–    for his extraordinary work in photography
THE photographic romanticization of Guyana by Mike Charles has been winning national and international accolades for years.  His love affair with the picturesque landscape of Guyana, as well as its multitudinous species of flora and fauna has produced a body of amazing work that has been acclaimed by various bodies, and the awards have been many. During the Guyana Folk Festival awards ceremony at the Brooklyn Borough Hall in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday 2nd September 2010, Mike was presented the 2010 Guyana Cultural Association Award for his extraordinary work in Photography.
In a congratulatory statement, the Guyana Cultural Association,  New York Inc. said:

“We at Guyana Cultural Association are elated with the patriotic contributions of Major (Ret) Mike Charles to Guyana. His series of videos are a manifestation of his love of country. To combine his flying skills and photography, which displays the richness of Guyana’s astonishing beauty, culture and abundant natural resources is a credit to this Guyanese veteran Helicopter Pilot. We were particularly happy that he joined us in New York to celebrate his work. We do hope that Guyana recognizes his decades of dedicated military service as an aviator and bestow upon him an appropriate accolade. We must honour service to our Nation.”

Following is the letter of notification of his selection for the award from the organizers of the event, the Guyana Cultural Association, New York Inc.  The letter was signed by Ronald H. Lammy, Co-Chair of the GCA Guyana Folk Festival Awards Committee

“I am honored to tell you that you have been selected as a recipient of the 2010 Guyana Cultural Association Award for your extraordinary work in photography. Congratulations.

The Guyana Cultural Association Folk Festival Award ceremony is our annual recognition of individuals and organizations. Each year there is a Folk Festival theme and in 2010 it is Diversity in Our Villages, Harmony in Our Culture.  At the September 2, 2010 ceremony, we will present awards that recognize individuals and entities for their work in Guyana and the Diaspora.

We salute the contributions by youth  and, especially, we acknowledge individuals from villages and village communities who enrich Guyanese society.  In concert with our theme, our honorees have excelled across a wide range of disciplines including the arts, community development, medical care, sports, and education.

Awardees are selected by a committee that evaluates each nomination considering attributes in our published criteria incorporating: originality, scope, impact/influence, integration, pioneering spirit, challenges and achievements. The individual finalists represent exemplary models in their accomplishments in Guyana’s cultural mosaic.

Awardees were:
Harold Banarsee — Community Development
Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D. — Medical Care
Buxton Fusion School of Music — Arts
Michael Charles — Arts
Tennicia De Freitas — Arts – Youth
Chelsea Edghill — Sports – Youth
Aliza Fatima — Community Development – Youth
Muriel Glasgow — Community Development
Hampshire Reunion Organization — Community Development
Carl Hazlewood — Arts
Andrew Hillman — Medical Care -Youth
Peter Jailall — Education
Chuck Mohan — Community Development
Fitzpatrick Nedd — Community Development
Joseph “Reds” Perreira — Sports – Lifetime Achievement
Eric Phillips — Community Development
Shaundel A. A. Phillips — Education
Lisa Richmond — Arts – Youth
Gem Rohlehr — Arts – Exemplary Award
Cynthia Rutherford — Arts – Youth
Desmond Saul — Community Development
Roy Singh — Cultural Enabler
Marguerite Thompson-Alleyne — Community Development-Youth
Genevieve Whyte-Nedd — Education & Community Development