THE ART OF GIVING BACK
Championing local talent, artistry, and culture, the ASIAN CULTURAL COUNCIL PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION and LEON GALLERY hold an art auction with a cause, encouraging Filipino excellence in the arts and all its forms
The Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation (ACCPF) Benefit Art Auction proved to be yet another success for ACCPF and Leon Art Gallery. At the forefront of the magnanimous auction are Maribel Ongpin (ACCPF President) and Jaime Ponce de Leon (Founder and Director of Leon Art Gallery). This is the sixth collaboration of premier auction house Leon Gallery and ACCP. Solidifying their bond, Chairman Ernest L. Escaler and President Maribel Ongpin affirm, “It is a partnership that has grown formidable with the shared aim of promoting Filipino artists.” Through the vital contributions of Leon Gallery and other private benefactors in the years of the auction’s existence, the ACCP remains more focused than ever in its mission, shared across the ACC offices in New York, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Tokyo.
Among the list of remarkable works of art auctioned last February 22, 2020 at the Leon Art Gallery are Dos
Hermanas, (Two Sisters), a 1930 oil painting by Fabian dela Rosa which was his gift to journalist, patriot, and University of the Philippines President Rafael Palma and Still Life (Window Series), a 2001 oil piece by National Artist for Visual Arts Ang Kiukok. Works by Hidalgo, Manansala, Malang, Bencab, Sanso, Lao Lianben, and National Artist and first ACC Grantee for visual arts Jose Joya are also included in the impressive set of more than 150 pieces that were auctioned.
The Philippine Fellowship Program continues to grow its list of prolific grantees of over 300 individuals which include experts, leading contemporary and young emerging artists in theater, music, dance, literature, architecture, and other allied arts, as well as institutions and organizations. It is bannered by National Artists Lucresia Kasilag, Jose Maceda, Francisco Feliciano and Ramon Santos for Music; Jose Joya for Visual Arts, Alice Reyes for dance and Kidlat Tahimik for Film; and institutions such as the Asian Composers League, Ballet Philippines, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Museo Pambata, National Museum, and UP Ethnomusicology, among others.
The privileged recipients of the ACC Philippine Fellowship Program for 2019 are: Ballet Philippines, Kevin Castelo (Music), Abner Delina, Jr. (Theater), King Kong Art Projects, Ma. Elena Laniog (Dance), and Zeny May Recidoro (Arti Criticism). Ballet Philippines was given project grant support for a two-week lighting design master class by American expert Jennifer Tipton for lighting designers from the region and Southeast Asia. Kevin will receive Graduate Scholarship support for a master’s degree program where he will major in percussion performance at the Jacob’s School of Music in Indiana. Abner was granted fellowship support to participate in contemporary theater workshops and multicultural theater collaboration in New York City. King Kong Art Projects representatives Gail Vicente and MM Yu from the Roberto Chabet Archive were given a Project Grant to observe conservation and collection management practices in the US. Elena was given fellowship support to participate in the 2020 International Choreographers Residency Program at the American Dance Festival and engage with contemporary movement practice in New York City. And Zeny was given Graduate Scholarship support for a master’s degree program in art writing at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Interested parties are invited to apply online for the annual ACC Fellowship from September 1 to November 1 at
For more details, visit