THE Tubô Art Fair, in collaboration with the Cebu Art Book Fair, will showcase a vibrant array of literary and visual artistry from local talents, featuring mentor talks by renowned Visayan artists.
The event was scheduled to run from August 30 to September 1, 2024 at Ayala Center Cebu.
It celebrates Cebu Arts Month under the theme "Ascend," which aims to empower grassroots artists and foster creativity within the community by providing a platform for diverse artistic expressions and discussions.
Tubô director Allen Tan said this is the sixth edition of the annual Tubô Cebu art fair and their first time collaborating with the Cebu Art Book Fair.
“This helps in finding market for younger artists. It is the cultivation of younger audience that love arts. This will be an accessible art fair. It is an art available for wider audience," Tan added.
The art fair will feature a lineup of over 332 regional artists, 29 art organizations, and 12 additional artists from outside the region. There will also be mentoring programs with Visayan artists Manny Garibay, Raymund Fernandez, and Lean Reboja.
In a press conference held in Casino Español Cebu, the Art Book Fair co-founder Mark Deutsch said this is a strong partnership between the two big art fairs that will grace the event in the last days of the Cebu arts month.
Marc Abuan, CABF co-founder, said: “Believing what we are doing now would have a very important effect in envisioning the transformation of our local artists. We believe in the power of arts to transform lives, to transform community.”
Despite the limited space due to renovations at Ayala Center Cebu, the organizers are hopeful that they will be able to establish art groups, support emerging artists, continue to democratize the idea of publication, and recognize the face of the artists in a bigger platform, saying this is the first ever collaboration between the two organizations.
The event will be catered in three exhibition areas within the mall.
Each section is divided into different art practices. First is the “encounter” section, wherein the highlight will be the contemporary and experimental artists exploring different kinds of art disciplines.
Second is the “enclave” section, which will be at the gallery in the new wing area. It will showcase seasoned artists with their remarkable artworks.
The “emerge” section will be at the Ayala Activity Center, which will feature various activities to allow emerging artists to showcase their talent.
Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Garcia said the centrality of artists should be recognized.
Artists should not be hidden backstage; they should be recognized too, he said.
“The soul of the community is in arts,” Garcia said.
Garcia assured the two organizations that the City will give them full logistics and financial support. He invited the public to support the Cebuano artists during the whole duration of Cebu Arts Month. (Grezel Balbutin and Fred Leander Baldos, VSU interns)