Art for Earth

"There is enough for all. The earth is a generous mother; she will provide in plentiful abundance, food for all children, if they will but cultivate her soul in justice and peace." -- Bourke Cockran

EARTH is the only primary and fragile home for everybody. She provides all the things needed by her inhabitants. In return, every inhabitants co-existing with each other has roles to play as they continue with their ways of life -- a beautiful shared relation.

Through the recent years, the beautiful relation has been and is challenged due to our increasing consumptions and irresponsible human developments (or exploitations?). She is now constantly reminding us of the needed human effort in salvaging likewise maintaining our very abode through her language of pain. Prolonged periods of droughts, ravaging flash floods, frequent typhoons, heart shaking tsunamis, raging earthquakes and landslides, intensifying temperature, and other consequences of global warming that should prompt us to act in unison in addressing her call.

There are varied ways to deal with these natural concerns as there is a thousand way to live with Earth.

Perhaps, most accepted if not a universal approach of the civilized time will be dealt in a political arena.

Where well fought discourses of earthly matters occur, arguments and executive decisions are made.

But it should be remembered that when mother earth is at stake, she is NOT politically exclusive. All are stakeholders and all should be involved with this concern.

Like any other else, art practitioners also endeavor to participate on concerns for Earth.

As participation, involved artists make use of one of the strengths of art -- to record, to inform, to provoke and what not.

Involved artists of Davao Region, spearheaded by Kublai Millan, are fully aware of this plight at the same time positions themselves where they can be of help.

As Kublai narrated, "let us utilize art for this is the best thing we know and do in addressing our concerns on earth. Let us remember that we are all rooted with her. Our art and artistry is connected with earth. We grow in her presence."

With the earth concern in mind, artists partaking with this noble advocacy are identified as Artists For Earth. It is a platform where involved artists may demonstrate their individual or collective cause for earth and the rest of humanity.

In cognition of our rootedness with earth, the artists ended up in creating and collating bodies of work in time for the 2013 worldwide commemoration of earth hour coupled with the weeklong celebration of the 76th Araw ng Dabaw. Obviously, the collection is a visual feast in various artistic languages.

Some works speaks on an ephemeral expression; many are in the rhetoric subtlety and others are in factual impressions – but the common thing with these languages is the inspiration that springs from our burning concept and rootedness with our Mother Earth.

Hence, the exhibition is dubbed as "Art For Earth", which opens today and runs until March 31 at the Activity Center of Abreeza Mall in Davao City.

The exhibiting artists are Jeff Bangot, Boboy Buenaventura, Anoy Catague, Jun Cayas, Victor Dumaguing, Stella Estremera, Marion, Kublai Millan, Nonoy Narciso and Rosamond.

Joining the group are UM Fine Arts students Kevin Albofera, Jaylord Aligway, Macro Aquino, Badz Amora, Dream Ando, Qric Batilaran, Jayvee Caballes, Omar Casan, Elben Mark Fernandez, Reagan Deiparine, Sherwin Mara, Kent Medenilla, Jester Oani, Dominick Pilapil, Boylin Poral, Alvien Reyes, Soon Unlang and Eve Sevilla.

Here, the artistic thoughts are shared where everybody can partake for earth's sake. (Jun Cayas)