St. Maarten Private Eye

Dear "Time to Regulate" I feel very upset about this whole issue that I feel compelled to write a reply. I completely understand that the government has to stop abuses by businesses using directors licenses to get residency for foreign employees but why smack everyone including the genuine with the same two by four?. You said you had reservations about this new regulation being a deterrent to art and craft establishments.. You're right, it is effectively eliminating all non local artists and art galleries from the Dutch side, except of course those ones like the Slone gallery which sells along with furniture, cheap, reproduction paintings made in China. (Hows that for protecting local art?). I recently had my work published in the 2008 Dutch Caribbean Art diary that had work from artists from Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba and St. Maarten. Sixty artists in all. Only 5 from St. Maarten including myself. In the back of the book was the islands Cultural Guide, a place for Art Museums, Galleries, Foundations etc. Aruba had 8, Bonaire had 3, Curacao had 23, Even Saba had 3, St, Maarten, none, not even a page, blank. One would think St. Maarten cares little for the visual arts. But hey wait, we have a growing number of visual artists here on the island, working steadily and creating international interest. Most of them reside on the Frenchside. Many of the like me teach and do workshops too. Why is that. Its not that they prefer the Frenchside its because the policies of the Dutchside government is downright hostile to foreign artists living there. Sadly I found this when I made the stupid mistake of trying to live and work on the Dutchside. English is my first language so naturally I wished to live on the Dutchside. First I found that as a foreign artist I could not apply for a one person business license, that was allowed only to locals as a "protected profession'???. I could register myself as a company. Which is strange as I was the owner, producer, worker, seller, all in one. Its not like I could hire someone to do my painting for me!. Undeterred I payed a lot of money for it. I then went for my residency papers but hit a brick wall for 4 years. Every time I had all the necessary papers another requirement was demanded. I have been back to my country 3 times trying to find archaic documents that do not exist in my country ie. "Certificate of Spinsterhood", and anther time for a new stamp required. .In the meantime I was ordered to leave St. Maarten while I am being processed, so I went to the Frenchside. I am not allowed to live or work in St.Maarten but I have received demands of thousands of dollars for license fees for a "business" that is not operational as I am not allowed to operate it in st. Maarten.. I will not get my residency papers until they are back paid. Also I now have to prove I earn in excess of 75,000 fls annually and my paintings turn over 500,000 annually. Are you kidding!. Yeah maybe one day but no one becomes a famous artist overnight. I also have to prove I rent an expensive house. As an artist I keep all my living expenses to a bare minimum in order to invest time and money making and promoting my artwork. I support myself fully. I am being treated as a business company, but clearly artists are not companies. This is why I feel non local artists are unwelcome in St. Maarten due to Government policies. Its sad that Government claiming to want to protect local culture on the island has such a big hand in stifling its growth. Still no worries, there are plenty of Caribbean-Style paintings made in China to be bought at those big warehouse galleries as companies they are welcome on the Dutchside.