Batasan exhibit raising funds for UP Fine Arts scholarships
SIXTY artworks by UP College of Fine Arts alumni have been on view at the northwing lobby of the House of Representatives in Batasan Pambansa from Feb. 19 to 21.
The Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI), in partnership with the UP College of Fine Arts Alumni Foundation, Inc. launched Art for Heart’s Sake, a fundraising art exhibit for the benefit of the UP College of Fine Arts scholarship program.
“[I believe] we should generously support our artists so they can dedicate their lives to creativity. Through creative art, they are able to enrich our culture, shape our national identity, help us gain insights into reality, as well as get our country known in distant lands,” said Carmen Pascual, UP College of Fine Arts Alumni Foundation, Inc. (UPCFAAFI) vice-president, during the exhibit’s opening. “We buy art for the joy and pleasure of appreciating it and decorating our homes, but art is also an alternative investment. So, invest in the arts, and in the process, give support to the creators — the artists,” she said in her speech.
The exhibit showcases works by Jingjing Romero, Jonahmar Salvosa, Maan Nueva, Junyee, June Dalisay, Ruben de Jesus, Virginia P. Garcia, Yasmin Almonte, and Boysie Villavicencio, to name a few. The works — both paintings and sculptures, range from Philippine landscapes to portraits to nudes.
Painter, fashion designer, and UPCFAAFI member Boysie Villavicencio told BusinessWorld at the sidelines of the exhibit launch that the artworks’ prices range from P20,000 to P600,000.
The exhibit is open for viewing and selling to the public. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to the scholarship program. —