2 Shows for Meaningful Elections

This May, the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), in cooperation with the Vargas Museum, and with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), launches two major exhibitions that serve as artistic contributions to the goal of promoting meaningful and transformative elections in the Philippines.

In Everyday Filipino Heroes, artworks from dozens of artists send a collective message that elections are not about looking for saviors or heroes, because they are already all around - and within - us. Images of their original works will also be used for outdoor banners that will line the University’s famed acacia-sheltered Academic Oval, and create a parallel public art exhibit that engages in a relaxed and non-intimidating environment.

Then in Dekalogo, ten Salingpusa artists (Elmer Borlongan, Manny Garibay, Anthony Palomo, Karen Flores, Jose Santos III, Cris Villanueva, Jim Orencio, Tammy Tan, Neil Manalo and Ferdie Montemayor) reflect on Apolinario Mabini’s “ten commandments” for Filipinos. Their interpretations will then be incorporated with Mabini’s words to create ten thought-provoking “Vote Wisely” posters that will be made available as high-resolution files, and downloadable for free on the Internet, as affordable pieces of socially-relevant art.

It is CANVAS’ hope that these two initiatives will somehow help to fulfill the national dream for meaningful, relevant and truly transformative elections.

Both exhibits open at 4pm on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at the Vargas Museum of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, and will run until May 31, 2010.

See you there!