4 for Art
By Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano
The vibrant art scene/community in Cebu is populated by individuals of various persuasions, trends, directions and inclinations in their chosen art.
I have recently noticed that a few artists I know have become extremely individualistic, preferring not to be part of anything whether a group or any artistic activity like exhibits.
Although some artists are now reclusive in their ways, they’re still part of a much larger group we’ll call here as the society of artists.
Art groups are important so artists can freely associate and work together for their common good.
Cebu City hosts five major groups of visual artists.
Proudly the oldest, not only here but also in the country, is the Cebu Art Association (CAA). The group also happens to be the largest in terms of membership.
CAA was founded a long time ago by the lepidopterist Prof. Julian Jumalon in 1937. CAA is a group of traditional and conservative artists.
The decade of the 90s saw the rise of two new groups. These are Kolor Sugbu and Cebu Artists Inc. (CAI).
Kolor Sugbu was organized in 1988 by a group of plein-aire artists who painted local genre. They undertook regular painting sorties in the countryside otherwise known as on- the-spot painting. In 1998 Kolor Sugbu established the Cebu Academy of Arts, a school of instruction for budding artists.
CAI, on the other hand, concentrates on organizing exhibitions. Like Kolor Sugbu, CAI maintains a small membership.
Another group that’s regularly in the exhibition scene is Binhi. It is composed of Christian artists. The next decade steered in the 21st century that saw the rise of young and new artists who asserted their brand of art. Contemporary directions have defined art and vice-versa.
A group that’s starting to create a stir is Tuslob-Buwa Ltd. The group espouses the creation of new traditions by using unconventional media and material.
They do concept or themed shows and collaborative artworks. Their main objective is to change the current status quo of Cebuano art and bring it to a new and exciting level.
These four groups keep the art scene dynamic and moving. These groups are the microcosm of the whole.
Even so, each group has created its own culture, which has resulted to a trademark sub-culture. No matter how divisive the groups can become, the division can’t really be seen and felt because Cebuano artists can easily get along. (Contributed photos)
A warm hello from Canada! I am not sure where this email goes but I am trying to get hold of Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano.
Ritchie, please email me at pconstancia@hotmail.com
Paulina
hi! naa mo art exhibit sa public venue? Pwede matagaan ko sa date og place kay very interested ko motan-aw og mopalit. please email me sa abellanosa_mc@yahoo.com
Salamat!!!