Calabarzon, Cordillera artists hold exchange program

Team Out of Town Blog Hub (Outoftownblog.com) – It will be another feast for the senses as visual artists from the Calabarzon and Cordillera regions come together once more at the Department of Tourism’s Artists’ Exchange Program (AEP) set on Aug. 10-12.

The three-day event, which will be held in various art galleries and museums in Rizal and Cavite, will be hosted by the DOT-Calabarzon and local art groups in the Southern Tagalog region, led by the eminent painter-sculptor Nemi Miranda of the Angono Ateliers Association.

“Artist exchanges across the country provide a meaningful way for artists to think outside the box and gain expertise from a context that differs from their places of origin. It also adds value to lives by inspiring new forms of artistic expression,” says DOT Calabarzon acting regional director Marites Castro.

She added that the AEP draws on the collective skills and experience of the artists involved to develop a rich dialogue and collaboration on culture and the arts, drawing on the themes of artistic integrity, sense of community, and resilience, among others.

Exchange participants will immerse at the Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo City; the residence and gallery of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco, the Blanco Family Museum, the Nemiranda Arthouse, and Atelier Galerie, and the Tambayan Art Camp in Angono; and the ArtSector Gallery and Chimney Café 360 in Binangonan.

In Cavite, the group will visit Shambala Living Museum in Silang, Alitaptap Artists Village in Amadeo, and the Orlina Museum of noted glass artist Ramon Orlina in Tagaytay.

The event is the second phase of last year’s Exchange Program in Baguio City and Benguet province, hosted by the DOT- Cordillera Administrative Region and local art groups led by National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik.

Baguio City was declared as a Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts in 2017, the first Philippine city to be included in the prestigious Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) because of its vibrant groups in the different arts.

In support of local creative expressions, the city government has closed the famed Session Road on Sundays to encourage street art, craft exhibits, and open-air performances to flourish.

“The AEP builds working…