Today’s patrons of the arts  

Throughout history, patrons of the arts have played a pivotal role in the support and growth of arts and culture. From wealthy individuals and families to corporations and government agencies, patrons have sustained artists in their continuous effort to create great works of art.

In the early days of the Renaissance, for example, patrons such as the Medici family in Florence were instrumental in commissioning and supporting the work of some of the greatest artists of the time, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. These patrons helped create a vibrant artistic culture in Florence that continues to inspire and amaze people.

Royalty, nobles and wealthy individuals used patronage of the arts to endorse their political ambitions, social positions, to gain respectability and prestige and to cleanse wealth that was perceived to be ill-gotten. The Roman Catholic Church, and later on groups of the Protestant church, commissioned artworks and architectural treasures, evidenced by the masterful works present in cathedrals, sculptures and paintings of the era.

In more recent times, patrons of the arts have continued to play an important role in supporting the arts. For example, in the United States, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) provides grants to arts organizations and artists across the country. These grants help to support a wide range of artistic activities, from theater productions to museum exhibits to community arts programs.

In the Philippines, Imelda Marcos played a major role in the development of arts and culture. She oversaw the construction of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine High School for the Arts, and also commissioned works and provided financial assistance to Filipino artists to create their works.

The Rustan’s Group’s Nedy Tantoco founded the CCP Foundation, which supports the programs and activities of the Cultural Center. She philanthropically donates money to the Center, the Metropolitan Museum and commissions works by Filipino artists for the international stage. To this day, she is one of the key figures keeping Filipino opera alive.

The Cultural Center has been home to so many artists and artistic companies soon after its doors opened in 1969, with Dr. Lucretia Kasilag as artistic director. I was fortunate to be one of the first presented, when the Alice Reyes Modern Dance Company performed at the CCP in February 1970. It was renamed as the CCP Dance Company, and was the first to become a Resident Company.

Returning several times to its theaters to mount and oversee productions of my own ballets after I retired, I felt that it was time to see other cultural centers rise in the various regional centers of education and business enterprise. Toward this end, as National Artist for Dance, I wanted to travel all around the country for a first-hand study of how dance was doing, regionally and nationally. The pandemic put an end to this plan, as it did to so many other things in our lives.

But fortunately, then NCCA chair Nick Lizaso and CCP president Margie Moran Floirendo spearheaded the Professional Dance Support Program which, through grants, enabled professional dancers who applied to keep training and dancing. It also gave young choreographers the incredible opportunity to keep creating new works. A video of 11 new works of the culminating series “DANCE ON!” was streamed online and watched by over 30,000 viewers in two weeks’ time.

The next year this program, now under the CCP’s Arts Education Department, was expanded to Professional Artist Support Program or PASP, with a strong focus on regional participants.

The Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) was formed with the mission of promoting a sustainable dance company committed to building a body of innovative dance works and bringing the masterpieces of the Filipino dance repertoire under its care to regional stages to inspire and engage a wide range of audiences.

Very quickly we were able to step in with a live production, Tuloy ang Pasko, at the CCP Main Theater when protocols allowed theaters to be opened again in December 2021.

Chris Millado, invited to direct theatrical events to celebrate the 130th anniversary of Jose Rizal’s landing in Dapitan, found the patronage of Governor Rosalina Jalosjos to sponsor the launch of this new group in Zamboanga del Norte, miles away from the Cultural Center in Pasay, in July 2022.

Dance teachers and students from Zamboanga del Sur and other municipalities traveled miles to watch the performances. What an exhilarating and inspiring exchange for all!

That was the beginning of a new partnership between the ARDP and local government units in Mindanao, Luzon and the Visayas. LGUs have become the new patrons of the arts in the Philippines.

Mayor Baby Armi Alvarez and Vice Mayor Nestor Alvarez, on first name basis with generations of artists and arts managers from years of bringing artistic companies to the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, welcomed the ARPD/PASP artists last May. We held dance workshops and performances with three dance groups from the Central Luzon State University with great success. There are now plans to bring the company back for the Filipino Christmas offering Puso ng Pasko in December 2023.

Former governor Chiz Escudero had initiated plans for us to hold a dance residency at his newly built cultural center in Sorsogon – until the pandemic came and put everything on hold. We look forward to re-starting discussions with the new governor, Edwin Jamor.

Mayor Raymund Tongson Jr. and Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao determined they would bring the ARDP to their city of Himamaylan in Negros Occidental and did everything to make it happen. They were blessed with two men who knew what they were doing, Bundo Daemas, special assistant to the mayor’s office for special events, and Butch Gensaya, director of tourism. Together these officers took care of all details, from putting up needed wooden floors on the gym stage to introducing the dancers to laswa soup for breakfast, to the best place in Himamaylan to go for brewed coffee and city talk.

What a wonderful place to open our 2023 Visayan tour, which was organized by CCP’s Cultural Exchange Dept. manager Chinggay Bernardo.

The Himamaylan SPA dancers led by their choreographer Eljay Brilliantes joined our evening programs with verve, after participating in two dance workshops held by Ronelson Yadao, ARDP artistic director, and our young choreographer Erl Sorilla. We also featured a 12-year-old violinist and the unique Himamaylan bamboo band, Patik Kawayan, whose scintillating rhythms filled the entire space as audiences came into the theater.

Tonight we perform in Dumaguete, at the Silliman University Theater, after a workshop with local dance students.

Congressman Kiko Benitez and Mayor Albee Benitez made sure Bacolod was on our 2023 Visayan tour. Dance workshops, a performance at the La Salle Auditorium and interaction with their dance community are scheduled for this weekend, with Georgette Sanchez-Vargas’ dance group in the program. We are delighted that NCCA chair Ino Manalo will fly in and hold a welcome dinner for all the performing artists.

Our tour ends in Ormoc with the popular team of Congressman Richard Gomez and Mayor Lucy Gomez hosting our performance and dance workshop.

My heart brims with joy and excitement at what the horizon holds for artists and artistic companies.  Everywhere we went, the talk was what to do next, whom they would invite and bring in next and when we would come back. Already, plans are being made, as we go to print, about ARDP continuing to send teachers for one- or two-week dance residencies in Himamaylan.

Indeed, we have found new patrons of the arts in our local government executives all over the country. Mabuhay ang Sining at Kultura natin!

*   *   *

Alice Reyes is National Artist for Dance.