EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. Maria Teresa Rayos Del Sol, head of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts' National Committee on Art Galleries, urges Filipinos to join in celebrating Museums and Galleries Month, in an interview at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing on Wednesday (Oct. 18, 2023). She said visiting art exhibitions would bring experiential learning to the public. (Screengrab)
MANILA – The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) on Wednesday urged the public to join celebrations for Museum and Galleries Month, as well as "Dayaw" or the Philippine Indigenous People (IP) festival.
Maria Teresa Rayos Del Sol, head of the NCCA's National Committee on Art Galleries, said they can take advantage of the long list of free art and cultural exhibitions this month.
"Kailangan po natin ang (We need) experiential learning, aside from school learning. Iba kasi ang retention kapag tayo ay nagpunta sa mga museums para matutunan natin ano ang past natin (The retention is different when you go to museums and learn of the past)," she said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.
Del Sol said exposure to arts and sciences collections help "amplify consciousness" and the Filipino pride.
"Pagpunta natin sa mga galleries, makikita natin kung paano kina-craft ng mga artista natin ang mga narratives nila ngayong panahon na ito. At ito ay para naman sa future generations natin (When we go to galleries, we see how our artists craft their narratives nowadays, and this shall be for our future generations)," she added.
Reden Ulo, commissioner of the NCCA's Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts, said over 200 IP groups will be highlighted in "Dayaw," which will feature cultural dances and performances, exhibitions of IP attires, art exhibits and a forum from Oct. 20 to 21 at the Metropolitan Theater and Arroceros Forest Park in Manila.
"We are celebrating Dayaw, it means different interpretations and different languages. It means it's a pride and identity of indigenous people community," he said.
The public may also access their galleries and ongoing exhibition at the NCCA office along Intramuros, or visit their website mgm.ncca.gov.ph for the schedule of activities.
"No restrictions, anybody can take a photo, kasi uso naman ngayon ang (because it's now a trend having) TikTok, Facebook, so it's better for social media promotion. Everybody is free to come," Del Sol said.
Among the first and biggest upcoming activities, meanwhile, is the 2023 Luzon Art Fair which will be launched at the Diwa ng Tarlac and Bulwagang Kanlahi in Tarlac from Oct. 26 to 29.
The Luzon Art Fair will showcase diverse masterpieces of artists in Luzon, especially from areas where the art sector's potential still has a long way to go. (PNA)
