Finally, Florentino “Jun” Impas’ dream of a hilltop art studio has materialized. Located in Barangay Gaas, Balamban, it faces not the street but the hillside garden Jun nurtured over the past several years.
For Jun, it is a venue “where Cebuanos can create, exhibit and explore art,” and where everyone is “encouraged to pursue their passion in art and to prove that being a painter is an actual career.”
Florentino’s Art Space has, besides Jun’s art studio, an Art Gallery, the Sunset Café and The Paint Bar. Except for the art gallery which is what greets the visitor when he visits the place, the other spaces are all approached through a veranda-like passageway that ensures one will see the grandeur of nature. It’s a scene Jun cherishes and wants to share with his visitor. No wonder he has a lookout point with a “frame” for photo opportunities for his guests.
The Art Gallery, with its white-painted walls, dividers and countertops serve as a perfect place to hang paintings and to showcase sculpture pieces.
The Paint Bar is where one can buy drawing kits, painting materials, paintings. It is where one can relax, enjoy the view, visible from its wall-less side... and perhaps it can also make you want to try and do a painting yourself. It is where Jun hopes to build a community of artists, where beginners can learn; where professional artists can enhance their skills.
This is also the space for painting workshops and yes, it can also be made as a venue of events. Eventually, it will be a place for painting courses and residency programs. The Sunset Café, located below Jun’s studio, offers light snacks and meals.
Jun’s two-room art studio is on the upper level of Florentino’s Art Space. One side overlooks the art gallery below. On its walls hang his paintings, some recent and some he has chosen to keep over the years.
Wide doorways open to the vista Jun had fallen in love with in this particular place in the island of Cebu: His hillside garden, mini-playground and winding walkways, his orchard. And beyond? The grandeur of nature in rolling mountains and hills, the ever-changing cloud formations playing hide and seek with the sun at day, and at night, the dreamy feel of cool, starry and moonlit skies.
Truly, Florentino’s Art Space is an artist’s haven. And Jun Impas’ heaven on earth.