How artists are made

MANILA, Philippines - The left side of the brain, according to studies, is associated with analytical thinking; it understands abstractions, it masters speech skills. It’s very linear. When you think about left-brain people, you think of bankers, mathematicians, and scientists.  

The right side of the brain, on the other hand, excels in visual, spatial and intuitive information. When you think of right-brain people, you think of artists, writers, actors — creative people who can process non-verbal information and are not concerned with patterns and equations.

A banker with a great passion for the arts seems to be a paradox — but not for Dr. George S.K. Ty, founder and group chairman of the Metrobank Group of Companies. For this banker, supporting Philippine art — year in and year out, for the past 25 years in fact — is the most natural thing to do.

And all this is not just for art’s sake — but for the nation, too. If art can transform the artist, so, too, can the artist transform the nation.

“The arts can be a powerful tool in developing personal qualities crucial to nation building, qualities such as discipline, dedication and hard work,” says Dr. Ty, who knows by heart the value of hard work and has always believed that art can contribute to social transformation and economic progress.

Thus in 1984, when the country needed an economic and morale boost the most, with rallies on the streets and the economy in shambles after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino the year before, Dr. Ty turned to the arts. He established the annual National Painting Competition as one of the core programs of the Metrobank Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Metrobank Group. And in 2004 it began to include sculpture, architecture and interior design, encompassing major fields in art and design, thus the name Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Competition.

Twenty-five years have passed since. Today you recognize these names as established artists, and they all started with Metrobank Foundation’s art contest — Bobby Feleo, Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Duddley Diaz, Dan Raralio, Alfredo Esquillo, Jr., and Gabby Barredo; and promising architects and designers such as architects Noel Tan, Michael Peña, Jericho Adriano, and interior designers Marybeth Tabaquin-Ting, Jasmine O’yek Sy, Wilhelmina Garcia and April Frigillana.

Last week Metrobank Foundation awarded the 2009 MADE winners. “The winners of this year’s MADE Competition have shown their excellent artistic skills in their works,” Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto M. Sobrepeña says. “We hope that this recognition will help them as they establish their names in their respective fields.”

With competitions in painting, sculpture, architecture and interior design, MADE awarded 11 artists and designers.

Leonardo C. Onia, Jr., a fine arts student of the Far Eastern University, is the grand prize winner of the oil-based medium on canvas category with his work “Byahe.” Leoniel D. Cerbas, an architecture student at the Western Visayas College of Science and Technology in Iloilo City, bagged the second prize for his piece “Pugad,” while full- time artist Cornelius G. Acasio of Singalong, Manila, won the third prize for his painting “First Step.”

For his masterpiece “The Perfect One,” Danilo P. delos Reyes Jr., a full-time artist from Baguio City, was declared the grand prize winner in the water media on paper category of the painting competition. Bulakeño Salvador C. Sierra, also a full-time artist, won the special prize in the same category for his “Banal na Palaisipan.”

Art teacher Teodorico R. Cumagun III from Lipa City took the grand prize in the sculpture competition with his “The Last Tree”; Rochelle Albert G. Manuel, an advertising student also from FEU, bagged the special prize for his work “Bakit Ikaw?”

In the architecture competition, 45-year-old architect John David O. O’Yek was declared the grand-prize winner. His entry “Urban Oasis” incorporates sustainable design principles that enable the homeowners to live a lifestyle without harming the environment.

Interior designer Karina Diana A. Cortez was named the grand-prize winner of the interior design competition for her “Search and Rescue” entry. Interior designer Pauline Joy Cuevas won the special prize for her design “Cool Chic.” Both designs highlight the use of recycled and environmentally friendly materials.

Glass sculptor Noell EL Farol won the Metrobank Foundation Prize for Achievement in Sculpture (MPAS), a special recognition for mid-career sculptors, for his body of work that embodies excellence and dedication to his craft.

The 2009 winners were awarded on Sept. 18 at Le Pavillon in Pasay City. They received cash incentives with the grand-prize winners getting P200,000 each; the special prize winners P150,000 each. The second prize and third prize winners for the oil-based medium on canvas category of the painting competition got P170,000 and P150,000, respectively.

The winning works, as well as the semi-finalists, were exhibited on Sept. 19 to 21 at Le Pavillon.

Just how important is this competition to artists? Painter Mark Justiniani, who won in 1990, says that with its cash prize MADE encourages young artists who otherwise might not pursue a career in the arts to continue. “Validation is very important to young artists,” Justiniani says.

Sobrepeña adds, “More than being a program that promotes Philippine art, the annual competition reflects the Foundation’s belief in the role of the arts in helping society overcome its problems and in contributing to the development of the nation.”

With social transformation as one of its thrusts, MADE initiated in 2005 an Art Exploration Series, a yearly educational activity composed of lecture forums, workshops, art demonstrations and exhibitions, which aims to provide a venue for learning and interaction between artists, designers, art enthusiasts and the general public.

As the foundation gives back to society, so do past winners. Metrobank Foundation organized them into MADE Network of Winners (MADE-NOW). Its first undertaking, the Art Therapy Project, was done in partnership with the Visayan Forum Foundation, which protects female and child victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse. The members conducted art sessions that helped process the circumstances of those under the custody of the NGO. 

Dr. Ty was right in 1984 when he turned to art to help transform the artist — because 25 years later, the artist is helping transform society.