GEMMA CRUZ-ARANETA: BEAUTY QUEEN WITH A HEART FOR ART
Known for kindness and generosity, she donated the US$10,000 prize money she won in the Japan-based pageant to Manila Boys Town and Girls Home, a place where indigent and out-of-school youth are housed, in Marikina City. Because of that, she received an Outstanding Manileña and a Golden Heart Presidential decoration from President Diosdado Macapagal.
But not everyone knows that CruzAraneta has been very passionate about history, culture and the arts prior to becoming a beauty queen.
The pretty Manileña entered public service in 1968 when then President Ferdinand Marcos appointed her Director of the National Museum. She was also a member of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
“My fascination for the arts started even before I became a beauty queen, coming from an art-loving family. I have uncles who are artists and also writers. We have a lot of paintings in the house. My mother would take me to exhibits even when I was a little girl. So I grew up in this atmosphere. After I graduated from Maryknoll College, I worked in the National Museum. That was my and I also worked in the Department of Anthropology in the National Museum,” Cruz-Araneta told The Sunday Times
Magazine in this exclusive interview. A fun fact, Araneta’s paternal greatgrandmother was Doña Maria Mercado, the sister of the country’s national hero, José Rizal. Her mother is writer and journalist Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, and her maternal uncle is writer and diplomat León María Guerrero 3rd.
“I was really immersed in this historical and cultural world even before I joined the pageant. And I think my memorable experience was when I was a worker in the National Museum, and eventually becoming the director. I consider it the most important part of my life,” she said.
“And after I became a beauty queen, I attracted a lot of attention especially for the young people. I felt that I could use my fame to also attract and divert their attention to history, culture and the arts, which I am still doing now. I am not really in the loop of celebrity but I have remained in the world of history, arts and culture,” the now-74-year-oldstill-statuesque beauty added.
Recently, Cruz-Araneta curated a unique art exhibit dubbed as “Hocus,” which depicts the ramification of the “Cross and Sword” rule of Spain in the Philippines. These 26 oil paintings which feature contemporary art works with religious themes are on exhibit until the end of the month at the National Museum. the intellectual author and painter, Guy Custodio. Since it was about the colonial decided to make the paintings as if they came from that period. Besides, Custodio, the painter, is an expert in restoration of religious art of that period. Attorney restoring one of the churches there. So I think they agree that the style should look archaic and most of the paintings are made of old wood,” she informed.
She added that she’s happy that more and more people are now fascinated with all forms of art.
“As you can see, the National Museum is always full. Since it opened to the public for free more people from all ages come here. I think that is good because they learn about Filipino painters and Filipino masters. They are always surprised when they see the Spolarium of Juan Luna because they can’t imagine that it’s that massive,” she said.
“With that, the National Museum of Natural History, which used to house the Department of Tourism, will also soon be open to the public for free. The former
Department of Finance Building was also transformed to become the National Museum of Anthropology and Archeology. A lot of young people also go there to learn about the past and to see where Filipino ancestry came from,” she added.
In retrospect, she doesn’t see herself in
“Remember, Jose Rizal said, ‘If you want to learn about the future, you have to open the book of the past.’ I see myself to be continuously in the art industry. In fact, I already told the National Museum director that I am always here at their service whenever they need me,” the beauteous arts and history patroness ended.