Mailing address: 160 Centre Avenue, Secaucus,
NJ 07094 * tel/fax (201) 863-5888 * email: durezart@aol.com
Society of Philippine American Artists at the web:
http://www.spaa.netfirms.com
Greetings Fellow Artists,
Another year went by and another year of challenges
are ahead of us.
For the Records:
Congratulations to all those who joined exhibits
last year in solo or group. We know the deal when it comes to
joining orputting up an exhibit. It takes a lot of work and
expense. I also thank you all for the generous support of our
activities. Let me take just a quick look back at 2004;
Manila Show at GSIS Museum, Manila
14 artists each of the SPAA and the AAP comprised the 40 artworks.
There's no plan to exhibit there this year. Our thanks go to
Mr. Eric Zerrudo, the museum director, Lenore Lim's sister who
donated half the cost of cocktail food and drinks, Manny and
Linda Bamboa, our unofficial hosts who brought in an impressive
crowd and libation to boot, and to Dean Raul Sunico, of the
University of Santo Tomas Consevatory of Music, who opened the
show.
SPAA 11th Annual Show
This main event is always well atended and it was no
exception last year especially with Mrs. Lilly O'Boyle, author
and civic leader, as Guest of HOnor. Thanks too to the crew
of artists who helped set up paintings and served refreshments.
SPAA-APPNY Party
This was a great coming together of artists and doctors whom
we hope to cultivate as art patrons (we're getting there). Artist
and Dr. Rey Reyes, APPNY president, vowed to
host it again this year.
Picnic by the lake
Hosts Dr. Mars and Cora Custodio spared nothing to make the
party quite memorable. We really wished you all were there.
However, they may move to another location on the same lakefront
in Hopatkong, NJ, so we'll see if we could feast on the food
and vista once again. We also hope for a repeat of the boat
ride tour with Captain Mars at the helm. They ar enow on a medical
mission in the Philippines.
The SPAA was among the sponsors of Parangal
kay Mang Maning last June. We appreciate the personal
efforts of Eva Florentino, Lenore Lim and Teresa Rodriguez,
and especially the Rodriguez clan of artists. It was a retrospective
art show with a video presentation about his life and works.
Consul General Cecilia Rebong, who organized
the tribute, presented him the Bayani ng Bayan Award as the
Father of Printmaking in the Philippines. Recently the SPAA,
which Mr.Manuel Rodriguez founded, also nominated
him for the National ARtist Award, the highest tribute to an
artist by the Rebuplic of the Philippines. He finally qualified
this year after reclaiming his Filipino citizenshop last June.
We wish our nomination and that of the Philippine Printmaking
Association, which hw also founded, will get the nod of the
jury and President Arroyo in March. This award is conferred
every three years.
In a Tribute to Pacita Abad last January,
we also co-sponsored the mass and reception at the Kalayaan
Hall for a former New York artist who blazed her way to world
renown as an Asian artist of great orginality and vigor. This
tribute was courtesy of the Consue general Cecilia Rebong, and
Philippine Center Management. Ms. Teresa Rodriguez , and friends
and family of Pacita. She succumbed to cancer int he prime of
her career, in Singapore where she had taken up residence for
many years. We last met her at a Symposium and solo show Montclair
University, NJ in 2001.
2004 Christmas Party at the Philippine Pastoral
Center at the upper East Side was a most enjoyable afternoon.
There were musical numbers, line dancing, and of course tsibugan
and some suprises! We missed Mang Maning, our last year's Santa.
Instead of exchanbging figts, we passed a collection box and
drew lots as whose favorite charity will the money go. And voila,
the lucky recipient was the Philippine Pastoral Center, the
NYC home of San Lorenzo Ruiz.
WE SALUTE: members who earned honors:
Lenore RS Lim - for the Pamana
ng Pilipino Award in December 2004 at a ceremony
held at Malacanang Palace, Lenore also had a succesful print
show in Manila in addition to the SPAA show at GSIS Museum,
then down at Paul Sharpe Contemporary ARt Gallery at Soho last
November in which she launced her book on prints, Profound
Afterglow. The handsome volume will be out of the presses
soon.
Jose Dureza (moi), was among the 100
Outstanding Alumni of the Century, in the Arts and
Culture during the Centennial celebration of the University
of San Agustin, in Iloilo City, Philippines, in July 2004. Joe
also held a retrospective show : Coming Home" at the newly
opened gallery of the U. of Sand Agustin. He also gave a talk
tothe ARchitecture students and conducted watercolor painting
demonstration to the ARchitecture and Fine Arts students. Joe
is the first registered architect to graduate there and later
elected to the College of Fellows of the United Architects of
the Philippines (UAP).
While in Kalibo, Aklan, Joe was guest of the Aklan Visual ARtists
Society which was eager to know how the other part of this world
is doing.
Lito Ballesteros, also was Outstanding Alumnus
in his hometown high school in the Philippines and will be showing
works there this year; Washigton DC based Nilo Santiago
was honored by the Society of American Illustrators and the
US Air Force with a show in Manhattan last November.
Many more of our members are marking milestone intheir art
here and abroad and at times at scorching pace, at my age anyway.
The Brown Strokes in White Canvass Series
of Julian Oteyza, come to mind. Julian
and Linda Pironne will tell us more at the Palabok
(Filipino noodle favorite) at the Philippine Center, and about
Julian"s participation in an international art event in
India.
Other artists won prizes in the 51th Annual Regional show of
the Hudson Artist of NJ, in Bayonne, NJ. Lito David
second in Watercolor and major price at the Garden State Watercolor
Society, in NJ. Luis Caraos won Fourth Place
in oil painting and Cesar delos Santosan Honorable
Mention in oil painting. Many more members need to be mentioned
here as soon as we get more information.. Dulcie Dee
opened here show in Janurary to start off the new year, her
first major show after moving back to Big Apple. SPAA members
were also in Washnigton DC for two shows at the Martin Luther
King Library and Philippine Embassy last June. Also in January,
Eva Florentino and Lenor Lim put out for sale their
collection of Filipino artists, many of whom have earned acclaim
in the art scene in Manila and other Asian cities.
Our membership is also growing. This year we will try to reach
out to those who want to join the SPAA. The increase in membership
also resuces our exhibit space at the Centre. We have to find
an alternate venue, or start to be more selective in our future
shows at Philippine Center. We are also reviewing the rules
for admission for membership since we have accepted members
from the Philippines non-Filipinos, whose talents elevate the
overall quality and cultural diversity of our association..
A second show date is also suggested, one tht is "curated"
and juried. Perhaps you could sound off your ideas on this subject
for the general membership meeting in April.
Good News! Consul General Cecilia Rebong and
Mr. Gavino Abaya of the Philippine Center Management have generously
granted the SPAA a permanent exhhibit slot each May starting
2006, and for which we are enormously grateful This 2005 our
12th Annual show will be in July.
At this writing, Dulcie Dee had a succesful
show in January and Palabok is on going and had a great reception
despite the snowstorm. More on these shows later.
Let us continue to pray for the healing of our fellow artists
Ernie Avila, Lito Narvaez,
and Sonia, Eva Florentino's daughter, all of
whom have been undergoing medical treatment for some time. now.
We offer prayers for their recovery. We also extend our best
wishes to Lambert Hechanova and Mike Miguel,
former SPAA members with disabilities and cannot join in our
events that we enjoy so much. We are grateful for Mang
Maning's recovery, and we cannot help but enby his
vigor at 94. His studio is full of workds in progress. Also
we have come to admire Fernando Kabigting (Didi)
who learned to paint with his left hand after a stroke paralyzed
his entire right side and has continued to show with us thanks
to his wife Menchu. This reminds us all to take good care of
ourselves and of one another.
CONGRATULATIONS
PHILIPPINE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR CHARITIES, INC.
, is proud to announce:
DAKILA ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Saturday, March 26, 2005 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
JW Marriott Hotel at 1331 Pennsylvania, Washinton DC
ART & CULTURE: Nilo Santiago - His art played prominent
role in the Air Force of the USA, taught art classes to FilAms
and used his art for fund raising benefits for worthwhile causes.
CALL TO UPDATE RECORDS
We plan to isse a simple souvenir journal for the 12th SPAA
ANNUAL SHOW in July. Each participant will be allowed a page.
The basic page will be an artist's statement, brief bio, and
photos of artist and his/her paintings. Two pages will be ideal
to show more of your works. We could ask friends and sponsors
help cover the printing cost. Since we have no editorial staff
it will be most helpful also to compose your own page at your
desktop computer, or you may cut and paste the old fashioped
way and have it scanned at STaples or Kinkos into a CD. We need
this by April 30. Those who are handy with emails you could
send it as attachment with photos as jpeg on this proposal.
We have been talking about this for years, but this time I believe
we can do it.
SPAA
NEWSLETTER No. 1
- March 2005