Angel thoughts
Museo Orlina in Tagaytay City opens “Eskultura II,” an exhibition of three well-known sculptors Sam Penaso, Jinggoy Salcedo, and Angelico “Jik” Villanueva with their works in metal and glass. The museo is a picturesque three-story building clinging to a small clift near our vacation home in the city on the ridge. It’s a delight to visit and browse around in.
Museo Orlina of sculptor Ramon Orlina loves to showcase sculpture as a special art form as Sculptures being three-dimensional could be said to be more powerful than literature or painting as they can be touched and felt.
Sleepwalker by Sam Penaso
Sam Penaso is a multi-talented visual artist whose body of works includes paintings, performances, and sculptures. He conveys his emotions, and experiences through his expressive and animated works.
Ups and downs by Jinggoy Salcedo
Jinggoy Salcedo skillfully combines the fragility of glass with the versatility of metal. Jinggoy’s works evoke calmness and tranquility. His experiences working in his family’s glass business gave him the technical know-how to combine two demanding materials into wonderful works of art.
Ant by Angelo “JK” Villanueva
Angelico “Jik” Villanueva was exposed to the arts at a young age. His body of work revolves around family and faith. His mastery of utilizing many different types of mediums provides him with the opportunity to be more creative while exploring different subjects.
Sculptor Ramon Orlina had long dreamt of showcasing his artistic works in an artist-owned museum. Since its opening in 2013, the Museo Orlina has showcased the works of esteemed masters and emerging artists through art exhibitions and cultural performances. Its inaugural show titled “Subject: Non-Objective” featured works of modern masters. Part of the proceeds of this show was donated to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
In 2014, the museum launched “Promdi” featuring works by Ramon Orlina, Leopoldo Aguilar, and Ben Cruz followed by “Promdi II” which featured Orlina, Henri Cainglet, and Angelo Baldemor.
Aside from showcasing works by local artists, the museum has also featured works by foreign artists specializing in glass art such as the exhibits Blue Shirt and Art from Fire featuring works by South Korean glass artists Dong Hoon Kwak, Young Mi Kim and Japanese artist Hitomi Hashimoto.
One of the museum’s most iconic programs is Tagaytay Art Beat, an art and music festival featuring curated works by contemporary artists and musical performances by the country’s top bands, as well as emerging musicians. Other cultural performances through the years include a piano concert by Madame Ingrid Sta. Maria, duet concert of opera couple Rachelle Gerodias and Byeong-in Park, dance by Ballet Philippines, orchestra performances by the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra and the Philippine Suzuki Youth Orchestra in November and December 2022 and the Manila Music Machine.
In 2020, the museum suffered from two disasters: the Taal Volcano’s eruption and the Covid-19 pandemic. These events prompted the museum to close its doors and migrate its programs to online platforms to reach audiences.
2022 was a promising year for the museum as it emerged from the ashes brought by the twin disasters. Museo Orlina began opening its doors to the public at the beginning of the year with the first all-women group exhibition titled Fluidity in celebration of Women’s Month. Launched on March 15, 2022, this exhibition spearheaded the museum’s program of promoting local artists from Cavite.
In celebration of Earth Day last year, the museum sponsored “Kalikhasan: Art and Nature” featuring bonsai creations and suiseki (natural viewing stones) by the members of the Cavite Bonsai Club, Inc. For Mother’s Day, the museum opened Alay kay Nanay, an exhibition featuring Mother and Child artworks by renowned artists in the museum’s collection.
Its second major group show entitled “Eskultura” featured renowned metal sculptors Nixxio Castrillo, Richard Buxani, and James Dayrit was a huge success that drew positive reactions from the visitors.
Other exhibitions held in 2022 were the Art exchange project with the Kalyehon Café and 15 square gallery and the ”Mindscapes” exhibit featured non-representational art done by National Artists and other renowned visual artists and sculptors.
Last January, the museum had its first Major group show “Artistic Legacies” which brought together some of the biggest names in the art industry featuring works by the late Eduardo Castrillo and children, Mierro Castrillo, and Ovvian Castrillo-Hill, Mr. Raul Lebajo and his two sons Gio Lebajo and Nikulas Lebajo, the father and son team of Mr. Fil Delacruz and Janos Delacruz, Emmanuel Garibay and his children Alee Garibay, Bam Garibay and Nina Garibay and Ramon Orlina and his children Anna Orlina and Michael Orlina.
Museo Orlina is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entrance fee is P150 for adults, P120 for students, PWDs and senior citizens.