See you at Reposo!
Last Wednesday, I woke up with only one desire: To eat clams washed down with Pinot Grigio for lunch. I knew exactly where to go for those, too. So I called up my friend Rose and the two of us went to Caruso, the marvelous Italian restaurant at the ground floor of LRI Design Plaza. This is one of my favorite mini-malls in town. It’s a creative person’s paradise. There are lovely things that you can look at there. Wonderful furniture, great paintings, fun jewelry. I think LRI has not been discovered by enough people.
After lunch, we walked around and at the back I discovered a dance studio. I had been looking for one ever since I decided I would take dance lessons for exercise. I would look for a dance studio that offers a twice- or thrice-a-week thing and enroll there. There used to be one around the corner from me, but when I went there to enroll, it was gone. Apparently, it had moved here. Okay, I can take lessons now. “Cool!” my grandsons would say.
These days, if you are building or remodeling or just refurnishing your house, you have to go visit what used to be Reposo Street, now Nicanor Garcia Avenue. There you will find an assortment of things you need — from bathroom fixtures to tiles, from furnishings to paintings. I particularly enjoy going to LRI Design Plaza and poking into its restaurants, visiting the assortment of friends I’ve made there, and now even going for dance lessons.
That’s how I strayed into the arms of my friends who invited me once more to be part of their annual fiesta. They have this every year I think, though I know for sure I did not join it last year. That’s how they gave me all this information that I am sharing with you. Please come. It will be a visual feast. You will walk up and down the street and poke into all sorts of art booths. Minimally, it will be most interesting.
On Friday, May 29 and every day until Sunday, May 31, Grupo Reposo, composed of various business establishments along the street, the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA), LRI Design Plaza, and RiccoRenzo Gallery will hold another street fair, which they call “Mahalin Sariling Sining —A Visual Art Fest.” The group has worked closely with the City of Makati and Barangay Bel-Air to turn Reposo St. into the art center of Makati’s commercial district.
This is going to be bigger than the past art festivals held here. They will build artists booths along the street where you can inquire and buy art of the widest price range. They have invited artists to participate and sell their wares so come for a walk and bring lots of money. I decided to join so I will have on sale funky jewelry I made myself and my watercolors. I think I will ask my friend, Sunny Garcia, to join me and help me mind the store. But I am only one of the artists. The others are Rico, Miro and Patricia Lascano, Joey Ibay, Blaine San Luis, Fitz Herrera, Demi Padua, Ferdinand Doctolero, Ramon Diaz, Isabel Diaz, Jojo Sulsse, Choei, Ramiscal, Magbanua, Jemina, Jocson, Nuestro, Gerry Ingco, Cid Reyes, Norli Memban, and Noel Rile. These are the artists who will have booths outside called the “Pulong Sining.”
That’s for the art that pleases your eyes. For that which pleases your tummy, they will put tables in the parking area in front of LRI and turn it into a chef’s area, where the visitors can come to eat delicious dishes prepared by guest chefs Ely Allba, Ziggy Segunial, Claire Estrella, and Hasset Go. If that gets crowded you can eat at Caruso, or L’Incontro or Alliance Francaise directly across the street, where they have a lemon tart to die for.
On Friday, May 29, an art exhibit of the works of 29 young women artists who joined the competition “Pagalingan Pinay” will be opened by Mayor Jejomar Binay and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. On May 30, Alliance Francaise de Manille will be showing French movies for free in their auditorium.
There are many art lectures and workshops available for free for children and adults on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, including a lecture on Federico Aguilar-Alcuaz on Sunday at 2 p.m. If you want to know the lineup, inquire at 895-1772, 890-3988 and 895-4516.
I don’t mind saying I am excited about this event, the preparation, the setting up, the running, the flow of the entire activity. You never know what will happen, who of your old friends you will see, how much you will sell. Nevertheless, it is something to look forward to. At the very least, I might be able to sneak out and get my favorite clam dish washed down with Pinot Grigio yet again.
Mark it in your date books. Three days. Next weekend from 12 noon to 8 p.m. See you there!
