TravelswithCharie

Komunidad, 2026* Perhaps no other artist in Capiz has dedicated as much of his craft to the local coastal community as has Jonard Villarde. As a preschooler, he was curious about paints which developed into dabbling with wall drawings, notebook scketches and poster making for school competitions. This interest in art continued through high school where he explored other mediums and handicrafts as part of school projects in technology and livelihood economics. When he entered Capiz State University, he decided to pursue a degree in Secondary Education with a major in Architectural Drafting. Today, he teaches art and industrial education as a public school teacher. Villarde is not only an educator. He is also a multidisciplinary artist and nature enthusiast.  His works cover a range of mediums including murals, sculpture, drawings and  paintings on various surfaces including canvas, wood and paper. Villarde has previously exhibited his works at Viva ExCon 2018, Panagbo: Encounte...

The Evolution of Philippine Culture The story of The Evolution of Philippine Culture began in 1957 when the Fleur de Lis Auditorium at St. Paul University Manila was under construction. Jose L. Reynoso, the architect of the Fleur de Lis, asked his townmate, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, to paint a mural which he envisioned as the focal point of the auditorium’s lobby. The 3.5 meters by 4.5 meters mural was fitted between two pilasters and it is the first thing a theatergoer would see as they enter the foyer from the main portal. The theme, The Evolution of Philippine Culture, was carefully considered to complement the purpose of the Fleur de Lis, that is, to bring to the stage noteworthy musicals and concerts which have since earned the theater the name, “Broadway of Herran”. (Herran was the former name of Pedro Gil Street.) The central figure is that of a muscular Filipino who is intensely beating the drum. The sound is almost palpable. Above him is a Caucasian woman whose head is caugh...

There's a burgeoning art scene in Roxas City. Following the successful run of the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (Viva Excon) Biennale in November 2018 led by Black Artists Asia, the seafood capital is welcoming a new outdoor art space in the heart of the city.  Planta is just across the river from the cluster of cultural heritage structures of Roxas City. It recently hosted Primero , an arts and crafts fair which formally introduced the murals painted by the group, Vinyl on Vinyl (VOV) of Manila with the help of fourteen local artists hand picked by Lloyd Develos. This project is the gift of Atty. Blas Viterbo who owns Planta, a former power station and ice plant, to his hometown. The first mural (above) is of a hand lifting the curtain to reveal a wider perspective of what Capiz has to offer. Alternatively, it may represent how artists from neighboring towns perceive Capiz from an artistic point of view. A monitor lizard has planted itself on t...

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...