SM City Baliwag Empowers Local Artists Through Art for Everyone

SM City Baliwag has turned into a vivid canvas this month as the mall officially launched “Art for Everyone”, an art fair that boldly transforms mall space into a platform for Filipino creativity, spotlighting works that are not only meant to be admired but owned.

Running until July 31, Art for Everyone goes beyond the traditional gallery experience by offering a space where art is accessible, artists are celebrated, and the public becomes part of a cultural exchange. The exhibit is not just a visual feast but a creative opportunity, designed to showcase and sell the works of Bulacan’s finest and rising visual artists.

A collaborative effort with the Bulacan State University College of Architecture and Fine Arts Faculty and Alumni, and Ang Bagong Likha Art Group, the exhibit features a diverse collection of paintings, mixed media pieces, and digital art. 

The effort echoes the success of last year’s Art Market, which earned SM Supermalls a Gold Stevie® Award for Innovation in the Use of Events.

“Art for Everyone isn’t just an exhibit—it’s a platform,” said Mall Manager of SM City Baliwag, Rodora Tolentino. “We want our mall to be a place where art can thrive, where artists can turn their passion into opportunity, and where people from all walks of life can enjoy and own a piece of Filipino creativity.”

The exhibit at SM City Baliwag officially opened on July 19, drawing art lovers, collectors, students, and weekend shoppers into a multi-sensory experience. Beyond the brushstrokes and frames lie stories of heritage, modern identity, and the evolving Filipino spirit told by artists who call Bulacan home.

Conversation Pieces to Elevate your Home at Casa de Memoria’s Auction

As the lockdown slowly eases, more hosts are starting to invite intimate group of friends to their homes to catch up and share stories. Rare and ornate auction pieces make great conversation starters and can transform your space, your safe haven during these times.

At Casa de Memoria’s Tercero auction, the rich historic past meets modern times wherein bidders can take their pick from an enchanting variety of Filipino and European auction pieces to elevate their home with an alchemy of vintage and contemporary. The auction is now live online until July 31, Saturday.

“We have put together an extraordinary collection of vintage pieces that combine art, culture and playful inspirations. From paintings and chandeliers to furniture and more, the auction items at Tercero have been carefully chosen ─ and in some cases, transformed ─ to awe and inspire our bidders to elevate their homes into a refuge for art, culture and design,” said Casa de Memoria general manager Camille Lhuillier-Albani.

Here are some of the highlight lots at Casa de Memoria’s auction that can upgrade your space:

Intricate lamps. Antique lamps can bring sophistication to your space while creating a cozy ambiance. Some of the antique lamps at Tercero have been refreshed by Michelle Lao of Solano. These include "Artepiu Este" Gilt Ceramic Lamp with Peony Motif, a late 20th century Italian ceramic lamp, having gilt field painted with peonies (Lot 34, price starts at P25,000) and "Artepiu Este" Gilt Ceramic Lamp with Oriental Male Figure, a late 20th century Italian ceramic lamp, having gilt field painted with Oriental male figure amid plants (Lot 36, P20,000).

Stylish furniture. Breathe life into your space with a pair of Louis XV - Style Fauteuils chairs and the mid-20th century European pop “lips” style chair. The pair of 19th century Portuguese mahogany fauteuils in Louis XV style were upholstered with settees with a toile hunting scene by Monchet Olives (Lot 63, P40,000). On the other hand, the “lips” style chair’s shape is likely inspired by the iconic Salvador Dali's 1938 “Mae West lips sofa” and can transform your space to another level of class. (Lot 61, P15,000) Or, there is the eclectic charm of a pair of early 20th century Spanish barber's armchair seats with soliya seats and backrests by Daniel Acha. (Lot 1, P160,000)

Evocative paintings and prints. Paired with a good lighting, a striking artwork can serve as a room's focal point and can make any space look complete. At the Tercero auction, art enthusiasts check the 20th century abstract lithograph by Filipino-Spanish modernist artist Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo. (Lot 52, P40,000) There are also inspiring artworks like a late 20th century Portuguese acrylic on canvas painting titled "Serie: Soro Mariana" by Jorge Guimarães (Lot 54, P40,000) and the bold aesthetic acrylic painting "Talvez" (Perhaps) by Portuguese contemporary artist Joana Rêgo. (Lot 92, P100,000).

The event is powered by Smart Infinity. Take home an auction piece and you will be supporting a worthwhile cause as Casa de Memoria will donate part of the auction proceeds to a local charitable institution to help those badly affected by the pandemic.

The auction preview will run from July 7 to July 30, 2021. You may set an appointment to view the items in person at hello@casadememoria.com. To explore the auction pieces online, visit bit.ly/CasaDeMemoriaOnline. For more information, visit www.casadememoria.com, call 8253-3994, or e-mail hello@casadememoria.com.

M Gallery Opens 2021 wl Pagdakila sa Sining Mabini: Honoring the Masters ofMabini Art Sale

M Gallery celebrates Chinese New Year 2021 with the retrospective art show and
sale Pagdakila sa Sining Mabini: Honoring the Masters of Mabini on February 9,
Tuesday, 3 PM.

The exhibit sale pays tribute to eight masters of the Mabini Art School: Cesar
Buenaventura, Salvador Cabrera, Jose D Castro, Gabriel Custodio, Miguel Galvez, Paco
Gorospe, Crispin Lopez, and Simon Saulog.

We want to revive appreciation for the Mabini artists," asserted M Gallery owner, Mrs
Jeane Enriquez Monteverde, "so we are unveiling previously hidden masterpieces from
Mabini to show that all art is beautiful, no matter where they come from."

More importantly, Mrs Monteverde added, "Since some of these are 50 even 70 years old,
we are not only selling works by Mabini geniuses, but also prized antiques!"

Reintroducing Mabini Art in the 21st Century

"Now, we're taking the opportunity to reintroduce 31 outstanding works by Mabini artists
to Manila's new art audiences: the new and much younger art collectors and aficionados,"
she revealed.

Headlining the show are two big museum-worthy impressionist pieces by Gabriel
Custodio (1912-1993), "Still Life The Gong" (43"x 51.5", oil on canvas, 1956) and
"Ruin" (33" x 47", oil on canvas, 1954).

Hailing from Tanza, Cavite, the UP School of Fine Arts graduate of 1939 gained global
prominence by having his mural "Fishing Village" displayed at the lobby of the United
Nations Headquarters in New York.

Paco Gorospe (1939-2002), from Binondo, Manila, and known as "The Picasso of the
Philippines", has three modernist works on sale including the colorful piece called
"Musician" (47.5" x 35.25", acrylic on canvas, undated).

On sale, too, are the famous still life paintings by J.D. Castro (1908-1994) from Carmen,
Nueva Ecija, which became famous and much sought-after for their uncanny realism.
There are also portraits from the older brother of National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, Salvador Cabrera (1930-1986), who is known in art circles as "The Quick Draw Artist' for finishing as many as 10 paintingsa day.

There is a 72-year-old seascape done in 1948 by Miguel Galvez (1912-1989) from
Paombong, Bulacan. He is the first Filipino to win in the South East Asia Art Festival.
Also included is a painting of a beautiful maiden by Simeon Saulog (1916-1995), whose
works have made the rounds of the auction circuits, realizing prizes as high as $7,266.

For sale, too, is the historical oeuvre "Katipunan" (43.4" x 35.5", oil on canvas, 1976)
by Crispin V Lopez (1903-1985). The piece won first prize in the Historical category of
the Arts Association of the Philippines painting competition.

The show also features 15 alluring landscapes, one of which is a diptych, by Cesar
Buenaventura (1922-1983) from Manila. The son of painter Teodoro Buenaventura, he
studied under Maestro Fernando Amorsolo. His peasant life and landscape works have
often been compared to those of Vincent van Gogh.

Interestingly, Mrs Monteverde's decision to launch this Mabini show, seen to be the first
of many, firmed up when she realized how Cesar Buenaventuras are raking big money in
the auction circuit.

"What makes these Mabini artists great is their masterful brushstrokes," she explained,
"coupled with depth, balance, and colors that bring out feelings that speak to everyone.
Thus, for Mrs Monteverde, this retrospective is aimed at "pure appreciation of beauty and
to honoring the goodness of the masters for the people's appreciation."
"1 want to magnify only the beauty of visual arts because to let real beauty and truth shine
through!" she concluded.

Pioneering Art Supplies in the Philippines

M Gallery started only 7 years ago, with Madame Imelda R Marcos herself cutting the
ribbon, but its roots are deeply grounded in the owner's very auspicious family history.

The gallery has been mounting group exhibits by both veteran and young artists since
2014.

Mrs Monteverde is the granddaughter of the Philippines' pioneer art supplies store
patriarch Mariano Enriquez, who opened the first and only pre-War art supplies store
along Recto in the 1940s and 1950s.

M Enriquez Art Supply started as the only importer, dealer, distributor, and seller of
quality art materials becoming a household name among students and artists.

"I was a teenager then and I would meet all sorts of artists and students visiting our store
to buy their art supplies," Mrs Monteverde recalled. "We catered to architecture and
engineering, too."

Painting then was more of a hobby than a profession," she explained, "artists would
sometimes give us their paintings in exchange for art supplies-or simply because they're
happy."

This accounted for how the family started to accumulate so many paintings over the
period of 50 years. They supplied leading bookstores with imported but affordable
top-quality art materials like Grumbacher, Talens, Holbein, and Sakura.

We would have the likes of BenCab, Vicente Manansala, HR Ocampo, Ibarra dela Rosa,
Oscar Zalameda, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Lopez, Custodio, and Buenaventura dropping
in to buy paints and supplies," she mused.

"Many of these works were the artists' own gifts to our grandfather. Others were bought
from galleries. Many were procured in bulk from galleries that closed," and, thus, the
Monteverde art collection grew through the years and are now being sold for the first
time.

Getting Inspiration from 1930s Architecture

"The architecture was exquisite!" she delighted. Thus, the inspiration to come up with
a gallery came from the purchase of the beautiful pre-War Rufino ancestral mansion
along Taft Avenue.

Hence, the artworks found a new home. "When I bought the mansion, I knew it would
have to be more than just our office," Mrs Monteverde waxed. She now handles the
family's importing business.

"Traditional Chinese women aren't allowed to inherit and run the family business," she
confessed. "So, I concentrated on something else I knew would make a great livelihood,
too."

"I have always been fond of old thingsfurniture, lamps, and, yes, paintings-and we
used to import shiploads of antique from around the globe," she shared.

"So, we came up with M Gallery or Gallery M, which could mean Masters, Museum, or
even Mabini," she teasingly quipped, "depending on how you want to look at it."

M Gallery is open Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM. For appointments, viewing schedules, and price inquiries, call 8-834-8143 or email mgallery00@gmail.com. Visit mgallery.ph for photographs of their painting collection.

Explore the Different Dimensions of Art at the Most Anticipated Ortigas Art Festival From Bocetos to Multimedia Art Everything is Here

The Philippine art scene has just elevated itself a notch with the third run of the
award-winning Ortigas Art Festival, which has expanded Filipinos’ art consciousness and masterfully brought art within the grasp of more people.
Recognized and awarded in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and International Business Awards 2019 for their continuous and innovative effort in making art more accessible to ordinary people, this year’s art festival, that is again held at Estancia at the Commons, promises guests even more to enjoy this year.

For one, international artists have joined the exhibit, which was especially curated by the highly talented and multi-awarded Renato Habulan, resident curator of Eskinita Gallery. As an added plus, the festival is featuring bocetos through ​Papelismo Boceto for the first time, not only to highlight the artists’ creative process, but also to allow more art enthusiasts the opportunity to own the works of renowned artists at more affordable rates. Over 300 bocetos from over 100 artists will be showcased at the exhibit.

Among the artists whose works are on exhibit are independent artists Arnel Borja, Richard Buxani, Allison David, and Sam Penaso. Joining them are Arnel Agawin, Julio Austria, Jeho Bitancor, Gala Caki, Justo Cascante III, Reynold dela Cruz, Michelle Dawson, Feliciano Gallardo, Processo Gelladuga II, Katrinn Hamann, Sahid Kazi, Leonor RS Lim, Alfonso Medillo, Dengcoy Miel, Rey Padernilla, Made Palguna, Manuel Rubio, Joel Soliven, Art Zamora, and Jose Zulueta. Also on exhibit are works from three galleries, among them, Eskinita Art Gallery, Kaida Contemporary Gallery, and vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery.
“We have always believed that art should be enjoyed by people from all walks of life, and the best way to promote art appreciation is by bringing art exhibits right where people converge, which are malls. Over the past three years that we’ve had the art festival at Estancia, we were surprised to see the great and growing interest in art among Filipinos, both young and old. This is why we have continued with the art festival and added features which we think will be of added interest to more people,” said Arch. Renée Bacani, VP of Ortigas Malls.

Complementing the exhibit are workshops by local and international artists for those who are eager to develop their skills. Seven workshops have been lined up for learners of all skill levels. On Feb 29, there will be a Mixed Media demonstration by international artists Gala Caki, Sahid Kazi, and Katrinn Haman. On March 1, learn Multimedia from Michelle Dawson, Made Palguna, and Rey dela Cruz.

Get inspired by the sheer artistry and talent on show at the exhibit, which runs until March 8. Admission is free. And don’t forget to participate on the comment board by the entrance of the exhibit!

For more information on Estancia’s Ortigas Art Festival, visit their social media pages at https://www.facebook.com/EstanciaPH/ and  www.instagram.com/estanciaph​, and subscribe to their newsletter at​ ​www.ortigasmalls.com​.

Artists Volunteer to Paint Manila North Cemetery Wall for Undas

One of them is Demetrio “Demet” Dela Cruz, an award-winning artist who also grew up in Manila made the initial sketch together with fellow distinguished artist John Paul “Japs” Antido.

Dubbed “Flores Para Los Muertos (Flowers For The Departed),” the project is a collaboration between the Pinto Art Museum, Office of Mayor Isko Moreno, Office of Congressman Yul Servo Nieto, and Davies Paints Philippines, Inc.

“The idea is a bouquet,” Dela Cruz says. “The essence is unity; to produce an arrangement of native Filipino flowers as a non-political offering to Manila and to the departed who rest in the cemetery.”

"We offer flowers to the dead all the time as a way of paying homage to our loved ones,” Dr. Joven Cuanang, the founder of Pinto Art Museum says. “As we are nearing All Saints Day, this is also a celebration to our cherished tradition.”

The event was like a gathering of friends and family on a Sunday, doing what they love together. Another award-winning artist, Jim Orencio, says when Dr. Cuanang told them about the project, they happily volunteered. With him were his children who are also artists, Shannah and Rex, who were assigned their own parts of the mural.

The over 300-strong volunteers managed to paint the whole mural in just 10 hours.
Manila 3rd District Representative John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto, was present at the event. “Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa kanila, (I’m very grateful to them)” he says about the artists. The actor-turned-congressman, shares how he hopes the mural will make art more accessible and contribute to the transformation of Manila.

“Ang sining hindi lamang para sa mayaman, kundi para sa lahat, (Art is not just for the rich. It is for everyone.)” Nieto says.

In 2018, the Manila North Cemetery saw 1.5 million visitors on Undas. This year, visitors to the country’s oldest and largest cemetery will find a 500-meter mural along its eastern wall. “This is really something special for us because of the cemetery’s historic roots and because the event brought together over 300 volunteers who were able to finish this vibrant monument in 10 hours,” Davies Paints Marketing Communications Manager Jo Ann Viriña says.

This isn’t the first time Davies Paints has contributed to beautifying a locale.
In 2016, they collaborated with the Tourism Department in the Cordillera Autonomous Region and with Tam-awan artists who painted 200 houses for the colorful Stonehill, Botiwtiw, and Sadjap (STOBOSA) Hillside Homes Artwork in La Trinidad, Benguet.

They have contributed to beautifying many parts of the country since. Their most recent prior to this was earlier in 2019, when they collaborated with Mandaluyong City government and with artist group Ang Gerilya to paint pillars along Shaw Boulevard with murals depicting the city’s folklore.

Davies Paints hopes it can continue contributing to the beautification of more localities. “We want to transform communities through colors,” Viriña says.

“Portraits by Andres Barrioquinto” goes to National Museum this November

In partnership with the National Museum,“Portraits by Andres Barrioquinto” goes for a special week-long run from November 8-15, 2018 at the Pres. Sergio Osmeña Hall, National Museum of Fine Arts, Padre Burgos Avenue, Manila. Part of the sales will be donated to ACC and its beneficiaries.

After having more than 25 solo exhibitions and several group shows in the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Hongkong, Taiwan, and South Korea, Barrioquinto made a special collection entitled “Portraits by Andres Barrioquinto”, featuring his remarkable take on contemporary portraiture, in the hopes of helping ACC grantees.

The show features a collection of eighteen (18) portraits, representing a cross-section of industry leaders, patrons, creatives, and connoisseurs, among them, Cecile Ang, Grace Ang, Grace Barbers–Baja, Abigail Binay-Campos, Ben Chan, Angelita Almeda-Cruz, Baby Araneta-Forés, Juliana Gomez, Richard Gomez, Lucy Torres-Gomez, Small Laude, Jessica Kienle-Maxwell, Josie Cruz Natori, Sheila Romero, Robbie Santos, Audrey Tan-Zubiri, Bea Zobel, and Kevin Zonnenberg.

With his immense talent, Barrioquinto has received various awards and recognitions such as the MetroBank Foundation’s Aces Award for Continuing Excellence (2009), Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Thirteen Artist’s award in 2003, and a back-to-back recipient of the UST Benavidez Awards in 1999 and 2000. Greater things await this seasoned artist next year, where he is set to hold his first solo show in New York City in March and another solo exhibition in London in September.