of Inarajan as an official gift during his visit. Judy uses batik (wax resist dye on cloth) process as a fine art medium.
Her works are seen in many public places on Guam, such as the Guam Hilton Hotel, the PIC Hotel Tower, the Judicial Building, the First Hawaiian Bank and the Santa Cruz branch of the Bank of Guam.

Judy's passion for Guam's history and culture inspired her to pursue a Master's degree in Micronesian Studies, and then a PhD in the Arts of Oceania. Her research specialties include Pacific arts, primarily of Guam and Micronesia. Her on-going project is to revitalize her home village of Inarajan. More about the project, REVITALIZING HISTORIC INALAHAN, is available at www.historicinalahan.com.

Judy's art is available at Framed, etc. Gallery in Hagatna, Guam; tel. 671-477-7873. It is also available on-line at www.batiksbyJudyFlores.com.
For arts and cultural consulting services, write to judyflores@guam.net.

Resume'

Judith (Judy) Selk Flores

Born in Denver, Colorado 1/16/46
Lived on Guam since 1957; Speaks fluent Chamorro

Education:

PhD, University of East Anglia Sainsbury Research Unit,
Norwich, UK - Arts of Oceania - July 1999
M.A. Micronesian Studies, University of Guam - Spring 1996
M.A. Clothing & Textiles, University of Washington, 1970
B.A. Arts Education, College of Guam 1968
A.A. Home Economics, College of Guam 1966

Career History:

1985 - present - President and CEO of J.Flores, Inc., selling her line of fine-art batik paintings, limited edition prints, books, and special commissions; providing art and cultural consulting and other services.

Oct. 2000 - 2007 - Executive Director, Gef Pa'go Chamorro Cultural Village
Jan. - Dec. 1996 - Development Officer, Guam Humanities Council

1986 -1995 - Folk Arts Coordinator, Guam Council on the Arts & Humanities Agency Accomplishments:

2001 - Administered Pa'a Taotao Tano Chamorro Dance group cultural tour to Europe
2000 - Chaired Guam Humanities Council Awards Dinner and annual fundraiser
1996 - Developed program and sponsorships for the Guam Humanities Council "Stories of the Pacific" festival of Books, Film, Performance and Storytellers encompassing presenters from Guam, Hawaii, Northern Marianas, Chuuk, Yap and Palau.

1996 - Governor's appointee to the 1996 Festpac Task Force in charge of planning Guam's representation at the 7th Festival of Pacific Arts in Western Samoa.

1995 - Moderated four sessions of the Guam Humanities Council "National Conversations" project which involved three groups of mostly-Chamorro high school students and one group of Chamorro adults in a discussion of Chamorro/American identity.

1989-1995 Served as Program & Exhibits subcommittee chair for the annual Guam Micronesia Island Fair since its founding in 1989. Planned and coordinated all performances, presentations, exhibits and arts & crafts participation both for on-island groups and for visiting delegations.

1992 & 1988 - Administrator/organizer for Guam's participation in the 6th Festival of Pacific Arts held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands; and the 5th Festival in Townsville,

Australia

, 1988.

1994 - Planned, obtained grants for and coordinated two Micronesian Canoe Conferences, which brought together traditional canoe builders, navigators and officials involved in promoting seafaring traditions from all over

Micronesia

. These two conferences resulted in the creation of the Micronesian Seafaring Society whose members represent the island states of

Micronesia

, including Guam and Northern Marianas.

1991 - Initiated plans for Gef Pa'go Chamorro Cultural Village, including the obtaining of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Administration for Native Americans, the Guam Visitors Bureau and Guam Preservation Trust totaling over $300,000; assisted the people of Inarajan to form a non-profit corporation to run the Village.
Presented, documented and promoted folkways of the indigenous Chamorro people of Guam and Micronesian communities living on Guam in such projects as:

* National Endowment for the Arts Apprenticeship grants in canoe building, tradtional navigation, blacksmithing of Chamorro tools, coconut leaf and pandanus weaving, Chamorro belembaotuyan instrument playing and making, Kantan Chamorrita singing (a call-and-response impromptu verse singing), Chuukese traditional shell jewelry making and weaving and Mortlockese fishtrap making.

* Organized symposia featuring the arts & crafts of Guam and

Micronesia

and a Chamorro courtship and marriage panel which were documented in video and later translated and transcribed into book form.

* Established an archive of video and written documents of the various apprenticeship projects, traditional fairs and symposia for CAHA, with copies deposited at the Micronesian Area Research Center.

1981-1986 - Founded Guahan Art, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young people develop their artistic talents and art marketing skills. Conducted regular field trips for selected students to art demonstration sites on Cocos Island and arranged workshop visits to artist's studios. Conducted an exchange program with high school art teachers which involved them in the above activities with small groups of students while she conducted in-school art workshops. Helped students print and market notecards and calendars. Obtained scholarship for the top student to attend off-island summer art institute. Placed students in art related summer jobs through DYA summer training program.

1982 - Staffed the 17th Guam Legislative Committee on Culture headed by Senator Carmen Kasperbauer. Duties included writing legislation which created the present Guam Council of the Arts & Humanities Agency.

1971-1981 - Art teacher for Inarajan Jr. High and High School.

Community Service:

Guam Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, chair of committee on Cultural Heritage Outreach.

Chairperson of Guam Humanities Council, member since 1999
Chairperson for "Dinana' Minagof" Chamorro Cultural Fair, 1996 - 2000
Task Force member for Islandwide Chamorro Weeks coordination, 1996

Founding member of Guam Visual Arts Guild in 1980. Served as president and secretary during successive years. Organized the annual Kaleidoscope Week-end of Arts Workshops from 1988-1994. Taught batik workshops as a volunteer for the event.
Designed and worked on 1986 Liberation Parade Float for Guam CAHA, which won 1st place.
Member of Guam Visitors Bureau Community Development Committee 1989-1996.
Member of Governor's Task Force for South Pacific Commission Pacific Women's Crafts Exhibition, 1989.

Publications:

2001. "Kantan Chamorrita Revisited in the New Millennium," in Reeves, Helen Lawrence and Don Niles (Eds.), Traditionalism and Modernity in the Music and Dance of Oceania: Essays in Honour of Barbara B. Smith. University of Sydney: Oceania Monograph 52.

Awards:

Distinguished Speaker for Micronesian Studies Seminar Series 1999 & 2000.
Commendation from 24th Guam Legislature for Cultural Contributions, 1996.
Chi Omicron Gamma Induction, 1996.
Magnificent 7 Government of Guam Employee of the year, 1988.
University of Guam Alumni Award, 1983.
Governor's Art Award, 1985.
Teacher of the Year, 1974.

Leave your stress behind and immerse yourself in unparalleled relaxation at the Tonggan Guest House.

Tonggan Guest House

What makes us unique?

An air-conditioned one-bedroom attached cottage tastefully decorated with a tropical seaside theme, situated in quiet, southern Guam. The "real Guam" and Chamorro hospitality can be experienced in our southern villages. We are a 45 minute drive from the Tumon tourist area and a 30 minute drive from the University of Guam. Gef Pa'go Chamorro Cultural Village is just 2.5 miles away and Cocos Island Resort is 7 miles further south. Talofofo Falls and the Jungle Boat Cruise are 15 minutes north.