Art aficionados venture into the gallery business

CEBU, Philippines - Three art lovers recently opened a premium art gallery as their first business venture, aiming to provide an avenue for artists to showcase their creative works.

The Contemporary Art Gallery was opened last February 12 with its inaugural exhibition of Sio Montera.

The group behind the gallery is composed of JV Castro as art curator, Anne Lacson as managing director and Hara Vian See as public relations and communications director.

See said in an interview that the Philippine artistry needs more exposure and venue to showcase and promote the various works of local artists.

Currently, she said that there are about four to five art galleries in Cebu.

She added that the new gallery was actually inspired by the modern and industrial concept of houses and buildings at present.

Although it is intended to promote and appreciate contemporary art, she noted that the group does not just expose any artwork as everything undergoes the watchful eye of the gallery’s curator.

Castro has established his career as an art curator for four years and has created more than 50 international and national exhibits.

He also shared the same sentiment with See, saying that the real estate boom in the country primarily drives the growth of the Philippine art industry.

“Buildings and condominiums are sprouting like mushrooms. Of course, you need artworks in rooms for every floor.  More foreign and local investors are coming in. There is also that growth in the middle-income market thus increasing their spending capacity and purchasing power,” he told The Freeman.

He cited that the establishment of The Contemporary Art Gallery is designed to serve as a purveyor of fine art for collectors and art enthusiasts.

“Managing a gallery entails understanding and appreciation of arts. Art should be approached in an intellectual and artistic manner. What we need is quality control,” he added.

Castro said that the artworks strongly reflect the profound shift in Visayan visual arts from the conservative realist style to the groundbreaking contemporary approach.

“There’s a demand for contemporary art. It resonates the present,” he continued.

Montera’s “DefiniSIOn” is this year’s first authentic fine art exhibition done by a local artist in Cebu, featuring 19 masterpieces of his 2013 edition of abstract expressionism.

Castro described Montera’s paintings as mostly focused on abstracted commentaries of episodes in society that shape the present and influence the future. 

Montera has been famous for his large-scale abstract expressionist paintings in both local and global art scenes.

Carrying art pieces from international and local artists, exhibits in The Contemporary Art Gallery will usually run for three to four weeks.

“DefiniSIOn” will run from February 12 to March 2. 

After Montera, the art gallery shall showcase the works of Tito Cuevas who is considered to be the Father of Abstract Expressionism in Cebu.

The 60-square meter gallery is situated at the 2nd Floor of Design Center of Cebu in AS Fortuna Street, Mandaue City.  (FREEMAN)