International Ilonggo visual artists to mount exhibit
Cris Villanueva, Joel Ferraris and PG Zoluaga, all Ilonggo and internationally acclaimed visual artists will mount an exhibit at the Art Republic, Robinson's Iloilo from July 28 to August 28, 2006. Dubbed SoJourn 2, the exhibit is organized by the Scintilla Juris -- Visayas Alumni Association (SJVAA) as one of its undertakings for the Scintilla Juris Visayas 30th Anniversary Celebrations.
According to Labor Arbiter Roderick Joseph Calanza, president of SJVAA, SoJourn2 will elevate the region's (Western Visayas) awareness of the potential and achievements of our native artists.
"Aside from the arts and culture aspect, the exhibit will facilitate the sourcing and distribution of books on livelihoods and livelihood projects for schools and communities," Calanza said.
"We have observed that schools and communities especially in Iloilo City and Iloilo Province need additional books on livelihoods and livelihood projects. In our own little way we can be with these schools and communities in the struggle against the current economic challenges," he further said.
"SoJourn2 can also be a way to make the visual arts more relevant to the final patrons-at-large who are the people," Calanza added.
SoJourn1 was mounted in 1996 and extended assistance to the orphans and the homeless elderly in Iloilo City.
SoJourn2 is also a reunion of sort for the three artists who used to work together during their student days at UP.
Crispin Villanueva has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Communications-Advertising) degree from the University of the Philippines. He won the Phillip Morris Philippine Arts Awards Grand Prize in 2005. He was part of the Pistahan Arts Exchange at the Art Lane, San Francisco, California. He was art director of the advertising firm Image Dimension.
Joel Eugenio Ferraris is a muralist based in Hong Kong. He has mounted mural exhibitions and has served as resource person in multimedia workshops in the Philippines and Hong Kong. His awards come from the Sovereign Art Foundation Annual Asian Art Competition for Asia Pacific, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Philippine Heart Center for Asia, Metrobank, Association for the Release of Political Detainees of the Philippines. He is a peace advocate and a strong proponent of the Catholic housing initiative Gawad Kalinga (GK).
PG Boyet Zoluaga is both visual artist and musician. He was the 1998 Philippine Arts Awards Jurors' Choice winner, the 1999 Philippine representative to the ASEAN Arts Awards in Hanoi, Vietnam, and had the 1998 Best Entry in the Centennial Painting Competition of the Art Association of the Philippines. He was production designer for the world-renowned Tribu Bola-Bola and Dagyaw Theater and Dance Company from 1994-1998 and is production designer for Pintados de Passi.