FROM THE MARGINS

My wife and I, unbeknownst to many, love the arts. We both hail from San Pablo, the City of Seven Lakes, known for its rich culture and scenic beauty. Many renowned artists hail from San Pablo: Patis Tesoro, fashion designer, lifestyle icon, and social activist; Lito Ballaran, painter and art teacher; Mar Dizon, musician and drum guru; the late Don Ado Escudero, patron of the arts and creative maestro of Villa Escudero. We have a thriving local art scene, with artists showcasing their works at the San Pablo Community Center, The ARTBarn at Casa San Pablo, and other venues.

I enjoy art in its many forms: music, painting, sculpture, cinema, even architecture. So, when I was invited by the Dynamic Art Group (DAG) to be one of their guests of honor in their first art show of 2024, I readily agreed. I was delighted to join renowned painter Tam Austria and my friend, Ed Jimenez, a fellow financial inclusion advocate. We spent an enjoyable evening with artists and art aficionados during the opening reception of the DAG exhibit at ARTablado in Robinson’s Galleria.

ARTablado (a portmanteau of “art” and “entablado”) is Robinsons Land Corporation’s platform to provide artists from all walks of life a chance to showcase their artistic vision and talent. Since 2020, it has hosted exhibitions for hundreds of painters and sculptors.

Dynamic art group

“Cross the Line” features the works of DAG members, an eclectic group of established and up-and-coming visual artists who use different media in innovative and authentic ways. As explained by their founder and President, Esther Garcia, DAG is a fellowship of artists brought together by their passion for the arts and social causes. They have staged exhibitions to promote the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, to raise funds for the benefit of sexually-abused women, to support the education of the children of fallen soldiers, to promote Philippine Eagle Week, and other worthy causes. They are led by no other than renowned master painter and National Artist nominee, Fernando Sena. Dubbed the “Father of Philippine Art Workshops,” Maestro Sena had been a teacher to many of their members, which include: Jun Rocha, Bing Siochi, Al Perez, Harry Torrez, Venancio Cabisada Jr., Vic Bachoco, Dan David Garcia, Ely Tablizo, Emmanuel Salva, Darryl Ajero, Yolanda Batara, Rara Carillo, Rick De Villa, Charlie Carabella, Wendy Rondaris, Chona David, Sally De Ocampo Paja, Marilou Viado, Baby Grace Palma, Charito Biteng and Franz Marcos Flores.

I enjoyed the sights and sounds of their exhibit. “Cross the Line” celebrates individuality, yet pays tribute to the unifying influence of creativity. The group show reflects the artists’ desire to explore new frontiers and cross boundaries, advocating the creative commonality of their divergent styles and persuasions. Their works capture different facets of Filipino culture, showing the beauty and complexity of our world and time. With their subjects ranging from nature, human figures, abstracts, landscapes, and still life, I recall what Ms. Garcia said:

“DAG is not just an art group -- we are a family of artists and friends, giving thanks at all times for the gift of arts.”

Indeed, their art is an ever-changing vista of hope and positivity. I wish them success in their exhibit, which runs from Feb. 16-29 at ARTablado.
Heritage conservation

Art is not just for art’s sake. Artists are documentors of time, visually capturing life in various colors and forms that help us understand our history, culture, and experiences. Our group of microfinance institutions have long opened our doors to local artists and their families interested in starting or growing micro-enterprises like pottery, handicrafts, silk screen printing, and others. We support art and cultural conservation by conducting heritage tours to promote not just eco-tourism and our clients’ creativity in product development. We also promote intangible art forms to ensure that our cultural heritage will be passed on to the next generation. Thus, we sponsor community film festivals and train microfinance clients how to write, act, and produce short films; we hold “balagtasan” contests; we feature indigenous cuisine, folk songs and dances in our food tours; we promote local crafts and support our clients’ participation in community festivals. In our own little way, we hope to preserve Filipino traditions and culture, including performance arts, oral traditions, social practices, rituals, and other forms of artistic expression.

Until now, I recall the smile on my wife’s face as we distributed “Likha ni Inay” gift packs to the artists at the ARTablado exhibit. The beautiful gift boxes contained products produced by our microfinance clients. The artists showed their appreciation, and we made tentative arrangements for an art show and painting demonstration to be held in Tranca, Bay, Laguna.

Bringing art to the community. Now, that is not just art for art’s sake.

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“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” – Vincent Van Gogh

(Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip is a poverty eradication advocate. He is the founder of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually-Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI).)