Partners in Art: Payuhuan nu Kapaypinta
(Excerpts from my 1st Newsletter)
We’re excited about the partnership between Fúndacion Pacita, DepEd, the Provincial Government, the Congressional District Office & the US Fulbright Scholar. In the 4 months since February we have:
a. Held the 1st Pacita Abad Painting Competition.
b. Graduated 278 elementary, high school, college & OSY youth from the basic arts training and photography programs.
c. Held intensive programs in Basco, Mahatao, Sabtang & Itbayat.
d. Trained 11 trainers and assistant trainers as peer teachers.
e. Opened the 1st Ivatan Youth Arts Exhibit and the Ivatan Arts Training Center.
f. Formed an indigenous arts association, Yaru nu Ivatan Artists with 25 members & over PHP 60,000 in commissions.
g. Developed meaningful partnerships with the Museo Pambata, the CCP, the NCCA and well known Filipino and international artists and foundations.
h. Held a community show and auctioned over PHP 27,000 on eBay to international art collectors.
Lots more wonderful things are happening, including the long awaited community arts education classes, so read on. Most importantly, we’d like to thank the many educators, parents, artists and ordinary Ivatans out there who helped with our work and given hope and taste of the arts to hundreds of art hungry and talented kids. Indigenous artist and winner of the Pacita Abad Painting competition Leslie Villegas said:
“An artist is like a cup. Every time you support our work, you fill that cup. Every time you smile, every kind word fills that cup. Thank you for filling our cups.”
Support our work! Order a Foundation T-shirt for only $6 US or PHP 250.

Noel Cabangon Opens 1st Visual Arts Training Center in Basco
On June 24th, with the help of the Batanes Heritage Foundation Inc, and the cooperation of the NCIP, the foundation opened the Ivatan Visual Arts Training Center.

A crowd of 300+ kids and parents were wowed by folk singer Noel Cabangon who came all the way from Manila.
Guests of honor included Bishop Gregorio, Governor Gato, Congresswoman Abad, Attny. Butch Abad, Mayor Viola, Mayor Ibanez and Mayor Ibay. Recognition of the 278 basic training participants followed at DepEd.

1st Art Auction on EBay Earns PHP 27,000
The youth artists of Batanes held their first Internet art auction on EBay, the world’s biggest online auction site from July 3-16; with the 11 artists who joined earning over PHP 27,000 from international art collectors.

12-year old Rhodelyn Come, pictured working on the Basco mural above, was the first to sell a painting to a collector in San Francisco. Her total earnings for two paintings came to PHP 2,000.
18-year-old Jaypee Portez sold two abstracts to Australia for a total of PHP 7,000
A surreal work by 22-year-old Xavier Abelador sparked a bidding war, earning a whopping PHP 7, 200 from a Manila collector.

Over 30% of all art sold, a record for the sponsors and a promising start for Ivatans.

To commission your own painting, directly from us, email me!

278 Graduates in Basco, Itbayat, Sabtang & Mahatao
11 Trainers and Assistant Trainers worked hard this summer peer teaching over 278 elementary, high-school, college and out of school youth in Basco, Itbayat, Sabtang and Mahatao.

The one-week intensive course included modules in drawing, color theory, portraiture, mixed media and modern art; researched and developed by the trainers and presented via multimedia slides and hands on demonstrations.
Each group also completed a mural for exhibition in the Museo Pambtata in Manila.
Sponsored by DepEd, trainers were housed in local schools and fed courtesy of the LGUs and PCTA associations.
Graduations included cultural celebrations and a creative costume contest with indigenous materials.

Parents in each town also worked together to offer all a graduation feast of local foods. A great time was had by all.

On July 1, Intermediate Seminars began in the Fúndacion Pacita Abad, with classes in drawing, painting, collage, silk screening and photography.
Led by Fulbright Scholar, Margarita Garcia and Lead Trainers, Xavier Abelador (FEATI graduate in Fine Arts) and Olan Gonzales (a well known resident artist) the popular classes welcomed children 8-18 as well as high school, Out-of School Youth and adult community members.
Youth trainers also included those from the summer trainings: Jaypee Portez, Teresa Gordo, Javier Ponce, Rhodelyn Come and Ray Cabizon.
To sign up, drop by the visual arts training center and speak with Olan or Xavier. All tuition and materials have been sponsored by the Office of the Congresswoman and the Office of the Provincial Governor.

Karasic Foundation Funds Multimedia Center in Itbayat

The Canadian based Karasic foundation continued their generous support of the people of Itbayat by recently approving a grant of $10,000 USD to leverage the existing computer labs on the remote island of Itbayat into a multimedia arts training center and for art materials for additional basic trainings throughout Itbayat. Through the kind assistance of the Give2Asia foundation and with the help of the Department of Education, Batanes, the Yaru nu Arts Ivatan expects to begin planning and implementation in September.

Although very generous, the grant does will not cover trainers or other implementing staff, so we are currently seeking sponsors to make the dream of multimedia trainings in Itbayat a reality.

Basic art trainings are planned in the Itbayat Central School, Raele and Yawran. Over 150+ children, youth, adults and educators are expected to be reached by this program.

Yaru nu Arts and Culture Ivatan

All of this incredible work by the children and people of Batanes has caught national and international attention.
On the national level, the Museo Pambata, the national children’s museum is interested in sponsoring an exhibit in the fall in Manila, the Cultural Center of the Philippines is supporting our work as well and the NCCA has agreed to send advanced trainers for National Arts month in February.
On the international level, arts collectors have responded positively to Ivatan work, Princess Cruise lines is considering featuring Ivatan work at their international arts auctions and the Kalinawa, Karasic and Pacita Abad foundations continue to generously support our work.
On the local level, we are doing our part by forming an arts association and council, the Yaru nu Arts Ivatan to support all this work, at the suggestion of the NCCA.
Over 25 interested members have been identified. If you would like to join, or help out please contact us.