National Artist F. Sionil Jose honored
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is holding the F. Sionil Jose Centennial Celebration: Congress, Conference, and Contest, series of literary events to commemorate the birth centenary of the late National Artist for Literature. Free and open to the public, this two-day event will take place on Nov. 27 and 28 at The Verdure, 4/F Henry Sy Sr. Hall, De La Salle University (DLSU) in Taft Ave., Manila. Mr. Jose was known for his masterwork, the Rosales Saga, which comprises five novels, namely Poon; Tree; My Brother, My Executioner; The Pretenders; and Mass. The celebration opens with the annual PEN Philippines Congress on Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the same day, Jose Dalisay will deliver the Rizal Lecture. For the Free Word segment, there will be an excerpt from Tanghalang Pilipino’s Balete, a play based on Mr. Jose’s novel Tree, adapted for theater by Rody Vera and directed by Chris Millado. The Man from Rosales: The F. Sionil Jose Conference will be held on Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The conference will have academic discussions on Mr. Jose’s legacy as a fictionist, as well as the challenges and possibilities faced by Philippine fiction today, examining research papers on Mr. Jose which have been selected from a call issued earlier in the year. Saul Hofileña, Jr. and playwright Vera will serve as keynote speakers. A panel of scholars will present papers that seek to investigate the intellectual legacy of F. Sionil Jose and his work. The F. Sionil Jose Young Writers Awards, freshly revived by the Jose family, will confer prizes on select young winners. A special photo exhibit,Memories: Photographs by F. Sionil Jose, will showcase a selection of photos taken by the late National Artist. The exhibit will be on view from Nov. 27 to Dec. 6, at the DLSU Libraries, 12/F Henry Sy Sr. Hall. Guided tours may be scheduled. All events are free admission. Non-DLSU visitors must register to secure an entry pass into the campus through bit.ly/FSJ100. The main entrance is: DLSU Gate 2 (North Gate). For more details, visit fsioniljosecentennial.com or e-mail ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com.
Walang Sugat zarzuela goes onstage at UP
THE University of the Philippines (UP) will stage the classic Filipino zarzuela Walang Sugat on Nov. 28 and 29 at the Benito Sy Pow Auditorium, UP College of Architecture in UP Diliman, Quezon City. There will be 3 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m. gala shows on both playdates. A production of the UP College of Music’s Abelardo Hall Concert Series In Transit, the zarzuela will be presented by director Alegria O. Ferrer in the traditional concept of the masterpiece written by Severino Reyes in 1898 and set to the original music of Fulgencio Tolentino. For the UP production, Josefino “Chino” Toledo is the musical arranger and also wrote additional music. Pianist Michelle Nicolasora and Padayon Rondalla are the assisting artists. Walang Sugat is set during the Philippine Revolution of 1896 and highlights the injustices Filipinos faced under Spanish rule, including the oppression of Filipino prisoners for expressing their patriotism. It was premiered in 1902 at the Teatro Libertad in Pasay. A young cast of recent graduates of the UP College of Music voice program will essay the main roles. Tickets are available for P300 at the theater entrance or can be purchased online through https://form.jotform.com/242678559803470.
Shangri-La Plaza to host multimedia arts exhibit
A COLLECTION of artworks will be showcased in a three-day exhibit entitledMomentum: Rising Tides at the East Atrium of Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, which will run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The event, a celebration of the next generation of Multimedia Arts (MMA) students from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), will feature works and projects by 72 participating creatives. The MMA Program trains future storytellers to develop an eye for visual language and the capability to improve communication experience. Admission is free.
Art Tag fairs connect artists, collectors with public
A NEW art festival in Tagaytay celebrates artists and collectors. Called Art Tag, it’s unique selling proposition is that art is directly sold by artists and collectors to the general public as opposed to other art markets or expositions wherein galleries represent artists and sell their works. Art Tag intends to create two markets annually, one weekend before Christmas and another during the summer season, or what’s called “Tag-lamig” and “Tag-init,” respectively. The first Art Tag will also have a market for gifts, food kiosks, a Christmas caroling competition and fire pits. Participating artists include Popo San Pascual, Kutz de Jesus, Raiñer Duhaylungsod, Xander Calceta, Reb Belleza, David Kaufman, Ruth Cancio, Isaac Sion, Dante Palmes, Dominic Escobar, Dante Enage, and many others. The first Art Tag Christmas will take place on the weekend of Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 at the garden outside Tag 4120 Restaurant & Art Gallery, Lagusan Drive, Brgy Tolentino West, Tagaytay from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages or contact 0920-926-4120.
ARTablado presents Vicson Apostol’sHome
FOR Filipino artist Vicson Apostol, the idea of “home” transcends the confines of walls and roofs; it is the beating heart of his artistic vision and his debut solo exhibit, Home, currently on view until Dec. 6 at the ARTablado, Upper Ground Floor, North Wing of Robinsons Antipolo. Mr. Apostol began as a muralist and portrait artist, later transitioning to canvas painting in 2017. His works, often portraying clusters of small Filipino homes, reflect his belief that “owning a house is one of every Filipino’s dreams… for a better future for our loved ones and family.”
Silverlens holds Santos family exhibit
SILVERLENSpresents To See A Landscape As It Is, a group exhibition curated by Nilo Ilarde featuring the works of the Santos family of artists: Soler, Mona, Luis Antonio, Isabel, and Carina Santos. The exhibit is ongoing until Dec. 21. Ten years after Gathered Narratives in 2014, the Santos family has returned to Silverlens in a collective exhibition, occupying the entirety of Silverlens’ new site, with new work that encompasses all their current practices, a catalogue of their individual progressions in the last decade. These five artists all work separately, each involved in their lives beyond the one they share together. Silverlens Manila is found at 2263 Don Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati City.
BenCab Museum holds annual year-end group show
THE BenCab Museum in Baguio caps the year with its annual year-end group show, RE:VIEW 2024, at the Gallery Indigo on Dec. 7. The exhibit features the works of 56 artists, including young emerging painters and established artists, working in diverse styles from figurative to non-figurative, showing a wide range of subject matter and techniques. It will run until Feb. 9, 2025. Opening on the same day is the photography exhibit, Early Photos of Baguio. The exhibit will be held at the museum’s Sepia Gallery. Photography came at an auspicious time for the Philippine Cordilleras and its people in the late 19th century. European and American explorers, colonizers, missionaries, and, later, tourists, would find a people clinging to their cultural practices, giving many opportunities to capture their lives in images that have become a legacy for appreciation and study today. These photographs from the Ortigas Library and Jonathan Best collection complement the BenCab Museum’s significant Cordillera collection. The BenCab Museum is located at Km. 6 Asin Road, Tuba, Metro Baguio.
