In anticipation of its 2008 Centennial celebration, the UP College of Fine Arts (CFA) will hold “UP with Art!”, a one-day art fair on Saturday, September 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College premises in Diliman, Quezon City.
“We wanted an activity that would showcase the range and diversity of works of students, faculty and alumni in the academic environment that has nurtured, and continues to look after the talent and creative spirit of the young Filipino artist,” said Tina P. Colayco, CFA dean. “Every classroom will become a gallery and live studio. And everyone will have a chance to view art, buy art and even create art. ”
The Art Fair will also serve as a homecoming as many CFA alumni will attend and participate as guests and exhibitors. Among the prominent artists in the lineup are three National Artists Napoleon Abueva, Bencab and Abdul Mari Imao. Other well known alumni expected to join fellow artists for fellowship and interaction painting activities are Araceli Dans, Anita Magsaysay Ho, Celia Diaz Laurel, Pitoy Moreno, Norberto Carating, Alfredo Liongoren and Impy Pilapil.
The art activities scheduled for the day are ceramic and printmaking lectures and workshops, sketching sessions with the UP CFA Alumni Association, interaction painting by CFA class batches, film showings, and informal discussions on art with UP CFA art scholars Prof. Santiago Pilar and Prof. Ruben D.F. Defeo
As part of its fund raising activities, CFA will sell artworks, art books and products designed by industrial design students. Proceeds of the sale will go to the upgrade of UP CFA’s facilities, particularly student lounges, pedestrian walkways between buildings, the rehabilitation of classrooms and computer labs as well as faculty development.
Dean Colayco is inviting alumni and friends of the College of Fine Arts to help and support UP CFA on its 100th anniversary. Alumni can pool their resources, or individually sponsor any of the projects that will improve and upgrade the instructional facilities, or donate to the faculty development fund.
Steeped in history, CFA dates its early beginnings to the early 19th century. Its precursor was the Academia de Dibujo and then the Escuela de Bellas Artes (Pintura,Escultura y Grabado). In 1908, when the UP was established, the School of Fine Arts was one of the units originally chartered as part of the founding of the institution.
So far CFA has produced 9 National Artists, among them Fernando Amorsolo, Guillermo Tolentino, Carlos V. Francisco, Vicente S. Manasala, Cesar T. Legaspi, Jose Joya, Napoleon Abueva , Abdul Mari Imao and Bencab.
In the fields of illustration, graphic design and advertising, industrial design, fashion and other allied arts, CFA has produced such illustrious names as Malang, Larry Alcala, Jess Abrera, Ramon Jimenez and Pitoy Moreno.
The schedule of activities for the CFA’s celebration of the university’s centennial is fast filing up. The UP Landmarks Sketchbook exhibit will be launched at the Philippine Center in New York City in the latter part of the year. The show will then travel to Paris before being mounted in the Philippines.
The original Escuela de Bellas Artes will be revisited by CFA students and alumni as it sees completion in 2008 courtesy of the land group of Mr. Jose Acuzar. Exhibitions bannered under the “The Nurturing of the Filipino Artist: Mentors and Mentored” will be organized at the National Museum, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Throughout the year, there will also be Centennial lectures by prominent alumni artists from here and abroad.
For updates, log on to www.up-cfa.com