You’ve heard of Elf on the Shelf, now get ready for Art in the Park 2023.
The minds behind Art Fair Philippines present yet another melting pot of creatives from all over the country, a diverse convergence featuring paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, and new media.
Art in the Park 2023 is happening on March 19, Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati City. The entrance to the fair is free of charge.
What is Art in the Park?
Since starting in 2006, the special one-day fair has remained true to its mission of making art accessible to everyone—outside the nonexistent entrance fee, the show will be featuring up-and-coming artists for both a lower price point for interested buyers and exposure to these talents; a clear delineation separating it from the successful recently concluded Art Fair Philippines. Whereas galleries and museums carry with them a sense of exclusivity manifested by an economic barrier, to bring these to a “park”, a public space that is open to everyone—that is the essence of Art in the Park.
The fair will feature works from a number of galleries, collectors, and collectives; Ang INK, Arnold Art Collection, ART for Space Gallery, ART LAB: Atelier Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco, Art Toys PH, Art Underground, Art Verite Gallery, ArtBeat Collective, Artery Art Space, Association of Pinoyprintmakers, Authenticity Zero Collective, Avellana ArtGallery, Boston Art Gallery, CASA San Miguel Foundation Zambales, Cevio Art Haus, Cornerstone Pottery (EJ Espiritu), De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, FA Gallery / ILCP Art Space, Fuse Projects, Galeria de las Islas, Galleria Paloma, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Stephanie, Imahica Art Gallery, isTorya – Rodel Tapaya and Marina Cruz, J Studio, Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn, KASIBULAN – Kababaihan sa Sining at Bagong Sibol na Kamalayan, KOMIKET, Kulay Art Group, Kuta Artists Group, L’arc en Ciel Atelier, MAG, Manila Collage Collective, MONO8, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Nineveh Artspace, Orange Project, Pangasinan Group, Parokyano ng Malabon, Qube Gallery, Redlab Gallery, Resurrection Furniture, Scarletbox.io, Sheerjoy, Sierra Madre Gallery (Joey de Castro), Space Encounters Gallery, The Mighty Bhutens, The Thursday Group, Tin-aw Art Projects, Triangulum, TUP Manila, UP Artists Circle, UP College of Fine Arts, Urban Sketchers Manila, Village Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery, White Walls Gallery, and Ysobel Art Gallery.
Also serving as a fundraising event, Art in the Park will continue to benefit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines in support of its projects and programs for the National Museum of the Philippines and its network. Since 2006, more than Php 25 million from Art in the Park has been allocated by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines for its projects.
This year’s featured artists
For its 17th edition, Art in the Park has selected three outstanding artists to take part in their special exhibits; Manny Garibay, Bjorn Calleja, and Kabunyan de Guia.
Emmanuel Garibay was born in Kidapawan, North Cotabato, Philippines in 1962. He is known for his expressionist figurative style and for the keen social and political consciousness expressed in his works. He holds a Sociology and Fine Arts degree both from the University of the Philippines as well as a Master of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary in Cavite.
Garibay is debuting a series of small works, head studies painted on dibord aluminum.
Bjorn Calleja (b. 1981, Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino contemporary painter and interdisciplinary artist. He earned his BFA from Far Eastern University, where he later became a part-time lecturer. He also co-founded Design. Other Things. (2012-2014), a design studio.
On display will be Calleja’s series of charcoal and graphite portraits and ceramic sculptures. Also on view will be prototypes of lamps and functional art pieces that the artist is currently developing.
A lightning bolt or kidlat-inspired shrine dedicated to his late brother
Kabunyan de Guia pays tribute to his brother, photographer Kidlat de Guia, who passed away almost exactly one year ago in Madrid, Spain through the installation, Kidlat Ngayon!!!! Isang taon na paglalakbay as soul; a shrine where visitors can light candles to honor his brother’s memory.
A total sensory experience
Outside the typical canvas or the plain photograph, the fair will also be showcasing a number of works and performances that touch on your other senses, making for an experience that solely does not overload your sight, but everything else.
Motion graphics artist Isaiah Cacnio will be projecting his work Beauty in Chaos, a digital painting featuring infinitely complex patterns.
A spoken word performance by John Verlin Santos and Aubrey Joy Salvador of Titik Poetry during the Art in the Park Press Launch.
Music by Soulful Mood will be playing throughout the fair. Aside from that, there will also be a flash mob poetry performance by Titik Poetry, complemented by music from Pundaquit Virtuosi from Casa San Miguel in Zambales.
Looking for a bite?
Food and drinks? Bites and cocktails even? You won’t have to worry about where to find these as located in the fair grounds are; One World Butcher, 8Cuts, Rafik Shawarma and Pizza di Grazia, Yuan’s Paella Plus, Authentic House of Curry, The Kitchen, Maryland ChickAn, Tita Letty’s Pinoy Deli, Odd Café, Tattooed Baker, Culinary Exchange, Merry Moo, Picolé Healthy Ice Pops, Justainable Juice, Stanford Shaw, Monkey Eagle Brewery, West 103, Origine, Bombvinos, and Arc Gin.
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For more information, visit www.artinthepark.ph and follow www.facebook/artinthepark and @artintheparkph on Instagram.
Images courtesy of Art in the Park