Majayjay the subject of watercolor exhibit
MAJAYJAY in Laguna is a quaint small town located at the foot of Mount Banahaw, a close-knit community with lots of natural resources. The wholesome beauty of the town was captured in watercolor and coffee paintings by Wilfredo “Yeye” Calderon. Also from Laguna, Mr. Calderon was tasked by Monsignor Mel Barcenas to restore the original Stations of the Cross paintings inside the Church of St. Gregory the Great Parish. During his regular visits to the Church, Mr. Calderon discovered the hidden gems of Majayjay. An exhibit of 30 of his Majayjay works will go on view on Feb. 25 at Latriccia’s Resort Hotel in Majayjay. Part of the proceeds will fund the numerous projects of the parish. For more details about the fund raising art exhibition, visit the Facebook page https://facebook.com/yamanngmajayjay or contact the St. Gregory the Great Parish’s Finance Committee at 0917-621-1672.
First exhibition of 2023 at ArtistSpace
IN CELEBRATION of the Philippine Arts Month, Pugad ni Art Studio (PnAS) takes center stage with a group exhibition entitled “Querencia”. It is on view until Feb. 14 at ArtistSpace located at Ground Level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Ave. corner De La Rosa St., Greenbelt Park, Makati City. “Querencia” means “a place where one draws inspiration or strength from” or “the place where one feels most comfortable and true.” The group exhibition features the works of 22 visual artists, both budding and seasoned, coming from different parts of Luzon, mainly from the Cordillera region, showing 45 works of art. The participating artists are Francis Alingcayon, Angelie Banaag, Manny Cabrera, Salvador Cabrera Jr., Norman Casilin, RM Cerezo, Alfonso Dato, Alfred Dato, Yoner Dato, Erni “ErGo” Gomez, Art Lozano, Summer Lozano, Franco Matucad, Elmo Modelo, Iwag Palattao, Mia Panimdim, Lourice Raphael, Jose Santiago, Dexter Simsim, Joey Simsim, Hazel Sobremonte, and Kyle Vizcara.
Filipinas Heritage Library holds webinar on Pinoy folklore
THE AYALA Foundation, Inc. – Filipinas Heritage Library presents “Mystic Toolkit: Pinoy Folklore and the Tarot” with Louie Jon A. Sánchez, Ph.D. In this webinar and workshop with the UP professor, participants will learn to use Philippine folklore and the tarot to get creative juices flowing and reflect on their life choices. The free webinar will be held on Feb. 11, 10-11a.m., while a two-day Zoom workshop will be on Feb. 11 and 18, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for P1,000 (discounted to P800 for AM Members and AGC employees, and P715 for Seniors and PWDs). Slots are limited. The speaker/facilitator, Mr. Sánchez, is a poet, critic, and translator. An associate professor at the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman, he teaches courses on the teleserye, communication, and television studies. He is also a level-two certified Reiki healer and combines energy healing with Tarot and oracle readings. For inquiries, send an e-mail to asklibrarian@filipinaslibrary.org.ph.
Photo exhibit at Bencab Museum
FOTOMOTOPH is a photography collective that organizes the largest festival of Philippine photography. Through exhibitions and a programming of educational activities, FotomotoPH aims to foster conversations about photography’s role in Philippine culture and demonstrate ways in which the photographic medium as an art form can express complex identities. Now on its second year, FotomotoPH launched “Fotomoto22: Home” with an open call throughout the Philippines and the diaspora. From the festival’s main body of work, 100 images were selected to be presented at the BenCab Museum. “FotoMoto 22: Home” is on view until March 26 at the BenCab Museum in Baguio. The exhibit is the festival’s first time to travel to the northern region, in solidarity with National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera’s participation in the first Fotomoto festival and also as a way to connect with photographers in the region. Participants approached the theme of “Home” in response to the collective experience of having emerged from the past two years with new perspectives on our homes, due to prolonged isolation forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, “Skywatcher II,” an exhibit of photos by BenCab, is on view at the museum’s Sepia Gallery until March 26.
Four exhibits at West Gallery
THERE are four exhibits on view at the West Gallery in Quezon City, running until Feb. 11. They are Paolo Icasas’ “The Jealous Mistress,” Lindslee’s “Long Life,” Art Tavera’s “Shape, Form and Aesthetic Chloroform,” and Teo Esguerra’s “Marikit Na: Portrait of A River”.
ARTablado presents ‘Art Flare’at Robinsons Antipolo
ARTABLADO helps celebrate Arts Monthbypresenting the exhibit “Art Flare” at the Robinsons Antipolo, which features five prolific visual artists: Neptalie “Rico” Aunzo, Pol Mesina, Jr., Nelson Basa, Daniel Dumaguit, and Ramil Tumampos. “Art Flare” will feature 40 works, all of which embody each artist’s love for country. Themes also include maternal love and an appreciation for nature, culture, and religion. “Art Flare” is on view until Feb. 15 at the Upper Ground Floor, North Wing of Robinsons Antipolo.
ArtPh debuts in-person exhibit ‘SIBOL’ at the Shang
Shangri-La Plaza mall partners with ArtPh for its first-ever in-person group art exhibit “SIBOL,” at the East Atrium. It is ongoing until Feb. 15. Curated by ArtPh co-founders art collector Lori Jurvida and TV personality Christine Bersola-Babao, “SIBOL”presents the works of emerging and established artists, including the hyperrealist works of Cagayan-based artist Neill Christian Simon Onza, who went viral for his contemporary take on Juan Luna’s Spoliarium. Also on view are works by Nestor Abayon, Jr., an artist from Occidental Mindoro, and Jarren Dahan, a North Cotabato artist and a Fine Arts student at University of Mindanao, both of whom garnered attention for their paintings of their parents who are farmers. Also joining “SIBOL” are Eloy Muñoz, Sonny III Tolentino, and Ted Peñaflor IV.
MCAD holds environmental online exhibit
THE MUSEUM of Contemporary Arts and Design (MCAD) presents “Gubat,” the fourth biome in Derek Tumala’s online exhibition “Tropical Climate Forensics”. The “Gubat” biome shows the effects of deforestation, mineral extraction, and the failure of the government to enforce sustainable environmental laws on the country’s forests, its inhabitants, and the entire population. MCAD’s “Tropical Climate Forensics” exhibit is part of the World Weather Network — a global coalition of 28 arts agencies around the world in response to the climate crisis. It is supported by the British Council’s Creative Commissions for Climate Action, a global program exploring climate change through art, science, and digital technology. For more information on the project visit, https://www.mcadmanila.org.ph/tropical-climate-forensics/ To visit the app directly, log on tohttps://porensiko.ph/.
UP Arts and Culture Festival honors National Artists
IN CELEBRATION of the National Arts Month, the UP Diliman Arts and Culture Festival 2023 takes place from February to March with the theme, KALOOB: Mula at Tungo sa Bayan, and will pay tribute to the achievements of artists-scholars-creators who created works that shed light on the Filipino condition. The concept of “kaloob,” which can mean “present, contribution, gift, offering, donation, inheritance, memory,” gives importance to the interconnectedness of Filipinos through the spirit of giving and fellowship. The festival has three main dimensions: first is honoring the newly appointed National Artists (Proclamation Number 1390 signed on June 10, 2022), of whom five are artist-scholars belonging to the UP community; second is introducing the new artist-scholars who create and conduct research under the Artist Support Program of the UP Diliman Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts; and lastly, officially recognizing the National Living Treasures or Culture Bearers. For more information about the festival and its components, visit bit.ly/2023UPDACF.