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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Villa Artista
By Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano
Lured by the majestic view of the mountains on both sides of Cebu’s transcentral highway, at least two of my artist-friends are heading for the hills. Not that they are escaping from the chaos of the city as they both have professions located within its limits.
They are painters Jojo Sagayno, a fine arts instructor at the University of San Carlos and Jun Impas, a full-time artist renowned for his portraiture.
Weekly we try our very best to make an effort to bring guys like them to the fore, including the latest news in the art scene.
Reviewing exhibitions, featuring artists of all sorts and everything in-between that matter with updates on art developments and the progress of their work. Including those that have already happened for a dash of art history, even those that are in the planning stages.
The most current of the art-related projects that is in the drawing board is the establishment of an artist’s village in Gaas, Balamban. It may yet be a dream at this stage but Impas, the property owner and the members of his group from the Cebu Artists Inc. (CAI) are most enthusiastic to see it materialize.
Impas, the incumbent president of CAI, is relying on the support of his friends and groupmates. So we went to see the place on a fine weekend to visit the site. The proposed artist’s village lies on a property along the transcentral highway, some 32 kilometers from Cebu city.
The place offers an astounding view of Cebu’s mountains, particularly Mt. Manunggal’s peak. When one looks westward across Tañon strait, the Kanlaon mountain range is most visible on a clear day. Gaas, with its gentle sloping terrain, is eternally combed by cold mountain breeze. Thus, landscape painters will not suffer the lack of subjects to paint, for whichever direction a viewfinder is pointed, there lies a picture-perfect scene.
But this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of such a proposal. Decades ago, the husband-and-wife team of Ped and Anna Juan
dealt in art and had an establishment called Art Village. Also, sometime in the year 2000, an artist’s village was proposed in Olango island to provide tourists an alternative activity, aside from bird watching. An art patron allocated part of his property for studio-gallery use. When the news spread, artists sprang from their feet to see the place. I remember we were led by Boy Sagario and Eli Manongas to the site.
George Escalona brought with him a streamer declaring the place an artist’s village and had our pictures taken. But subsequent disagreements with the landowner’s terms and conditions of occupancy drained our energies, thus the would-be green pasture was abandoned.
I have a bias against groupings and organizations for I strongly believe in individualism. Hence, my personal attitude towards art practice is to assert my individuality and identity. It is also my belief that an artist’s village is an unnecessary enterprise, as I see the entirety of Cebu as one big art village already.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 21, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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