ArtPetron book launch / Bea Camacho art show / Chile sculptor exhibits

Eminent art critic and professor Dr. Alice Guillermo wrote Brushstrokes from the Heart which was launched by ArtPetron recently. The coffee table book is on masterpieces by young contestants in Petron’s national art competitions in the last five years.

Herewith is the speech of Petron’s Chairman Nicasio I. Alcantara at the launching:

Since its introduction in 2000, ArtPetron has become a major venue for young Filipino artists to showcase their talent while giving tribute to the country’s rich cultural traditions and natural wonders. From its humble beginnings as a new way of producing material for the Petron wall calendar, this competition has taken a life of its own and has given us many examples of creative genius from the next generation of artists.

The book Brushstrokes from the Heart is the first on Filipino youth artistry that highlights the winning paintings and photos of our ArtPetron contestants. The book also shares the heartwarming stories of winners and their unique experiences in ArtPetron. You will read the story of Ricky, the oldest son of separated parents whose mother works abroad, forcing him to fend for and look after his brother and sister. Poverty didn’t deter him from following his dream to be an artist. It in fact encouraged him. His win in ArtPetron opened many doors and he now works as a graphic designer in a prestigious company.

Here we also share the passion of James, who had to rise above his father’s untimely death and help his family by joining art competitions. ArtPetron was one of the first contests that recognized his talents. He used part of his prize money for a computer and part of it for his family’s needs. More than the monetary benefit, ArtPetron gave him a newfound confidence to overcome life’s trials. These are just a few success stories you will find in the book written by well-known art critic Dr. Alice Guillermo.

Through this book we also pay tribute to the young artists who share with us their most creative masterpieces through ArtPetron. As ArtPetron touched their lives, so too have they touched the lives of thousands of our stakeholders.

I would like to re-affirm our commitment to inspire our young generation to master their craft while at the same time giving them the means to achieve their dreams.

These brief remarks were given by President/CEO Khalid Al-Faddagh:

Over the years, ArtPetron has managed to carve out a reputation for being the most prestigious and multi-awarded art competition in the Philippines. The program has earned such credence that some schools have even included ArtPetron entries as requirements in certain courses.

Equally important is that ArtPetron has blossomed into a noble advocacy program geared towards promoting Philippine art, culture, traditions, and positive values.

But above all, I believe ArtPetron reflects the unique artistry of the Filipino people. I have witnessed three ArtPetron events since I joined this company in 2003, and each year, I would always be amazed at how these very young Filipino artists are able to come up with such profound masterpieces. It would always make me proud that Petron is greatly instrumental in honing the inherent creativity of the Filipinos in general.

The ArtPetron coffee table book says it all. It perfectly shows how much the program has evolved, how deeply it has touched lives, and what magnificent artists the Filipinos are. More importantly, the book affirms why we need to carry on with this program.

And so this year, we continue the fine ArtPetron tradition by celebrating Filipino artistry itself as a whole through the theme "Alay sa Sining Pilipino" or ‘A Tribute to Filipino Artistry’.

Here, our young participants will highlight both folk and indigenous Philippine arts through their masterpieces. The theme honors Filipino ingenuity and creativity. It highlights the distinctive flair of the indigenous Filipino. The intricate motif of hand-woven cloth, the sculpture on metal, the patterns on jars, the carvings on wood, the contours of a piece of jewelry – in all these, the intrinsic Filipino originality is underscored.

As always, we expect to receive hundreds of beautiful paintings and photographs by college and art students for ArtPetron 6, out of which 24 masterpieces will make it to the 2007 Petron calendar. And once again, ArtPetron would have helped launch another generation of future masters who will further enrich the Philippines’ artistic and cultural heritage.

I wish to encourage you to keep partnering with us, as you do now, in fueling Filipino creativity and excellence through ArtPetron.

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Bea Camacho, named one of Harvard U.’s most talented visual artists for 2005, will open her first solo exhibit "Blind Transmission" on Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the CCP Small Gallery.

The exhibit, which ends April 16, is especially timed to coincide with International Women’s Month worldwide. It will include the artist’s work in video, photography, sculpture, installation and performance. To be curated by Roberto Chabet, former CCP Museum director, the show addresses ideas of distance, connection and disconnection, communication and miscommunication, transcience and portability, implicit and explicit experience.

Bea graduated from Harvard U. in 2005 with an AB Honors degree summa cum laude in Visual and Environmental Studies. She received the Albert Alcalay Award from the Harvard Visual and Environmental Studies Department, and the David McCord Prize Achievement in the Arts. In 2004, she received the Richard R. Solomon Grant from Harvard U.’s Arts Office.

From 2002 to 2005, Bea joined various group exhibits/screenings in Cambridge, Massachussetts. In 2006, her exhibit "New Works" was shown in Museo Iloilo. She has been featured in the Harvard Advocate, commencement and winter issues, the Harvard Crimson, and several local publications.

Bea is the oldest daughter of former Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho, currently Vice Chairman for Credit Suisse First Boston (Asia) and Mrs. Kim Camacho.

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Chilean Ambassador Jorge Montero invites art lovers to "Human Armor", an exhibition of sculptures by Carolina Montero from March 7-14 at Ayala Museum.

N.B. In the tribute to Enrique Syquia, the word sobrasaliente should have been sobresaliente.