HIGH SPIRIT

A Showcase of Women’s Excellence

“High Spirit” the art exhibition commences public exhibition on February 1, 2013 and will go on until March 27, 2013 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.  Exhibiting artists are all alumnae of the College of the Holy Spirit (CHS), which is celebrating the centennial anniversary of its founding.  Leading the lineup of artists are Imelda Cajipe Endaya, recipient of Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Centennial Honors for the Arts and New-York based Lenore RS Lim, recognized as one of “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US”.  They organized artistic contributions from accomplished alumnae in different parts of the world to form this collection as an expression of gratitude to their school whom they credit for the strength of their inner formation.  Endaya’s polymer collage entitled “Kasibulan” on middle-age woman’s blossoming, and Lim’s lithograph series “Simple Abundance” with colorful chine colle are highlights of the exhibition.

Aurora Go Bio Shakespeare, an industrial and graphic designer from Mallorca Spain, participates with “Angel Wings” and “Flight” from a series of abstract floral forms depicting empowered femininity.  Chi Panistante, an accomplished graphic designer who has lived in Dubai for eleven years, presents her circular compositions reflective of the efficient dynamism of everyday life in UAE, illumined by her strong Biblical perspective.

Mimi Tecson, who recently concluded a 3-month art residency in Yokohama Japan, created new sculptural assemblages especially for this show.  She gathered mementoes of popular culture into pieces of bottled vistas that articulate the connection between emotion and memory.  Veteran artist Rhoda Recto unveils her recent watercolor landscapes inspired by the classic letras y figuras.  Emi Masigan Mercado’s canvases are evidences of her strength in fine portraiture.

Celine G. Borromeo, professor and interior designer, shows her landscapes in pastel and chalk, and illustrations “For Now and Lifetimes Ago” and “Circles with Open Ends.” Athena Santos Magcase Lopez, painter and children’s book illustrator from New Jersey, share with us her landmark illustrations for “The Magic Jeepney”, and a mixed media collage about the life of social activist Betty Makoni.

Rona Buenaseda-Chua, art teacher and owner of Rona’s Art Center, exhibits her delicate still life works in pencil and watercolors.  Elaine Ongpin Herbosa, plein-air painter and owner of the gallery L’Arc en Ciel shows her delightful pictures lanscapes and interiors.  Pastel paintings of lush marshes and waters by the late Gracia Gargantiel are part of the collection. There are lithographs by Rosita Tayag Natividad, Chinese paintings by Maria Antonia Gonzalez-Cruz, and digital art by Tiffany Elaine Ty.

“High Spirit” the exhibition represents the spirit of excellence in various modes of articulation:  free/disciplined, spontaneous/designed, playful/eloquent, stimulating/harmonious, ambiguous/lucid, constructive/analytic, meditative/narrative--- qualities that are seemingly contrary, but are not mutually exclusive. The artworks selected altogether inspire its viewers into looking at art as a humanly integrative and creative process.

The exhibition can be viewed at the CCP’s second floor hallway and little theatre lobby until March 27, 2013.

RECOLLECTIONS 1081: CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

'Recollection 1081: Clear and Present Danger' opens on July 14 at CCP

July 8, 2012 10:54am

In commemoration of the 40th year since the declaration of martial law, "Recollection 1081: Clear and Present Danger" will bring together visual artists whose creative output captured the mood and sentiments of that political era.

"Recollection 1081: Clear and Present Danger" aims to capture memories, issues, and concerns from that pivotal period of September 21, 1972 all the way to the fall of the Marcos regime in February 1986.

It aims to capture memories, issues, and concerns from that pivotal period of September 21, 1972 all the way to the fall of the Marcos regime in February 1986. Also included are recent works that continue to resonate with issues prevalent then and now.

Among the featured artists are National Artist BenCab, Jaime de Guzman, Alfredo Liongoren, Pablo Baens Santos, Egay Fernandez, Biboy Delotavo, Al Manrique, Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi, Anna Fer, Nunelucio Alvardo, Manny Garibay, Jose Tence Ruiz, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, Neil Doloricon, and Orlando Castillo.

This exhibit is organized by the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) and Liongoren Gallery in collaboration with the Cultural Center of the Philippines. 

The exhibit runs from July 14 to September 30 at the Bulwagang Juan Luna (Main Gallery) and Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino (3/F Hallway).

Press release and photo from the Cultural Center of the Philippines

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/264612/cbb/recollection-1081-clear-and-present-danger-opens-on-july-14-at-ccp

CCP NAMES 2012 RECEPIENTS OF THE THIRTEEN ARTISTS AWARD

CCP NAMES 2012 RECEPIENTS OF THE THIRTEEN ARTISTS AWARD

June 20, 2012 10:51am

The Cultural Center of the Philippines has selected the winners for the 2012 Thirteen Artists Award (TAA).  The list includes artists engaged in a variety of contemporary visual arts forms such as painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and video installation works.  The 2012 Thirteen Artists awardees include: Joey Cobcobo, Marina Cruz, Kiri Dalena, Riel Hilario, Robert Langenegger, Michael Muñoz, Wawi Navarroza, Jan Leeroy New, Kaloy Olavides, Renan Ortiz, Mark Salvatus, Rodel Tapaya, and Costantino Zicarelli.

This program was first conceived in 1970 initially as a curatorial guide for an exhibition organized by then CCP Museum director Roberto Chabet.  His intent was to identify artists who took the “chance and risk to restructure, restrengthen, and renew art making and art thinking….” It was later adopted as a biennial award by Chabet’s successor, the late Raymundo Albano.  This makes the TAA the oldest award program conferred by the CCP, two years ahead of the National Artist Award which started in 1972.

Since 2009, the TAA has been a triennial award.  It is administered by the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division (VAMD) under the Production and Exhibition Department.  During the two and half month nomination period (between February to mid-April), 56 nominations were received from museum directors, gallerists, independent curators, heads of art and cultural organizations, and former TAA awardees. From these, 79 artists qualified for the selection process.  This year’s panel of jurors included past TAA winners namely Pandy Aviado (1970), Agnes Arellano (1988), Elmer Borlongan (1994) and Ringo Bunoan (2003), and Boots Herrera, VAMD Director, representing the CCP.

Winners will receive a cash grant to defray cost of materials for producing new works for a group exhibition to be held at the Bulwagang Juan Luna (Main Gallery).  The formal recognition of winners will highlight opening ceremony on 18 October 2012.  This year’s exhibition will be curated by Lena Cobangbang and the trophy will be designed by Gary Ross Pastrana, both also former TAA awardees.

Press release from CCP

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/262536/cbb/ccp-names-2012-recipients-of-the-thirteen-artists-award

ART OVER EASY

ART OVER EASY: Exhibit, Sale & Auction of Contemporary Fine Prints

A fund-raising exhibit, sale and auction of fine prints for the benefit of the CCP Arts Education and Audience Development Programs. Prints by members of the Philippine Association of Printmakers (PAP) and other local printmakers will be on sale from April 19 to May 3 at the Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino (3/F Hallway Gallery).

Among the participating artists are National Artist Arturo Luz, Virgillio "Pandy" Aviado, Romulo Olazo, Mario Parial, Fil Delacruz, Raul Isidro, Ambie Abano, Benjie Torrado-Cabrera, Noel El Farol, Andres Barrioquinto, Christina Quisumbing and Joey Cobcobo to name a few.

CCP members and other interested art collectors are invited to the following events:

April 19, 4:00 p.m.

CCP Multi-purpose Hall (MKP, 4th flr)

FREE Lecture on Collecting Prints and Works on Paper

April 19, 6:00 p.m.

Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino (3/F Hallway Gallery)

Exhibit, Sale and Auction Opening

April 19 to May 3

Exhibit and Sale/Auction

TO BE CONTINUED : ROBERTO CHABET

To Be Continued : Roberto Chabet

Roberto Chabet, detail (from the China Collage Series), 1982-1985

Roberto Chabet’s To Be Continuedis a landmark survey exhibition of Chabet’s plywood works that was first presented in the Institute of Contemporary Art, Singapore - La Salle College of the Arts last January 2011. The exhibition returns to Manila as the final installation of Chabet: 50 Years, a year-long series of exhibitions organized by King Kong Art Projects Unlimited to celebrate Chabet’s fifty years of pioneering conceptual work as an artist, teacher and curator.

The exhibition gathers seminal works such as, ‘Russian Paintings’(1984)and ‘Cargo and Decoy’(1989), as well as other works that utilizeplywood boards, a material, which has become not only the surface and support of his paintings and installations, but to a large extent their subject matter and content. He first used plywood in his early kinetic sculptures in the 1970s, but it was in the 80s when he adapted the material to painting. Breaking away from the rigid formalism of Modernism, his seemingly ‘purely’ geometric and abstract plywood constructions are often juxtaposed with particular everyday objects that would appear and re-appear in his other installations and become part of his familiar inventory of anxious objects. Highlighting process and the provisional nature of theseworks, the exhibition illuminates a key aspect of Chabet’s practice, which gives precedence to the fugitive and contingent nature of art.

Also included in the CCP mounting are a selection from Chabet’s‘China Collages’ (1980 – 1990), a series of large collages done over a ten-year period; ‘Bakawan’ (1974), a closed door installation in the CCP Small Gallery; the ‘Apple Painting Lesson’ (1983), an early collaborative work with over forty artists; and ‘Day and Night’ (2011), the artist’s most recent installation. The CCP Little Theater Curtain, which was designed by Chabet, will also be highlighted.

Roberto Chabet was born in 1937 in Manila and held his first solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery in 1961, the same year he graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas with a degree in Architecture. He was the founding Museum Director of CCP where he initiated the Thirteen Artists in 1970, supporting young artists whose works show “recentness and a turning away from the past”. After his brief tenure in the CCP, Chabet led the alternative artist group Shop 6, and taught for over thirty years at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts in Dilimanand at key artist-run spaces in Manila. Since the 70s, Chabet has been curating landmark exhibitions of vanguard works by young and emerging Filipino artists. He is the recipient of the JD Rockefeller III Fund Grant (1967- 1968), the Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1972), the ArawngMaynila Award for the Visual Arts (1972), and the CCP Centennial Award of Honors for the Arts (1998).

Roberto Chabet’s To Be Continued will be on view until March 31, 2012. The exhibition is organized by King Kong Art Projects Unlimited in collaboration with the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

When

01/19/2012 - 6:00pm to 03/31/2012 - 5:00pm

Where

CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines

http://plantingrice.com/content/be-continued-roberto-chabet

TO BE CONTINUED

LANDMARK EXHIBIT OF CHABET’S WORKS ON VIEW AT THE CCP ON JANUARY 19-MARCH 31, 2011

Roberto Chabet’s To Be Continued is a landmark survey exhibition of Chabet’s plywood works that was first presented in the Institute of Contemporary Art, Singapore - La Salle College of the Arts last January 2011. The exhibition returns to Manila as the final installation of Chabet: 50 Years, a year-long series of exhibitions organized by King Kong Art Projects Unlimited to celebrate Chabet’s fifty years of pioneering conceptual work as an artist, teacher and curator.

The exhibition gathers for the first time the seminal trilogy, Russian Paintings (1984), House Paintings (1986) and Cargo and Decoy (1989), as well as other works that utilizeplywood boards, a material, which has become not only the surface and support of his paintings and installations, but to a large extent their subject matter and content. He first used plywood in his early kinetic sculptures in the 1970s, but it was in the 80s when he adapted the material to painting. Breaking away from the rigid formalism of Modernism, his seemingly ‘purely’ geometric and abstract plywood constructions are often juxtaposed with particular everyday objects that would appear and re-appear in his other installations and become part of his familiar inventory of anxious objects. Also included in the CCP mounting are his China Collages (1980 – 1990) and Bakawan (1974), two works that were previously exhibited in the CCP. Highlighting process and the provisional nature of theseworks, the exhibition illuminates a key aspect of Chabet’s practice, which gives precedence to the fugitive and contingent nature of art.

Roberto Chabet was born in 1937 in Manila and held his first solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery in 1961, the same year he graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas with a degree in Architecture. He was the founding Museum Director of CCP where he initiated the Thirteen Artists in 1970, supporting young artists whose works show “recentness and a turning away from the past”. After his brief tenure in the CCP, Chabet led the seminal alternative artist group Shop 6, and taught for over thirty years at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts in Dilimanand at key artist-run spaces in Manila. Since the 70s, Chabet has been curating landmark exhibitions of vanguard works by young and emerging Filipino artists. He is the recipient of the JD Rockefeller III Fund Grant (1967- 1968), the Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1972), the Araw ng Maynila Award for the Visual Arts (1972), and the CCP Centennial Award of Honors for the Arts (1998).

Roberto Chabet’s To Be Continued will open on January 19, 2012, 6pm at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and will be on view until March 31, 2012. To Be Continued is organized by King Kong Art Projects Unlimited in collaboration with CCP and with the support of Manny O’s I Love Wines. For further information, contact CCP at tel. no. (632)832-1125 loc 1505-06, or visit the website www.kingkongartprojects.org.

(Source: culturalcenter.gov.ph)

FATHER OF PHILIPPINE MODERN ART HONORED

Father of Philippine Modern Art Honored

THe Edades Projects with support the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Office of Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino, the Philippine Star and Universal Harvester, Inc presents “Edades: From Freedom to Fruition” an exhibition on the life and works of National Artist VIctorio C. Edades (1895-1985) as painter, architect and educator. Unknown to many, he was an OFW who worked in the salmon canneries of Alaska, as furnace operator and dishwasher in girls' dormitory and amateur boxer so he could support his studies at the University of Washington, Seattle USA for 9 years.He was also an early environmentalist planting native trees wherever he stayed,advocating a simple lifestyle and was a passionate tennis player till he passed away.

The exhibition, to be held at the Main Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Philippines from December 2, 2011 to January 7, 2012 showcases some 40 works (sourced from government and private collections from Manila to Davao and Pangasinan) made by Edades between 1926 to 1981, some of which were never exhibited before.

The exhibition also includes the works of Edades’ former students in UST, now distinguished artists in their own right such as Antonio Austria, Manuel Baldemor, Norma Belleza, Charito Bitanga,Danny Dalena, Angelito Antonio,Jaime de Guzman, National Artists Ang Kiukokand Jerry Elizalde Navarro, Veronica Lim, Ramon Orlina, Leon Pacunayen, and Rhoda Recto.

dades was a graduate of Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Washigton. In 1928 he came home and began to embark on a mission to see Philippine Art move away from its parochial isolation that was 50 years behind, and changed the direction of Philippine painting towards mainstream international culture.

dades served as the head of Department of Architecture in 1930 which he helped organize and later in 1935 introduced the Liberal Arts program which led to a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, its curriculum patterned after the American curricula, which set new standards for art education in the country.

Edades taught at UST for 30 years (from 1930 to 1966) where he encouraged his students to have a thorough knowledge of history at the same time, a keen awareness of the progress of art in other countries that created an environment for modern art to flourish.

Edades: from Freedom to Fruition” is part of a series of events and activities, called the Edades Projects in honor of the country’s Father of Modern Art which was launched last July 29, 2011 in Adition Hills, San Juan, Edades’ one-time residence, dubbed as Edades Tea Party.Edades Projects is a collaboration of Liongoren Gallery, Institute of Studies for Asian Church and Culture and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. For inquiries contact 9124319/4393962/9643496.

CULTURE DOESN’T PAY, COA FINDS IN AUDIT OF CCP

Culture doesn’t pay, COA finds in audit of CCP

By Leila B. Salaverria

Philippine Daily Inquirer

4:11 am | Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

Filipino talents may be sweeping the world stage, but back home their countrymen are not really coming in droves to theater shows, the Commission on Audit (COA) has found.

In its latest audit report on the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the COA said the CCP failed to meet its targeted audience count for 2010, which was a similar finding in previous years.

This affects the CCP’s ability to fulfill its mandate, which includes making Filipinos aware of their cultural heritage and encouraging them to take part in preserving, promoting, enhancing and developing it, according to the COA.

The CCP stages plays, musicals, dance shows like ballet and folkloric performances, film showings, art exhibits, poetry readings, storytelling sessions and the like.

It generates income from operations, contributions from the private sector and from other local and foreign sources. It also receives a subsidy from the national government.

Less than stellar turnout

The COA cited figures from 2007 to 2010 to highlight the less than stellar turnout at CCP events.

In 2010, the expected audience count was 510,252, but the actual turnout was just a little over half that—292,755 people for 757 performances, or an average 387 persons per audience.

In 2009, the expected turnout was 468,820 for 812 performances. But only 248,548 people came. In 2008, the audience count was expected to reach 514,704 for 778 performances, but only 273,633 attended. In 2007, the expected turnout was 514,672 but only 255,496 people turned up for the 742 performances.

27 % paying customers

The COA further found that a little over half of the 292,755 people who attended the theater in 2010 came on complimentary or nonrevenue tickets. Only 27 percent were regular paying customers, while 29 percent were discounted patrons.

From 2007 to 2009, the number of nonrevenue customers also made up half or more than half of the audience. For 2009, 60 percent were nonpaying, while in 2008, 50 percent were nonpaying. In 2007, 55 percent were nonrevenue tickets.

Losses in revenue

Because of this, the CCP was hard-pressed to come up with much needed revenue.

“The high ratio of nonrevenue/complimentary audience and discounted tickets against the regular paying audience indicated losses in revenues of the Center. Coupled with the shortfall in target audience count, the ability of the Center to generate corporate funds for its operations was adversely affected,” the COA said.

Missed income target

It also pointed out the CCP did not generate its target corporate income for the past years, as seen in its statement of income and expenses.

For instance, its projected income for 2010 was P152.59 million, but actual income was P113.834 million. It also incurred deficits from 2005 to 2009, ranging from nine percent to 45 percent of its projected income.

This shows there is a need for the CCP to improve its financial performance so that it could sustain its operation and existence, the COA said.

“For the past years, the center was heavily dependent on national government subsidy to continue as an operating entity. As a corporation, it is incumbent that it generates sufficient income to sustain its operations and attain its mandate,” it said.

It recommended the CCP review its policies for ways to sustain its operations from its corporate revenues.

It also said the CCP should improve its marketing and administrative strategies for programmed performances.

The CCP, it noted, was amenable to the suggestion.

* * * * * * *

The purpose of posting this article is that the Cultural Center of the Philippines needs support by watching many shows. We urge, especially the Filipinos, to patronize the Filipino arts and culture.

Maraming salamat po, pagpalain po tayo ng Poong Maykapal at mabuhay tayong lahat.

EDADES: FROM FREEDOM TO FRUITION

Victorio Edades at CCP

(The Philippine Star) Updated November 28, 2011 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Edades Projects — with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Office of Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino, the Philippine STAR, and Universal Harvester Inc. — presents Edades: From Freedom to Fruition, an exhibit on the life and works of National Artist Victorio Edades as painter, architect and educator, which opens on Dec. 2 at the Bulwagang Juan Luna (CCP Main Gallery) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. The show runs until Jan. 7, 2012.

The show features some 40 works (sourced from government and private collections from Manila to Davao and Pangasinan) made by Edades between 1926 to 1981. It also includes the works of Edades’ former students in UST such as National Artists Ang Kiukok and Jerry Elizalde Navarro; Antonio Austria, Manuel Baldemor, Norma Belleza, Charito Bitanga, Danny Dalena, Angelito Antonio, Jaime de Guzman, Veronica Lim, Ramon Orlina, Leon Pacunayen, and Rhoda Recto.

Edades: From Freedom to Fruition is part of a series of events and activities called Edades Projects in honor of the country Father of Modern Art, which was launched last July 29.

For inquiries, call (632)912-4319, (632)439-3962 or (632)964-3496 or e-mail edadesprojects@gmail.com.

LOVE ME

PAEA’s LOVE ME EXHIBIT AT CCP

The Philippine Art Educators Association (PAEA), through the leadership of Orlando P. Abon of St. Mary’s Academy of Pasay City, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), will open its biennial exhibit entitled Love Me (Learning to Own & Value Environment & Mother Earth) on December 2, 2011, at the CCP Main Theater Lobby, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor hallways at 2pm.

This exhibit aims to instill among children care for the environment. Participants are children ages 6-18 years old from the public and private schools. It showcases art works using different media, ideas and styles expressing their understanding of current issues as well as the values they have imbibed through visual art.

The exhibit will be on view until January 1, 2012. For more information, please call CCP Visual Arts at (632)832-1125 loc. 1504-1505.

SULU: THE LANTERNS OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA

PAMPANGA LANTERNS ADORN CCP FAÇADE

A display of Christmas lanterns entitled Sulu: The Lanterns of San Fernando, Pampanga is on view at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). The exhibit is held in cooperation with the City of San Fernando, Pampanga through its mayor Hon. Oscar Rodriguez. The lanterns, employing the intricate circuitry of the Pampanga Lanterns, will be lit until January 8, 2012.

NATIONAL ARTIST SALVADOR “BADONG” BERNAL PASSES AWAY

National Artist for Theater and Design Salvador “Badong” Bernal passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2011, due to cardiac arrest. He was 66 years old.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a great artist,” says CCP Vice-President and Artistic Director Chris Millado. “Badong redefined scenic design in the Philippines and was a teacher and mentor to our current crop of designers. He was responsible for creating the beautiful sets and costumes that defined the aesthetics of the various ballet, theater and musical productions at the CCP and other venues,” Millado continues. “He will be greatly missed as a theater artist, mentor and friend.”

Considered as the Father of Philippine Theater Design, Salvador Floro Bernal produced a brilliant body of works which have enriched Filipino original works in theater, dance and music. Since 1969, Bernal designed more than 300 productions for drama, musicals, operas and concerts such as those for Musical Theater Philippines and Opera Guild of the Philippines. He had designed period costumes for movies like Oro, Plata, Mata and Gumising Ka, Maruja and for TV commercials and calendars. Bernal was known for using indigenous and locally available materials for stage such as bamboo, abaca fabric, hemp twice raw, rattan chain links, and styrofoams in productions such as Rajah Sulayman, Abaniko, La Traviata, Tomaneg at Aniway and Pagkahaba-haba man ng Prusisyon sa Simbahan din ang Tuloy (Much Ado About Nothing). As an acknowledged guru of contemporary Filipino theater design, Bernal created the CCP Production Design Center and organized PATDAT (Philippine Association of Theatre Designers and Technicians) in 1995. As president of PATDAT, which is also the Philippine Center of OISTAT (Organisation Internationale des Scenographes, Techniciens et Architectes du Theatre), Bernal introduced Philippine theater design to the world.

His last CCP production was the musical version of Banaag at Sikat with Tanghalang Pilipino. Before his death, Bernal was working on the design of King Lear with PETA to be directed by long time friend and collaborator Felix “Nonon” Padilla.

Salvador Bernal was conferred the National Artist Award in 2003.

His body lies in state at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao, Quezon City.

A necrological service will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on October 29, 2011 (Saturday, 9am). His remains shall be laid to rest at the family mausoleum in Eternal Gardens, Dagupan City, Pangasinan on November 2, 2011.

CCP'S FINEST RAISE FUNDS FOR EDUCATION

THE nine flagship performing companies of the Cultural Center of the Philippines perform their best works in a fundraising gala on 3 November 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). In a rare dance and musical revue, dancers, singers, musicians, and actors from the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Philippine Madrigal Singers, Philippine Ballet Theater, UST Symphony Orchestra, National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company perform to raise funds for the Center’s arts education and audience development program.

The CCP Gala launches the Membership Program that seeks to encourage and solicit the support of individuals and corporations to fund programs that will bring the shows of the CCP to public schools and underserved communities. The fund shall also enable teachers to teach arts in the classroom and develop materials on Philippine art and culture. While the CCP receives government funding, it is continually challenged by the rising cost of production and expenses related to the expansion of programs, especially in the area of arts education and audience development.

CCP MEMBERS will have access to an array of EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGES such as discounts, invitations to special events, access to working rehearsals and more. MEMBERS become PARTNERS in making “art matter to the life of every Filipino.”

Join the CCP Membership Program for as low as Php1,000. Call (02)832-1125 local 1800 & 1808 or email marketing@culturalcenter.gov.ph.

CCP’S NEW VP AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

STAGE director and playwright Chris Millado was introduced recently as the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ new Vice President and Artistic Director.

“I am thrilled and excited to be given the opportunity to work with the best artists and arts managers in the country,” Millado said. “I joined the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1986 at a time when the Center was undergoing a profound reorientation.” One of the first projects he handled was to bring CCP artists and resident companies outside Metro Manila in a Cultural Caravan to celebrate People Power. Ballet dancers from the CCP, together with artists and cultural workers performed on flatbed trucks before fisherfolk in Binangonan, Rizal and other areas usually not reached by cultural performances. “My interest has been how to open up the productions of CCP, broaden its audiences to include underserved communities while maintaining the excellence and artistry that it has been known for. I’m also interested in exploring ways in which CCP could achieve a stronger online presence wherein it could provide access to its materials and create compelling digital platforms that can be accessed by the world wide web.”

According to Millado, CCP’s vision is to make art matter to the life of every Filipino. “We program for the broadest audiences, showcase the best artists and products of this generation in music, theater, dance, literature, cinema, visual arts, multimedia. Provide a venue for the creation of new works and provide new contexts for traditional forms. Although we are situated in Manila, we aspire to reach audiences in the whole archipelago by being more aggressive with our outreach programs and tapping new technologies to broaden the reach. I see the Artistic Mission of the CCP focusing on four areas: Artistic Excellence, Filipino Aesthetics, Arts Education and Complex Development.” He likewise outlined the Center’s other artistic projects for the rest of 2011 and beyond.

Millado used to head the CCP’s Performing Arts Department and acted as Officer-in-Charge of the CCP Marketing Department. He oversees the programming of the whole artistic season of the Center and its resident companies, among them, Tanghalang Pilipino, Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theater, Philippine Madrigal Singers, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, the UST Symphony Orchestra, the National Music Competitions for Young Artists and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. He has curated some of the CCP’s festivals as well. An accomplished stage director and playwright, his works have been produced in Manila (Philippine Educational Theater Association, Actors Actors Inc., Tanghalang Pilipino), San Francisco (Teatro ng Tanan, Theater Yugen), Chicago (Pintig Theater Collective), Hawaii (Hawaii Alliance for Philippine Performing Arts, Kumu Kahua Theater, Kennedy Theater UH Manoa, Waipahu Plantation Village), and New York (May-i Theater, Juilliard School). A graduate from the Theater Arts Program at the University of the Philippines, Millado earned his Masters degree in Performance Studies from New York University through a Fulbright Hayes scholarship. He has taught courses in Theater Arts, Performance Studies, and Philippine Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Philippines, Leeward Community College and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He served as Artistic Directorof the PETA Kalinangan ensemble. He spearheaded the organization of Filipino-American theater companies in the US. He also served as Associate Artistic Director of the Tanghalang Pilipino. He has been a recipient of the Rockefeller residency in Bellagio, Italy; a fellow to the Salzburg Global Seminar on the Performing Arts and currently a Fellow of the DeVos Institute for Arts Management at the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts in Washington DC.

ICONS: CCP ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN COMPETITION WINNERS EXHIBIT

Architectural Design Competition Exhibit Opens at CCP

THE Cultural Center of the Philippines unveils an exhibition of architectural designs entitled ICONS: Traditions and Transformation in Philippine Architecture (CCP Architectural Design Competition winners) on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at the Bulwagang Juan Luna (CCP Main Gallery) at 6:00 p.m. The event is in celebration of the CCP’s 42nd anniversary.

Said exhibit is part of the CCP Architectural Design Competition held last March 2011 for the two new iconic structures: The Performing Arts Theater and the Artists’ Center.

Held in two stages, the competition was open to all Filipino architects who were part of duly registered architectural firms in the country. Last April, five finalists were selected from 17 entries that included major architectural firms in the country. These were Lor Calma and Partners, Palafox Associates, Syndicated Architects, Buensalido Architects and Leandro V. Locsin Partners, Architects. The exhibit will showcase each of these finalists’ proposals, including the conceptualization and design process for iconic structures of the arts.

“The finalists were chosen based on their track records, past achievements of the principal architects and the congruence of their design concept for the two buildings with our vision for the CCP Complex,” said Nestor Jardin, Project Director of the CCP Asset Development and Chairman of the CCP Architectural Design Competition.

Last June 3, the Locsin design was finally selected for the two iconic buildings. According to the said group, the design for the two new buildings was conceived to evoke the idea of sculptures within a larger garden and on another level to recall the archipelagic arrangement of an island, a mangrove cluster or Badjao village, and a wave on a promontory rising out of the sea, all possible metaphors for the expression of a national architecture.

The new Artists Center as designed would contrast the CCP Main Theater’s solid singularity. It will feature a series of lighter, transparent pavilions and is envisioned as an arts facility that will serve the mandate of the CCP to train and educate artists, arts and cultural managers, teachers and public.

The new Performing Arts Theater will be more formal but still approachable as bicycle and pedestrian ramps and a grand entrance leading to the main lobby beckons all to step into the public space. It will have an audience capacity of 1,000 to serve the growing need for additional performing arts venue.

The new Artists Center and the new Performing Arts Theater are two of the seven iconic buildings that will form the centerpiece of the CCP Complex Master Development Plan which is aimed at redeveloping the 62-hectare property of the CCP. The seven iconic buildings are CCP Artists’ Center, Performing Arts Theater, Museum of the Philippine Arts, Cultural Resource Center, CCP Film Complex, Contemporary Art Museum of the Philippines, Popular Arts Theater, which will be constructed to provide world-wide facilities and spaces for the artists and the core programs of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The exhibit will be on view until October 9, 2011. Likewise, weekly lecture series will be conducted by architects who joined the competition and are expected to be attended by students in architecture, design and urban planning.

The project team is composed of Nestor Jardin (director, CCP Architectural Design Competition/Curator), Eva Mari Salvador (Exhibit Manager), Luigi Sison (Curator) and Eric Cruz (Exhibit Design).
For more information, please call the CCP Complex Development Office at (02)551-7248.

UMAGA NG MGA MAPAGMAHAL NA ALAALA

Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining
Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas

UMAGA NG MGA MAPAGMAHAL NA ALAALA: Isang parangal para kay
EDITH L. TIEMPO
Pambansang Alagad ng Sining para sa Panitikan
(22 Abril 1919-21 Agosto 2011)

Ika-7 ng Setyembre, 2011
Ika-10 ng umaga
Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Munting Tanghalan ng CCP)

ART VS. CENSORSHIP: THE NAKED TRUTH

Art vs. Censorship: The Naked Truth

The garbage in the metropolis remains uncollected, an ex-president has yet to be indicted, kidnappings and crime have been on the rise, the stockmarket is unstable and the peso continues to weaken. Yet, despite these myriad of problems, Filipinos prefer to discuss to death a rather insignificant topic, the propriety of showing an alleged bold movie! However, as the issue contains various legal implications, we shall now join the bandwagon and give our two centavos worth:
Section 4, Aricle III of the 1987 Constitution states that:

“No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Government for redress of grievances.”

In free expression cases, the Supreme Court has consistently been on the side of the exercise of the right, barring a “clear and present danger” that would warrant State interference and action. But, as asserted in Reyes v. Bagatsing, “the burden to show the existence of grave and imminent danger that would justify adverse action . . . lies on the . . . authorities.”

The basis used in determining the validity of prior restraint or censorship is the “clear and present danger” test. In Pita vs. Court of Appeals, the Court held that:

“There must be objective and convincing, not subjective or conjectural, proof of the existence of such clear and present danger.” “It is essential for the validity of . . . previous restraint or censorship that the . . . authority does not rely solely on his own appraisal of what the public welfare, peace or safety may require. To justify such a limitation, there must be proof of such weight and sufficiency to satisfy the clear and present danger test.”

Read full article here.

TUG OF WAR IN THE CCP BOARD OVER ‘KULO’

Tug of war in the CCP board over ‘Kulo’
By: Fra. Paolo Maria Diosdado Granados Casurao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
6:08 am Monday, August 22nd, 2011

It is unfair that those Cultural Center of the Philippines board members opposed to the exhibit be treated in the same way as those who were for it:

1. Prior to Aug. 5, there was no board consultation regarding the exhibit. CCP board meets only once a month.
2. The exhibit was a fait accompli when the special executive board meeting was convened.
3. The decision to mount the exhibit was primarily in the hands of the artistic director and head of Visual Arts.
4. Even if Raul Sunico was opposed to the exhibit, he was apparently overruled by the chair, Emily Abrera.
5. During the executive board meeting of Aug 5, sensing perhaps that those who opposed the exhibit were in the majority, the chair did not call for a vote.
6. Sunico forced a referendum the following Monday (Aug. 8), which gave him the mandate to close down the exhibit.
7. Abrera should give honorable example and resign from the board.

Read full article here.

ART AND POLYTHEISMS

Art and Polytheisms
Posted by Brando Dimagiba on 08/22/2011 04:02 PM

Never has the cultural value of art been more evident than when it creates controversy. Art, as it should, inspires joy and sadness, fear and anger, trust and disgust, and surprise and anticipation. Not necessarily at the same time nor for the same piece, but the whole gamut of emotions can be derived from what we perceive. Art is what the artist makes of it and we take away what we draw from it. It invokes the human emotion, and this is what makes it powerful. Especially if there are religious overtones and most especially if there are overt religious themes.

In September 1999, New York City's Brooklyn Museum opened a show entitled "Sensation," featuring works by British artists under the age of 40. The show had several pieces that generated immediate controversy and outrage.

One such piece was Damien Hirst's "This Little Piggy Went to Market, This Little Piggy Stayed Home," which featured a pig split in half and preserved in formaldehyde. Another, and was the most controversial, was the "Holy Virgin Mary." It was a painting by Nigerian-born artist Chris Ofili, which depicted the Madonna adorned with elephant dung and pictures of women's genitalia cut out from pornographic magazines.

Protests erupted from religious groups, political activists, and even from the city's Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani. He threatened to cut off city funding, attempted to fire the Museum's Board of Trustees, and announced plans to evict the Museum from its building.

Read full article here.