Baguio artists to rock Mindanao art scene

IT IS about time for talents from the regions to shine and rock the world.

This was the outlook and contention of Davao based artist Daryl Descallar when he met with Baguio artists during the recent Panagbenga festival.

As a result of his initial talks facilitated by multi-media artist Art Tibaldo, 16 Baguio based artists and cultural performers will fly to Davao on May 18, 2017 for a week long Cordillera-Mindanao Art Exchange Program.

Dubbed COR-MIN Arts Exchange, the program includes an art exhibit, cultural performances and on-the-spot painting of Davao beauty queens.

The delegates include Vincent Bay-an, Tor Sagud, Gerald Asbucan, Evjita Manjano, Raquel Diokno, Oliver Abuan, Abi Matib, Jherwin Libatique, Marlou Naoy, Oliver Abuan and Alex Pastrana Musni, the limbless artist who will be assisted by his father Jesus Musni.

Also joining the Baguio delegation are freelance journalist Carl Taawan, photojournalist Eladio JJ Landingin, poet-cultural performer Dumay Solingay, supporter Maricar Docyogen and Tibaldo as the Baguio coordinator.

As part of the 4th Visit Davao Fun Sale with the tagline “Mindanaon Artists Let’s Rock 2017”, the art event will take place in several malls with over 1,000 masterpieces to be curated by the Tabularasa art group of Davao.

Scheduled from April to May, the event according to Descaller aims to package their region as a tourist destination as well as a hub for the arts specifying that they want to invite Baguio artists to this year’s event.

Tibaldo who serves as local coordinator is optimistic the COR- MIN art exchange will likewise open avenues for more art interactions since both Baguio and Davao are sister cities under the Philippine International Sisterhood and Twinning Association (Phista) of which he is a committee member.

Also a fine arts graduate and underclass of Tibaldo at UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts, Descallar believes there is much to show to the world about the beauty of the Philippines and stories of its people.

Developing the Mindanao art scene cannot be achieved by the local artists alone noted Descallar whose portrait of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte now hangs at the palace museum.

To complete the art exchange, Davao artists are also expected to be in Baguio by September this year for a similar activity in time for the city’s charter month celebration with the local counterparts serving as hosts.

Coordination with the City Government and the Department of Tourism is now undergoing according to Tibaldo with the hope that such arts and culture based initiatives will be considered as official activities of the city of Baguio. (PR)