BAGUIO CITY – Some 300 artists, culture bearers, workers and artisans from all over the country and the world are expected to converge at the Tam-awan Village for the celebration of the 12th Tam-Awan International Arts Festival (TIAF) set Oct. 5 to Oct. 9 here.
Spearheaded by Chanum Foundation, the 5-day arts festival is in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and has ‘Hapit Di Aammod: Wisdom in Shapes, Colors, and Words’ as its theme.
Hapit di Aammod means ‘voice of the ancestors’ in Tuwali, an indigenous language spoken in Ifugao.
Chanum Foundation President and renowned Solar Artist Jordan Mang-osan said ‘art is a very powerful tool to preserve visual records of time and experiences and it is a visual aid for people to see the world in different and innovative ways.’
‘Art is a vehicle that can transport ideas and the wisdom of cultures to the current generation,” he added.
For 12 years, the TIAF offered workshops to various schools in the region as well as talks aimed to educate and enlighten artists and the public on laws, customs and beliefs not only in the Philippines but in the international community as well.
The celebration will open on Wednesday, Oct. 5, with workshops on acrylic painting, jewelry-making, sand art and MonoPrint Workshops and a series of seminars led by lawyers Fernan Dizon, Exequiel Valerio and Jeremy Bayaras on Copyright, Resale Rights and Copyright Registration In a bid to empower artists and artisans.
Performances and artist jams are scheduled in the evenings for the duration of the festival while murals will be created with the collaboration of artists from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with community projects, also a part of the festival.
On Thursday, Oct. 6, the day opens with workshops on Coffee painting, Digital and stone art and a Lecture by Jaet Braza on Okir Designs of Southern Philippines.
On Friday, Oct. 7, a ‘tapuey’ making demonstration is scheduled with a virtual talk by Dr. Oliver Rabara on the Philosophy of Art: Making Sense of Shapes. This will be followed by lawyer, Exequiel D. Valerio on Copyrights on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Generated Artworks and Cordillera Rituals by Ike Picpican.
On Saturday, workshops include statue-making followed by a Lecture: Globalization of Creativity in the City of Baguio by Dr. Raymundo Rovillos and a talk by the Philippine Art Educators Association on documentation of cultural practices, Indigenous Knowledge on Dance Movements
On Sunday, Oct. 9, the festival will see the unveiling of Murals and Art Collaborations and closing ceremonies marked with rituals and thanksgiving.
The TIAF embarked on a series of Art Caravans benefitting the Santol Central School in La Union, empowering teachers and students in workshops on Acrylic Paint, Wire Rings, Pastel, Sand Art, Stone Art and Screen Printing.
Tam-awan Village was envisioned to provide a venue for art and cultural activities that would enhance appreciation of culture and history.