By Leilanie G.
Adriano
Staff Reporter
Paoay, Ilocos Norte—Hailed
as the Philippines’ master of art, famous painter Juan Luna has inspired
Ilocanos here to put up the first art gallery in the province in a condemned
Gabaldon-type school building just beside the centuries-old St. Augustine Church
of this town.
Dubbed as “Arte
Luna”, the gallery was officially launched on December 22 with a theme: Paskuami
ditoy (This is our Christmas), showcasing the old Ilocanos’ way of
life when celebrating the season with family and love ones.
Inside the gallery
were several paintings of local artists hanged on wall, some were borrowed art
collections of former first lady and now Rep. Imelda R. Marcos (2nd
district, Ilocos Norte), a nativity scene in old Bethlehem with an Angel
looking at a man and woman holding an infant serves as the focal point of the
stage made of recycled old bricks.
Local and foreign
tourists may get in and take photos free of charge—for now.
Also, a collection
of old Christmas cards, a Christmas movie that dates back in the 1930s
including old photographs of prominent families in Paoay town and the Marcoses
were displayed at the gallery. The rich cultural heritage of the Ilocanos is
also showcased in the gallery, with an old woman demonstrating her skills in
abel Iluko-making, a century-old livelihood of Paoayeños.
But to sustain the
new gallery, Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, who initiated
the said project funded through savings of the provincial government in support
of its “Paoay Kumakaway!” tourism program said an entrance fee of not more than
P50 shall be collected for utility and maintenance. Said fee has already been
approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through the passage of its revised tax
revenue code, commercializing several areas around the Paoay Church to
additional livelihood and more local revenue here.
The much loved
Juan Luna hails from Badoc. But according to the governor, Luna does not belong
only to Badoc as he was the first global Filipino born in Ilocos Norte.
“Since it’s the
first art gallery, we thought it should be Luna. Luna is symbolic of the entire
Philippines. I don’t think we should confine him to Badoc. It’s really our
claim to fame. As Filipinos, he’s the first global Filipino. Luna is the giant
among all the artists that had been produced in Philippines. We’re proud he was
born in Ilocos Norte. That’s not something we need to apologize for,” she said
when asked why the art gallery named after Luna was located in Paoay.
History records
show that Luna first received international attention in 1881 at the Exposicion
Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid when his work, “Larte de Cleopatra,” won the
silver medal. The distinction earned him a scholarship from Ayuntamiento
de Manila. Luna was required to create a painting that would capture the
essence of Philippine history and the painting would have to remain with the
Ayuntamiento.
Luna’s painting to
fulfil this commitment was shipped in 1884 to the same Madrid exposition where
he first won three years earlier, making Luna the first artist to win three
gold medals at the international exhibition.
His entry,
“Spoliarium,” turned out to be the seminal work of his life. It defined him as
a vibrant and gifted painter with the same force that it defined his country’s
fate. The powerful brushstrokes in the masterpiece are said to have inspired
Jose Rizal to write the novel, “Noli Me Tangere,” and set afire the hearts of
the then colonized Filipinos.
She added Arte
Luna is just the beginning of development around the world heritage Paoay
church as the provincial government has caused several improvements and
building construction beside the church.
“We need to be
more upbeat in commercializing the area around Paoay church. It’s important so
that people just don’t come to the church and take photos but we need to
develop commercials sites for tourists to spend their money,” she said.
Photo: Opening of
Arte Luna gallery in Paoay, Ilocos Norte on December 22.
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