TRICKIE COLAYCO-LOPA

CO-FOUNDER, ART FAIR PHILIPPINES

Trickie Lopa is no stranger to disruption. When she co-founded Art Fair Philippines ten years ago, in 2013, she helped change the game for how Filipinos view and experience art, making it more accessible and less intimidating for the average viewer. The inaugural edition of Art Fair Philippines featured 24 galleries and attracted 6000 visitors. By its tenth anniversary, visitors numbered close to 30,000, with 60 participating galleries, including a significant number from overseas. Before that, however, came Art in the Park in 2006. To this day, Art in the Park is a muchawaited event, a relaxed day amidst the greenery of Jaime Velasquez Park, when people of all ages and persuasions come together to peruse and enjoy art. “Art in the Park is my favourite day of the year”, Lopa always says. “Like going on a treasure hunt, you’ll never know what you’ll find.”

When Art Fair Philippines was disrupted by the 2020 pandemic, Lopa and her tenacious team of organisers once again rebuilt the idea of the art, taking Art Fair and Art in the Park from physical spaces into the digital world. In 2023, just in time for its 10th anniversary, Art Fair Philippines resumed in-person activities at The Link. The event boasted 64 local and international artists and 25,000 visitors and featured artworks of various mediums—some were even interactive.

Art in the Park, an event Lopa holds dear, also returned to an in-person format in 2023. With 60 exhibiting booths and 20 food concessionaires in Salcedo Park, Art in the Park drew the attention of many, necessitating a waitlist for eager participants. “You’ll never know what you’ll find or what you’ll see,” commented Lopa. “It’s a treasure hunt. At the same time, it’s just a fun day out.”