IT’S ON, the month-long Kawitan ti Sanglay art exhibit practically kicked off the Chinese New Year celebration this year as host Peter Ng welcomed the Pasakalye artists saying that it could help their effort to reach out to the Baguio folk through arts.

Ng led members of the Fil-Chinese community including William Ang, considered as the godfather of the community, in welcoming the artists mustered by Bookends owner Maricar Docyogen Thursday prior the fellowship with the local media.

The art exhibit has been included in the Lunar New year events to welcome the year of the fire rooster.

Kawitan ti Sanglay, roughly A Chinaman’s Rooster, features the work of Roger Bay-an, Fredi Agunoy, Buddy Cabrera, the Domirez brothers and Willie Teves, whose fire rooster was immediately bought.

It also includes young new artists like limbless Alexander Musni and University of Baguio senior high school student Fancis Alingkayon.

“It’s really inspiring to see Musni that even with his disability he could still paint,” said Docyogen when she introduced the PasaKalye artists during the rites.

Musni started painting only in 2014 but when he got materials from the third Pasakalye last September and were given canvass and art materials, he went on a fenetic phase that saw him finish seven works in less than two months. The seven art works are now on exhibit at the Pop and Mac Cafe at Laperal building fronting the Land Management Bureau office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Cordillera.

“Inspiring. Another portrait of a hero,” said Rotary Club of Baguio Sunrise president Jonathan Myl over Facebook.

Alingkayon is a UB senior high student who is into arts and design who was encouraged to paint only March of last year. The teener has since then produced eight art works, three of which has been sold including a set of four works.

His Kawitan version is the first for this year where he vowed to make three to four work every month for him to improve his skill.

”I really would want to see improvements with every work I make. What I learn from my last work, I apply it to my new one,” he said.

Other featured artists are: Vince Cheo Bay-an, Raymark Contado, Marlou Naoy, Majic Asbucan, Tor Sagud, Carl Taawan, Gladys Anne Laciste and Jo-Anne Bray Siadto.

The opening was followed with the media fellowship that started the celebration of the Chinese new year which will actually take place on Jan. 28 where parades and other activities have been lined up.

“This exhibit is officially part of the Baguio Chinese new year celebration,” said Ng, a member of the organizing committee for the celebration. He added that the parade will take place on Jan. 27 after the gift giving at Lower Quirino Hill.

The fund raiser cum Pasakalye exhibits is a brainchild of Docyogen to help aspiring artists find audience as well as raise funds to help them as well as indigent ailing locals.

Cited as the project of the year by a local weekly, it will be the first of a series of the new year for Docyogen and the artists she has adopted and help find expression for their works.

Pasakalye started as a driveway arts showcase at the UCPB building at Claudio street where artists and artisans display their art works or wares. It was intended to raise funds to support their craft and money earned from it are used to purchase art materials.

It later included “Samaritan” works where funds raised were used to pay for dialysis treatment of indigent sick locals. (PML)