Where ‘space’ is the public’s link to the art World
It used to be an industrial bakery that produces bread to fill the tummies of the masses, now that same structure generates art to feed the souls of the nation. tucked in the working class community of Old Balara, Quezon City is where you can find the Erehwon Center for the Arts (ECA), a haven for artists and those who are still seeking their creative calling.
“In 2012, after the bakery ceased operations, I was left with an empty building. It was then I was approached by a group of artists with the likes of Manny Garibay and Egay Talusan Fernandez, they’re the ones who convinced me to turn this into an Arts center,” said Rafael Rivera Benitez, chairman and chief executive of the Erehwon Artworld Corp. “We opened in October 2012 and initially focused on visual artists.”
On October 27, its inaugural art exhibit titled, “Volume 1” that attracted and featured the works of 53 visual artists.
Its vision, as explicitly worded by art critic Alice G. Guillermo, however, is more than to provide space for regular exhibitions and performances,butrather“theCenterseeks to be the living hub and the nerve center of the arts in the Philippines and in the region as whole,” and “a space which will provide a multisided colloquium of artists eager to advance art to a new and higher level in our world….”
To cater to and consolidate the various art disciplines (music, theatre, dance, sculpture, film making) including literature, the center’s 4,500 sqm of space was utilized for different functions
aimed “to bring together artistic energies of the Filipino here and around the globe and create a new brilliant rebirth of the arts…”
The center then served as “a working collective venue for creative individuals to conceptualize, plan, and envision their work and to explore their imagination, configuring each work into a vision and realizing its full meaning with the image of art.”
Currently ECA has six art exhibit areas, dance studio, music studio, workshop hall, café, mini library, multiple outdoor performances and function areas. There’s the Atelier 1 and 2 for temporary exhibitions. The elevated platform outside and adjacent to the parking lot is called the Tanghalang Behn Cervantes wherein performances are staged. Likewise, the Roofdeck accommodates theatrical and performances under the open sky.
The ECA houses both the Erehwon Artworld Corporation that operates the printing business and caters to transactions with corporate clients on commissioned works, and the Erehwon Art Foundation, Inc. that formulates arts policies,
administer artist residencies, mount exhibitions and various public engagements.
“Art is expensive,” shared Benitez. “My role mainly is to attend to the business side of the arts.”
Sourcing and raising funds for the arts in it self is a big challenge, but that didn’t stop the legendary artist and activist Behn Cervantes to pose another.
“‘What’s the use of the center if there aren’t any artists?’ Cervantes asked. He then gave us the three Cs to serve as our guide from the start. That is to converge artists, do collaborate, and enjoy the camaraderie while providing space and resources to highlight their talents,” said Benitez. Thus, the Center reached out to different artists’ groups and eventually the Erehwon Art Council was established on November 10, 2018. Today, the council comprises of: Andres Bonifacio Boys Choir under Jerry Dadap; Dulambuhay Philippine Playback Theatre under Fhabi Fajardo; Erehwon Art Collective under Neil Doloricon; Erehwon Chorale under Armand Villanueva, and Mary Anne Villanueva; Erehwon Dance Scholars under Dante Ballesteros, Roldan Bonifacio, and Janet Amor; Erehwon Jazz Orchestra under Jack Lagonoy, Erehwon Youth Rondalla Ensemble under Jasfer Familaran; Fides Cuyugan Asensio Institute of Music and Arts; Filmdogs (Indie Films) under Raymond Dimayuga; Likhang Bata Creativity Center under Bianca Denise Manlapaz; Manila Piano Trio under Laling Ordoñez; Metro Manila Concert Orchestra (MMCO) under Chino Toledo; MUSIKA (Filipino Composers and Musicians) under Heber Bartolome; and TagAni Performing Arts Society under Bonifacio Ilagan.
“This year we aim to further consolidate these 14 artists’ groups, and to accept more
as residents of the center. We welcome artists, especially those coming from Visayas and Mindanao,” shared Benitez.
He also revealed that the Center is already gearing up for a major production in October. “This will be in time for the first anniversary of the victory in Marawi. We are looking at UP Professor Chino Toledo to conduct the orchestra, Bonifacio Ilagan for the libretto, Erehwon Dance Scholars to perform on the program. We want to honor those who sacrificed for the victory. This we believe will also give significance to Marawi. Hopefully, this will put us in the map.”
Another important component of the Center is the programs that are designed “to help enable artistic practices with the public good in mind.” Aside from free performances and access to the permanent and ongoing exhibits, ECA encourages creative explorations and productions from interested individuals, amateurs, and professionals who are seeking to break new grounds in terms of their artistry.
The Erehwon Scholarship Fund is made available for collaborative projects between collectives and institutions “to monetize out of the visual and performing arts and reciprocally contribute to the education of underserved individuals.”
The Artist Residency Program encourages and invites artists to temporarily reside within the premises of Erehwon and create art in uninhibited environment.
There are also classes in painting, printmaking and other creative skills offered to the public under the Erehwon Art Workshop.
The recently rebooted Art Tours welcomes small groups and ferry them in routes that showcase artistic and cultural
traditions, museums, galleries, and art centers in and outside Metro Manila.
The center’s earnest efforts to provide practitioners avenues to explore, collaborate and produce art didn’t go unnoticed. Last year, ECA was recognized as one of the Gawad Parangal Awardees for the advancement of arts and culture in Quezon City. The local government has been a staunch supporter and gave the center its first commissioned work—the 10 murals that are proudly displayed at the city hall’s lobby. “We were given the Gawad Parangal Award and we have always been grateful for the support of the Quezon
City government,” said Benitez.
Now, more than ever, ECA is in the right place to expand and open up more ‘spaces’, to make art truly the people’s own.