Art for artists

The ACC Philippines-Leon Gallery auction has become the gold standard for art auctions in the country, both for the quality of the art works on the block as well as the buyers who grab up the works, not to mention the often dizzying amounts paid for those prized pieces.

The auction’s gravitas comes in large part from the involvement of the Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation, as co-organizer and sole beneficiary. For the past quarter century – yes, ACCPF is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year – ACCPF has been giving grants to artists and arts workers in the different disciplines – music, dance, theater, film, visual arts, literature as well as arts management and cultural work.

In 2000, ACCPF took over the formidable task of grants giving – and, more importantly and much more difficult, raising funds for the grants – from the mother Asian Cultural Council based in New York (now chaired by Josie Cruz Natori), set up in 1963 by John D. Rockefeller III as the Asian Cultural Program. After JDR3’s death in 1978, the organization took on its current name in 1980 and continued JRD3’s vision to “advance international dialogue, understanding and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the United States to create a more harmonious and peaceful world.”

The first overseas ACC chapter was set up in Tokyo in 1983, followed by Hong Kong in 1986 (headed by Sir Kenneth Fung, incidentally an uncle of ACCPF chairman Ernest Escaler), Taipei in 1995 and then their “bunso” in Manila.

ACCPF was established in 2000, founded on the conviction that “we Filipinos should do our own to raise funds” for the grants to Filipino artists that were, up until then, fully funded by the Rockefeller family, “so it’s not one-sided,” said Escaler, who thus agreed to be founding chairman as he put his keen sense of business and innovation (from coffee trading to pioneering the “gourmet salad” craze to developing a wide range of food products – I’m a big fan of his pito-pito tea!) to work for the cause of supporting artists. His co-founding trustees were Maribel Ongpin (now ACCPF president), Isabel Wilson, Josie Natori and David Rockefeller Jr.

The board has since expanded to 11 members, all of them not just successful in their individual day jobs – medicine, construction, restaurants, fashion, media – but are also committed arts patrons and enthusiasts.

Since 1963, over 300 artists from the Philippines have received ACC grants, 200 of them under ACCPF. Grants are given after a rather rigorous application process; artists submit proposals outlining in detail what they want to undertake and hope to achieve. Some go for further studies; two current grantees are pursuing Master’s degrees (in dance therapy and puppet arts). Others do research, go for training and apprenticeship with professionals and experts. The exchanges are not limited to the US; collaborations with Asian artists in countries like India, Japan and China enrich the artistic experiences of both the grantees and their hosts. Grants are usually for six months and cover living and travel expenses, health insurance, arrangements with arts organizations and individuals, attendance at performances, lectures, workshops and the like – in other words, a comprehensive learning experience.

The proposals are evaluated by a panel for the performing arts and a panel for the visual arts, film, architecture and other related fields. For this year, 60 proposals are currently under evaluation and the announcement of the new batch of 2025 grantees will be made in June. In 2024, a record nine grants were given, more than double the number of the previous year’s grants.

Of note is the fact that among ACC grantees, nine have become National Artists: Jose Joya (visual arts); Jose Maceda, Lucrecia Kasilag, Francisco Feliciano and Ramon Santos (music); Alice Reyes (dance); Lamberto Avellana and Kidlat Tahimik (film) and Alejandro Roces (literature). As ACCPF trustee Rajo Laurel told the audience at a recent launch event, “Who knows? You may be sitting next to a future National Artist!”

The auction is set for Saturday, Feb. 22, at Leon Gallery in Makati. A preview will be held this evening to give buyers a chance to do reconnaissance and scope out the works they want to bid on. Over 300 works are available at the auction, with a significant number of major works that have drawn plenty of pre-auction interest.

Evening in Shanghai by Jose Joya – ACC’s first Filipino visual arts grantee back in 1963 – might just pique buyers’ fancy again, after one of his works got an all-time high bid of P112 million in the 2018 auction. Eliciting a lot of buzz is Fernando Zobel’s Septiembre, which he did for a museum – his brainchild – in Cuenca, Spain. The painting has appeared all over the world, was featured in Time magazine, has graced book covers and is expected to, according to gallery director Jaime Ponce de Leon, “do very well,” which is an understatement for sure.

Two works by Anita Magsaysay-Ho, the National Artist we could have had (had she agreed to take on dual citizenship), includes a rare (one of only three) terra cotta Mother and Child sculpture. There are two works by Vicente Manansala, and a portrait by Juan Luna, as well as a landmark 1966 piece by Ang Kiukok. Works by ACC grantees Roberto Chabet and Riel Hilario are also included.

I could go on and on, salivating over the line-up of works, which you can preview until Feb. 21, or look at the auction catalog on the gallery’s website (www.leon-gallery.com).

Significant as this auction is, even more significant is the work of the many artists that its proceeds will support. ACCPF is certainly doing a yeoman’s job for Philippine arts and culture; here’s to 25 and then 25 more years.