November 14, 2004: Headlines: COS - Guatemala: Tourism: Art: Folk Art: Times Herald: After graduating from UCLA, Gordon Frost joined the Peace Corps and spent 1967-69 in the Latin American country of Guatemala. While there, the economics major began gathering a good-sized collection of native arts for his own enjoyment.

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Guatemala: Peace Corps Guatemala: The Peace Corps in Guatemala: November 14, 2004: Headlines: COS - Guatemala: Tourism: Art: Folk Art: Times Herald: After graduating from UCLA, Gordon Frost joined the Peace Corps and spent 1967-69 in the Latin American country of Guatemala. While there, the economics major began gathering a good-sized collection of native arts for his own enjoyment.

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-36-89.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.36.89) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 3:36 am: Edit Post

After graduating from UCLA, Gordon Frost joined the Peace Corps and spent 1967-69 in the Latin American country of Guatemala. While there, the economics major began gathering a good-sized collection of native arts for his own enjoyment.

After graduating from UCLA, Gordon Frost joined the Peace Corps and spent 1967-69 in the Latin American country of Guatemala. While there, the economics major began gathering a good-sized collection of native arts for his own enjoyment.

After graduating from UCLA, Gordon Frost joined the Peace Corps and spent 1967-69 in the Latin American country of Guatemala. While there, the economics major began gathering a good-sized collection of native arts for his own enjoyment.

Native Arts
Artwork from
Around the World

By Mike Lerseth
Times-Herald staff writer

Gordon Frost figures a weakness in one part of his educational upbringing actually paved the way for another, even more rewarding outlet. After graduating from UCLA, frost joined the Peace Corps and spent 1967-69 in the Latin American country of Guatemala. While there, the economics major began gathering a good-sized collection of native arts for his own enjoyment.

Upon returning to the United States, Frost did what anyone would probably do, he showed off his goodies. "When I came back, I showed the collection to some museum curators and they said I had a natural eye," said Frost. "I think it’s because I don’t have a natural eye for economics."

"I’m just doing something I like to do."

Needless to say, 20 years later the field of economics is just a supplement to his primary enterprise, Gordon Frost Folk Art Collection.

"I have one of the largest collections of native textiles and dance masks and just about every other type of paraphernalia you can imagine," said Frost. His works have been displayed across the country, including West Coast visits to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Peninsula Museum of Art in Monterey.

"When I was at UCLA. My other classes were things like ‘Indians of the Americas’ and ‘Geography of Central America.’ I always liked the idea when I was a little kid of Indians and totem poles, I had a real attraction to it. "It’s fun to follow my attraction and see if I could make it my livelihood."

The answer, unequivocably, is yes.

After almost a decade of making personal trips to Guatemala and Peru, Frost decided to expand his excursions and invite a group of friends along to share the knowledge he had acquired over the years.

"In 1977, I took a study group of people who I knew down there. In two weeks the trip was full. We went out into the boonies and fanned out in different directions and they loved it."

Now he takes two or three groups down every year and he’s not yet failed to reach his desired capacity ... "That’s a good number, it’s large enough to be a group with personality, but not too large to handle."

As word of his ability spread, so too did the range of people interested in accompanying him. Recent trips have included citizens of Switzerland, Canada, Australia, and West Germany as well as a wide variety of people from across the United States.

Not so surprisingly, Frost’s desire to seek and explore elsewhere grew as well. After Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Bolivia, he looked across the Pacific Ocean and made Bali, Java, and Indonesia his targets of choice.
temple carving, Bali
"I’ve been taking groups to Bali and Java the four years (12 years now). I’m already fluent in Spanish, but now I need to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesian, the national language of Indonesia."

It’s much easier said than done.

Indonesia, like so many island nations is filled with different languages and dialects – 300 in all.

"(Bahasa Indonesian is based on the Malay language) is essentially a trading language," said Frost. "Arabs would come (from Malaysia) down the coast of Sumatra, (Java, and Bali) and that’s the language they would speak.
"But in Bali, a fellow (may) speak English and three levels of Balinese – high, middle, and low, depending on who they’re talking to or what they’re talking about."

The most collectible item (among many) from Bali is the highly popular barong mask. It’s a very large character, a thing that takes two people to operate it and the head is just one piece," said Frost. "It’s very similar to a Chinese dragon.

"The barong is a good guy, he saves the good guys from evil, a very lovable character. People immediately love the barong dance. He’s sort of a big friendly oaf in the forest."

Frost’s last visit to Bali was in July and it was sandwiched by Easter and August trips to Guatemala.

"Next year will be a similar format, but by 1992 I think I’ll be going back to Peru again and I’m tinkering with the idea of Mexico again, too."

Regardless, Frost handles all the trips exclusively. There is no middleman or assistant. "I don’t want to farm it out, tours can become real canned when farmed out. I go on each trip and if I hear about something interesting, we do it." "I rely on my own judgment. I don’t want to be looked at as a professional tour guide, but just someone who’s knowledgeable about places where tour guides don’t go."

Someone who has an eye for what he loves to do.





When this story was posted in November 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Birth of the Peace Corps The Birth of the Peace Corps
UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes
Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

November 27, 2004: This Week's Top Stories November 27, 2004: This Week's Top Stories
RPCV reaches out after Soccer attack 27 Nov
Tony Hall serves cold rice to embassy guests 27 Nov
Hope calms injured volunteer's family 26 Nov
Journalist Russell Carollo plans book on Peace Corps 25 Nov
Moyers says next 4 years will be golden age for reporters 24 Nov
RPCV is new president of the Hawaii bar association 23 Nov
Mark Gearan confirmed by Senate for CNS Board 23 Nov
Chris Shays fits in the other Republican Party 22 Nov
DC job a possibility for McPherson 22 Nov
Sentence reduced for man who raped PCV in Vanuatu 21 Nov
Frist criticizes provision in Omnibus Spending Bill 21 Nov
Peace Corps to be funded at $320 million 19 Nov
more top stories...

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying
Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.
Your vote makes a difference Your vote makes a difference
Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.
Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers
The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference.

RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls.

Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate.

Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.
Director Gaddi Vasquez:  The PCOL Interview Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview
PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before.

Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.

Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Times Herald

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Guatemala; Tourism; Art; Folk Art

PCOL14852
41

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: