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To Baguio City Artists,

Art will remain the most astonishing activity of mankind born out of struggle between wisdom and madness, between dream and reality in our mind." Magdelena Abakanowicz. It is not surprising that Baguio City has produced a fine crop of Artists, whom through their trail and error, have persisted in finding beauty, expressing pain, compassion and insight into filipino culture. Baguio has an underlying essence of Art and Cultural traditions that has gone on through the years of our existence. Sitting there staring at one particular painting, this is what I saw: Little children huddled up in the dark, mouths open, screaming; their hands covering their ears with an absolutely terrified look in their eyes. It was almost as if the painting itself was screeching and screaming. I have never in my entire life seen art with such desire and emotion flooding off the canvas. Clean strokes and simple features of the children are a subtle emphasis of human characteristics. This painting held a realism, but had an unimaginable quality of the expressed fear. This is but one of the many paintings done by talented Filipino Artists. In a culture that by the outside world is considered so poor, we as a cultural are rich in our artists; as they are bringing back awareness into our communities. They continuously raise social, political and cultural issues that demand attention. And for this I thank you. Thank you for allowing the world to

again appreciate the happiness despite the poverty. To appreciate again the hardworking woman and the caring father. To appreciate the nonsensical off-key voice of the local karaoke bar singer. To find appreciation in all aspects of our culture and to finally lift this veil of poverty we hold over our heads. You see it in the display, the strokes, the thickness, in the colors, in the expression, spaces, shapes, and tones. Art is not a piece of literature that you read with your eyes, but it sets a tone, an emotional expression that relates to some part of you. It speaks louder than words read off a page. And it says: Listen. Listen to what the Philippines is saying. This is what the people are saying. And as I listen I have great expectations and predictions for this unveiling. Baguio city is full of voices speaking through their art. These aspiring artists can submit their work to rballungay@webcoastdesign.com A multitude of artwork can also be found specifically in the village, but it's very easy to find paintings in local coffee shops, and cafes throughout the entire city. You can learn more about the community of Baguio City at www.baguiodirectory.com To all the Baguio Artists, keep the art flowing and Thank You! Live for art and in Art Every great work of art has two faces, one toward its own time and one toward the future, toward eternity. Daniel Barenboim Lynn Kalashian
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Written by: Lynn Kalashian

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