The good cycle of art turns at the Asian Cultural Council Art Auctions

Tikoy Aguiluz, Joey Ayala, Mideo Cruz, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Gino Gonzales, Wawi Navarroza, and Don Salubayba are only a handful of Philippine artistic luminaries who benefited from the Rockefellers’ diplomatic and cultural foundation. ‘The only thing that the ACC asks for, in turn, is for grantees to return to their home countries and to share and give back.’

My whole life has been closely related to art,” muses silver- haired art scholar and patron Deanna Ongpin- Recto. “You can’t have life without art. In my case, I’m not an artist myself. I tried, but I have long admitted that I would be a mediocre artist if I went that way. So, I said, never mind that. I will be a teacher.”

She, however, comes with a considerable dossier that weaves itself into the country’s legacy of contemporary art. From being a humanities academic at the University of the Philippines, an artistic director at the CCP, to becoming a French Legion of Honor awardee for her efforts as former president of the Alliance Française de Manille, OngpinRecto now serves as a trustee for the Asian Cultural Council Philippines (ACCP).

Although some of her efforts for the local scene may have proven bittersweet, her passion for Filipino art has never seemed to waver, much less slow down. “I have the time and energy to work towards that. So, when the ACCP invited me to join the board, they said, ‘ If you agree, Alliance Française’s loss is our gain,’” OngpinRecto blithely shares.

And so gain, it did. As the value for Philippine art rises just as robustly as the local economy, the grant-giving institution works double time to keep the mandate of nurturing Filipino creativity through global connections. “By giving about five scholarship grants annually that fund six-month artistic residencies in New York, ACC Philippines helps keep our artists inspired. That is our mission and vision, and we work hard to achieve that. We only started in 2000, and so far we have had more than 300 grantees,” Ongpin-Recto reports.

Tikoy Aguiluz, Joey Ayala, Mideo Cruz, Marilou Diaz- Abaya, Gino Gonzales, Wawi Navarroza, and Don Salubayba are only a handful of Philippine artistic luminaries who benefited from the Rockefellers’ diplomatic and cultural foundation. “The only thing that the ACC asks for, in turn, is for grantees to return to their home countries and to share and give back. Many of them, if they don’t become leaders like our National Artists, go around the country and give training programs that mentor other young artists,” explains ACCP program director Teresa Rances.

“It was really something major in my experience as an artist,” shares visual artist Ambie Abaño, an ACC grantee in 2011. “As an artist, there is a part of me that always wants to seek myself. Traveling and getting exposed to other countries is like mirroring yourself. It’s not so much about getting to know others, but recognizing yourself through others,” she notes of her NYC experience, shared with other artists of diverse disciplines from around Asia.

Now, Abaño carries out printmaking workshops from Manila to Sagada, furthering the spirit of mentorship she brought home from her residency. “We have the discernment to give grants to people like these, so that there will be a multiplier effect and it doesn’t stay with only one person,” Ongpin- Recto says.

To keep the cycle of cultural goodwill going, ACCP holds the annual Asian Cultural Council Art Auction in partnership with one of Manila’s foremost auctioneers, the Leon Gallery. The fundraising auction, which will be held on Feb. 20, will put a handful of ACCP grants in the gavel, through the sale of a rich selection of Filipino art both fresh and fabled. So, among pre- cubist Manansalas, Chabets and Bencabs, are works by esteemed ACC grant alums that also represent the country’s most accomplished contemporary artists.

“Because of how happy I was with my grant experience, this is the best way I thought I can give back. The people who will benefit from this will be the next grantees, so this is for them,” says street artist turned fine artist Dex Fernandez, who is donating 100 percent of the sale proceeds of his sublimely layered multimedia work up for bidding.

Fernandez, who visited New York as an ACC scholar in 2014, left Manila walls covered with his iconic garapata images. He went back with a renewed worldview for his explosive social portraits. “It enriched my technique and raised the quality of my work. Second, it opened me to newer mediums, and not just the ones I work with,” Fernandez recalls of his half-year encounter with what he calls, “the Mecca of graffiti.”

“I think it’s a noble undertaking, considering that we sell the very works of beneficiaries of the ACC, and, hopefully, in maybe 20 years, the same artists we support now will be the next masters of the Philippines,” offers Leon Gallery’s Jaime Ponce de León. The auction lot, which can be previewed at the gallery between Feb. 13 and 19, lends an equally optimistic affirmation.

“You can tell from the results of our first auction five or six years ago that it’s developing. In the beginning it was just us who participated. Now, it hasn’t even started, and people have already been competing for the pieces. It’s really exciting, how they’re truly recognizing the value of Filipino art. It may still be undervalued compared to international art, but Filipino art is beautiful. It’s rich. It’s deep,” restaurateur and fellow ACCP board member Malu Gamboa enthuses.

When asked what, in her opinion, truly makes Filipino art, Ongpin-Recto says, “The Filipino I know is very creative. He is inventive. Some people may call us a damaged culture, or a bastardized culture, some people say we haven’t really gotten out of that. Whatever! For me, whatever has happened in the past, in our history, has, in fact, enriched us. It’s up to us to make the most of what we have.”

More than anything, the popularity, the provenance, or the other fine points that fetch bidding attention in auctions, it is the pursuit of individuality that ultimately makes art valuable. And it seems like this is exactly what the Asian Cultural Council Philippines champions.

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For more information on the Asian Cultural Council 2016 Auctions, visit www. asianculturalcouncil.org/ manila or www.leon- gallery.com.

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“It has really been the vision of our founder, Mr. John D. Rockefeller III. This is really to promote the understanding, the respect, and the cooperation between Asian culture and the United States.” says ACCP program director Teresa Rances.