Carcar Heritage Sociecty bares On-the-Spot Painting Competition Winners

The Carcar Heritage Conservation Society (CHCS) recently announced the winners of the 18th Martino Abellana On-the-Spot Painting Competition.

A total of 99 professional and amateur artists from Cebu, Visayas and Mindanao gathered in Carcar last May 29 to paint 34 heritage houses from the Spanish colonial and American periods located in the old town center and in barangays Vallaolid and Ocaña.

Cebu City-based artist Tony Alcoseba won the grand prize in Professional Category for his painting of the Galicano ancestral house in Luan-Luan, P. Vasquez Street. Marlowe T. Villagonzalo won second place with his depiction of the Mercado-Lucero house on Dr. J. Rizal Street and Jun Impas won third place for his painting of the Cui ancestral house on Upper General Luna Street.

Professional Category finalists were Edgar "Gary" Carabio, Christopher Java, Fred Galan, Sofronio de la Cerna, and Jose Mari Picornell.

The Amateur Category grand prize winner was Walter Vestil with his painting of the Mercado-Guitierrez house. Kenny Abigail Badana won second prize for his painting of the Sandiego house and Rosuro J. Ugang won third prize for his depiction of Balay na Tisa.

Finalists in the amateur category were Jay Rommel Labra, Warlen Rodriguez, Darby Vincent Alcoseba, Randy Nocos and Gil F. Balbuena, Jr.

Every year, the best professional and amateur artists in the Visayas and Mindanao gather in Carcar to compete in Cebu's biggest and most prestigious on-the-spot painting competition to commemorate the memory of the late dean of Cebuano painters Martino Abellana. Abellana was a giant in Cebu's art world and was the teacher, mentor and prominent influence to many of the established and well known professional artists in Cebu and Manila today.

International award-winning painter, Romulo Galicano, grand prize winner of the 2005 Draper Prize and a Martino Abellana protégé was the chairman of the panel of judges which consisted of businessman and art collector Bunny Pages,  Rev. Fr. Dominador Besares, OSA and artist and architect Jose "Kimsoy" Yap.

Established in 1990, the competition is held annually in Carcar, Martino Abellana's hometown and is open to all professional and amateur artists.