Art appreciation will always be part of my system. I consider it as my soul. (may kaluluwa raw o?!) It gives balance to my daily activities (na kadasalan maingay at magulo!). The energy in every beautiful artwork I see is just priceless. (pero may presyo ha pag bibilihin!)
I know some showbiz personalities who share the same sentiments like Nay Cristy Fermin (na may daan-daang koleksyon at sariling art gallery!), Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez (na maliban sa koleksyon ay gumagawa ng Goma Art!), Mr. Manny Pangilinan (na may mga Fernando Amorsolo at Juan Luna sa hallway ng opisina niya sa Hong Kong!) and many others. (may kulto kami!)
It has been years since I found love in Philippine Art. (kulang nalang jowain ko!)I have attended several exhibits and I would visit galleries every now and then to see the latest pieces. (nakikiusyoso at nakikitambay!) Just recently, my friends and I decided to tour the National Museum of Natural History in Manila. (di ko na nga matandaan kung nakabisita na ko rito o hindi pa!)
People who are interested to visit the museum should register online to get a slot. (di pa pwede dagsain ang loob ng museo!) We got a Sunday schedule, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There was no entrance fee. The management was strict in implementing health protocols like wearing of face mask with face shield and practicing social distancing. Big Bags are not allowed. (pero may package counter naman sa mga may dalang maleta!) No touching of artworks. (siempre naman dahil di kayo close nyan!) Face masks should not be removed even during picture taking. (face shield pwede alisin pero isuot ulit every after pictorial!) No big movements and no sitting on the floor in photos. (kaya bawal ang wacky!)
The Highlight of the museum’s first floor is still Juan Luna’s Spolarium and some masterpieces of Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and Guillermo Tolentino. We were able to tour four floors. (di ko sure kung hanggang saan kasi bawal pa gamitin ang elevator at yun lang kinaya ng powers namin!) Each floor consists of halls featuring amazing artworks of the masters. My personal favorites are the areas assigned to Vicente Manansala and Botong Francisco. I was also delighted to see art pieces of Manuel Baldemor at Angelito Antonio who are not yet National Artists but were given importance and recognition in the museum. (mga love ko yang gawa nila kasi!)
The National Museum is not only for art enthusiasts and collectors. Anyone can visit and make it a fun filled learning experience. (kaya i-experience mo na yan!)
(MR.FU hosts on 91.5 Win Radio, 9pm-12mn, Mondays to Fridays. Twitter/IG/Tiktok: @mrfu_mayganon. FB: mr.fu the star dj. Youtube/FB: WTFu. Patreon: www.patreon.com/wtfu website: www.channelfu.com )