The Philippine Online Chronicles

VISUAL ARTS

Baldemor paintings auctioned by Unicef

Now on their second online fundraising campaign, UNICEF Philippines, together with eBay Philippines, launched “UNICEF Auction for Action: The Manny Baldemor Sabrosa Series.”

Running until Dec. 11, Baldemor’s paintings will be available at www.ebay.ph/unicef.

“I have received so many blessings that it’s only right to share and give back. Children’s welfare has always been close to my heart and that’s why I work with UNICEF Philippines because they help children in the poorest and most disadvantaged areas,” Baldemor said.

The Sabrosa series is inspired by Baldemor’s art residency in Sabrosa, Portugal. It features landscapes and rivers.

UNICEF Country Representative Vanessa Robin said in a statement, “UNICEF thanks Manny Baldemor for being a  staunch supporter having lent his iconic designs to UNICEF cards and products and holding exhibitions of paintings for the benefit of our programs for children. Proceeds from the online auction of the Sabrosaseries will go towards our work for street children programs.”

The Headf*cks

“They are parodies of fine-art portraits — with careful consideration in terms of the lighting, the palette, and the brushstroke. Think of Leatherface or the old lady in Insidious visiting the studio for a sitting — funnily scary as hell. But these ‘Headf*ck’ paintings aspire toward something else entirely,” said Igan D’Bayan of his dark portraits to be exhibited at the SM Art Center on Dec. 10 to 22.

Besides the horrific and yet artsy portraits, D’Bayan will also exhibit his own version of the “Spoliarium.”

“I love that painting so much that I just wanted to screw it up…It’s like covering your favorite song – your version is going to such, but it’s your version,” he said, explaining that he added images from Resident Evil, Dead Space and Ghost Rider into the classic “Spoliarium.”

For more information on the exhibit, call Chari Elinzano or Inas Amoyo at 635-6061.

Other Gallery News

Roberto Chabet’s contemporary art knick knacks ranging from GI sheets to various objects from “long-forgotten situations,” are now exhibited at the Paseo Gallery in SM Megamall. Titled “Day and Night,” the exhibit will be on view until Dec. 16.

For inquiries, call 706-5514 or visitwww.kingkongartprojects.org.

Meanwhile, Miguel Sison’s installations and images under “Mondo Guerra” will be exhibited until Jan. 5, 2012 at the Ricco-Renzo Galleries & Café at the LRI Design Plaza, 210 N. Garcia St., Bel Air II, Makati City.

For inquiries, call 898-2542 or www.riccorenzo.com.

A series of children portraits holding animal masks, Yasmin SIson’s “Under the Sky” will be on view until Dec. 31 at the Finale Art File, Warehouse 17, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.

MUSIC and DANCE

Longest-running Dance Festival

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will be launching Sayaw Pinoy 2012 on February as one of their seven flagship projects for next year’s Philippine Arts Festival (PAF).

As the longest-running dance festival in the region, Sayaw Pinoy will showcase traditional dances and movements in the country, as well as contemporary and modern dance. Next year’s theme is “Tradisyon at Inobasyon” (Tradition and Innovation).

Project head Shirley Halili-Cruz said, “It has provided a venue for interaction and collaboration among the different dance troupes and companies, both professional and upcoming groups, all over the country.”

Active in the festival are the country’s top dance companies and local dance troupes from host cities and municipalities.

February is the National Arts Month in the country, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 683 signed in 1991. It is headed by the NCCA.

For inquiries, call 527-2192, SMS 0928-5081057, visit www.ncca.gov.ph or e-mail ncca.paio@gmail.com.

Manila Cathedral’s new wedding songs

Along with its sixth annual Pipe Organ Festival Gala Concert, the Manila Cathedral launched four new wedding songs in an attempt to “go back in the old ways of composing liturgical music.

Cathedral music minister Ferdinand Bautista composed the songs, saying it used “approved texts” like psalms and “proper antiphons.”

The songs included were “Ang Ngalan Mo, Poon,” a wedding march, “Basbasan at Kalingain,” “Ang Pag-ibig” and “Mapalad ang Tao na May Takot sa Diyos.”

Simulating a wedding, the Manila Cathedral-Basilica Choir, with the accompaniment of the pipe organ, performed the songs for the whole mass.

The songs sprung from the initiative of Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, rector of the Cathedral.

“Maybe we should start on it little by little until we return to the right way of composing liturgical songs. I hope more young people would get involved in liturgical music the right way. They have to get into the conservatory first, enroll in a formal music study, and then study the liturgy to balance [their knowledge],” Bautista said.

Benefit opera concert

World-renowned tenor Sal Malaki will be performing a series of homecoming concerts themed “Christmas Showers of Grace” this December to raise funds for orphans and indigenous peoples.

Known as a philanthropist, Malaki’s concert, which culminates on Dec. 11 at the Star Theatre, MBC Bldg., CCP Complex in Manila, will gather funds to construct a family formation center in Mantalongon, Cebu for dysfunctional families. Some of the proceeds will also be sent to Liloan Boys Home in the continuing formation of 120 poor, neglected and orphaned boys ages one to 20 years old; the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters’ indigenous people’s apostolate for the Mamanwas of Surigao and Higaonons of Cagayan de Oro; and the Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Born in Leyte and educated at the University of the Philippines’ College of Music, Malaki is the only Filipino member of the Los Angeles Master Choral and the Los Angeles Opera Company, the fourth largest opera house in the United States. Before moving to California, he was part of the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

For tickets, call 381-5534, 881-6490, 454-7744 and 927-7829. In Cebu, tickets can be bought at the concierge of Ayala Center Cebu. Gala tickets for the 6 p.m. show are priced at P2,000 (gold), P1,500 (silver), and P800 (bronze). Matinee show tickets are priced at P300 and P150. In Bohol, the gala show is priced at P300, P500 and P1,000 available at the Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran City. For Cebu and Bohol’s ticket reservations, call Raymil Nava at 0915-8886488, 0928-4551866, and 0923-3186800.