Outside it is another blazing hot and humid day along the streets in Belize's metropolis Belize City. Tour guides are awaiting the passengers from the cruise ships to be ferried in to the dock in the tourism village, while individual-travellers wait for their boat to take them over to Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye next door at the Marine Terminal. Car horns are blaring at the policeman who desperately tries to maintain some semblance of control of the traffic at the old swing bridge with his whistle. In the middle of all this daily turmoil, at 91 North Front Street, is the building that houses the Image Factory Art Foundation. Stepping inside takes you into another world.

The Image Factory was formed as a non-governmental organization in 1995. Since its inception the factory has held over thirty exhibitions dealing with art and culture. The art store and bookshop are located in the front of the building. Here art from over twenty Belizean artists is on display and for sale. In the back of the building are the art studio and the gallery. The gallery space is utilized for exhibitions, performances and cultural presentations, and public access is free. In the studio space inside the Image Factory artists produce works, a printing press is located in the studio for linocuts, woodcuts and dry point etchings.

The philosophy of the Image Factory is to provide space for a variety of exhibits that will express the dynamism and eclecticism of Belizean cultural life. Emphasis is also placed of exhibiting international shows with the view of engaging a wider discourse about world culture.

The Factory also promotes artists by creating catalogues of their individual works. Currently the Factory is spearheading a reference book about Belizean visual art. The Image Factory Art Foundation surely is worth a visit!