My City, My SM, My Art: BenCab and Cordillera artscapes at SM City Baguio

MANILA, Philippines – The recent My City, My SM, My Art launch at SM City Baguio was a joyous occasion that brought together members of the city’s thriving art community together in one grand celebration.

Attended by National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, it showcased the City of Pines as a vibrant art haven, combining the rich ethnic culture of the Cordilleras with Baguio’s breathtaking scenery and cosmopolitan landscape.

The city’s art advocates were delighted at this rare gathering of homegrown art groups. Baguio Arts Guild president Dianne Santos-Mondok thanked SM “for its recognition of the talents and accomplishments of Baguio artists,” as well as “saving a space, literally and figuratively, in which art can flourish in Baguio.

Arts Foundation of the Cordilleras founder Divina Bautista, and Baguio Museum OIC Stella Marie de Guia were both appreciative of SM’s paying tribute to local artists. Bautista, who is now president of the National and International Delphic Council, which hosts a competition of the arts every four years added, “May you (SM) continue to patronize the arts.”

Mallgoers recently had a glimpse of the Cordillera’s vibrant art scene during the launch of My City, My SM, My Art at SM City Baguio.

A joint project of SM, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Shell Companies of the Philippines, and the Philippine STAR with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Centerstage Productions, My City, My SM, My Art is a celebration of Philippine visual arts — painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and filmmaking.

The campaign brings art and people together by showcasing the works of masters, modernists and millennials in a road show around the SM Supermalls. Advocating art for all, the team works with communities to mount exhibits, workshops and contests in key cities around the Philippines.

Present during the launch were Baguio Arts Guild president Dianne Santos-Mondok, National and International Delphic Council president Divina Bautista, Baguio Museum OIC Stella Marie de Guia, Sunstar Baguio publisher Reinaldo Bautista Sr., art advocate Edgar de Guia, and Metropolitan Museum’s Grace Cayanan. They were welcomed by SM SVP for marketing Millie Dizon and SM Supermalls NL1 regional operations manager Marc Janssen Pe.

Guests, mostly from the city’s art spaces like the Tam-Awan Village and groups like the Baguio Arts Guild, enjoyed the program, which included an AVP presentation hosted by Karen Navarette-Anton featuring the master artists of the Cordilleras and their amazing works.  These works were exhibited in and around My Art Gallery, which was inspired by the bahay na bato in Luzon.

These included artists who have been very innovative in their use of their materials: solar artist Jordan Mang-osan who highlights the culture, tradition, images and landscapes of the Cordilleras in his works; sculptor Gilbert “Bergano”Alberto who is known for carving huge river boulders into Botero-like sculptures; and coffee painter Patric Palasi, who uses Benguet Arabica, barako, and Malaysian coffee to stain his works on canvas and paper.

It also showcased the works of contemporary Baguio artists: metal sculptor Bumbo Villanueva, multi-media artist Art Tibaldo, environmental artist and educator Fara Manuel, and painter and writer Kelly Ramos.

My City, My SM, My Art also highlighted Art Lozano’s eclectic style that portrays a reflection of realities close to him; Norman Chow’s world of watercolor; and Ric Maniquis’s compelling photographs that tell a story — revealing beauty or hidden poetry in everyday life.

The highlight of the program was a tribute to National Artist BenV+Cab who has contributed much to Baguio’s art scene, not only with his works, but also his efforts to inspire, educate and uplift the community.  It was a touching moment when the audience gave him a standing ovation when he went on stage to receive his token of appreciation from SM.

BenCab chose to settle in Baguio after returning to the Philippines in 1986, where he co-founded the Baguio Arts Guild, helped put Baguio on the map of global art as chairman of the 4th Baguio Arts Festival in 1993; and helped set up the Tam-Awan Village for the preservation of Cordillera culture and traditions.

In 2009, he established the BenCab Museum in Benguet to house his collections of Philippine contemporary art from the indigenous cultures of the Cordilleras.

A painter, printmaker and sculptor, he has exhibited widely in the Philippines, as well as in Asia, Europe and the United States.  Bencab has received numerous awards and was conferred the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts in 2006.

With its aim of bringing art and people together, My City, My SM, My Art also conducted a solar drawing workshop for students. Zephanie Zantua won the top prize, for which she received P5,000 worth of gift certificates.

My City, My SM, My Art is a take-off from the previous My City, My SM campaign, which promotes tourism; My City, My SM, My Cuisine, which highlights regional culinary specialties; and My City, My SM, My Crafts, a celebration of traditional art and modern Philippine design in cities where SM has malls. My City, My SM, My Art’s next stop will be in SM City Calamba.