The closest thing we can get to time traveling is visiting a museum. Historical artifacts, century-old paintings, and even interactive exhibitions allow us to get a feel for what it was like to live before today. Looking at and appreciating some national artists' paintings is like reading someone else's diary—an opportunity to get to know them and learn our history through their works.
But maintaining art pieces, let alone running a whole museum, especially the National Museum of the Philippines—a place that houses some of the Philippines' most important historical artifacts—takes more than simply having buildings and air-conditioned rooms. It requires scholars and experienced people to run the whole show. This is why the MaArte Fair runs its event annually—to raise funds for the Museum Foundation of the Philippines Inc. (MFPI).
With the theme “MaArte in Full Bloom” at The Pen, this year’s fundraising event will be held on August 4, 5, and 6, 2023, at The Peninsula Manila. This year’s event is set to be the biggest MaArte fair since it was first held in 2009. One hundred artists and artisans from across the country will gather to celebrate local talents and creativity, and most importantly, raise funds to support MFPI.
In an interview with the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Max Ventora, Trustee of MFPI, disclosed that 40 percent of MaArte's annual proceeds go to MFPI. The money is used to fund projects or proposals submitted by the National Museum. Some of the notable fruits of this partnership throughout the years include providing international scholarships for the National Museum's employees and maintaining artworks.
“The way it works is, everything we raise this year is used as a budget for the following year. The National Museum would come to us with a proposal for a certain project or program that they like to seek assistance for,” he says. “One of the things they’ve asked support for is to provide a scholarship for a National Museum staff member to take her master in conservatorship at the University of Melbourne. We provided her tuition fee and living allowance in exchange for continuing to serve back and share her knowledge with other staff of the museum.”
For their next project, the two organizations aim to send another scholar to study in London and take a course related to art history. In addition to supporting the National Museum, MaArte and MFPI are also keen on helping community museums and other projects related to preserving Filipino arts, culture, and heritage.
“The 60 percent is for other grants and programs. We have over a thousand museums in the country and not all of them have enough resources. And it is the goal of the Museum Foundation to try and see how we can support and provide assistance to these museums,” Max says. “One of the things we’ve done for that 60 percent is we have given support to the publication of several important books like the one from Habi.”
In addition to supporting artisans from MaArte, MFPI also plans to roll out apprenticeship programs that will transfer the knowledge and skills of heritage artisans, especially our National Living Treasures, to younger generations of artists. These programs will be offered to artists of all ages and skill levels, and they will aim to preserve and promote traditional Filipino arts and crafts.
“Like the weavers that we have. Most of them are now old and we need to transfer that skill. Kasi kung hindi mai-transfer yun, wala na (If we don't transfer those skills, then it's gone),” he says. “We are keen on finding ways to perpetuate the craft.”
All of these projects and programs depend on the success of the MaArte fair. That is why every "MaArte" is encouraged to shop until they drop. Not only will they enjoy shopping for quality artisan products that are proudly Pinoy, but they will also be supporting museums, museum staff, artists, and the whole artisan industry with every purchase they make at the upcoming MaArte Fair.
MaArte Fair 2023 will occupy the 5th and 7th floors of The Peninsula Manila's Rigodon Ballroom, for a total of three floors dedicated to the exhibit. Meanwhile, plantitos and plantitas are in for a treat as the courtyard of The Pen will host a mini exhibition of plants, flowers, and Philippine-made motorcycles.
Some of the exhibitors to watch out for this year include: luxury handmade accessories brand by Aranáz; proudly Filipino specialty clothing company, Filip + Inna; Visayas-based fashion and home décor curator, Disenyo Del Sur; and Shepard Life Goods, a family-run, life goods company dedicated to providing high-quality products that are both natural and sustainable.
To learn more about MaArte, click here.