Calbayog Art Association, Inc.

Calbayog City by name is a place where culture and arts dwell ancient time ago.

 

The name Calbayog evolved from “Cal” meaning lime and “Bayog”- a tree which is burned to produce cal, Calbayog in the olden times was a kind of lime used to cement the stones of church walls. Later, the natives used Calbayog as the name of the place. The tattoo of the brave Samareños we known as “Pintados” and the peculiar anting-antings in several kinds of “Pulahanes” were legends of our artistic time. Basically, the grassroots of our Calbayog art’s origin were the simplicity of our being resourceful and being hardworking folks. Our arts transform because of the coming of colonizers and foreign merchants to our island “Isla de los Pintados” – the name of Samar Island concocted by the Spaniards after they saw the inhabitant’s tattooed bodies as they were welcomed by the Suluans at Homonhon[1], which brought influence to our traditions and lifestyles. But as time passes by, we learned to adapt to changes from traditional-academic point of view to a contemporary-modern representations of arts, and other challenges where innovations of styles and attitudes towards visual arts emerge.

 

According to Alice G. Guillermo, a professor of art history at the University of the Philippines, who wrote an essay for the painting Spoliarium of Juan Luna who won the first gold medal in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1884, she said categorically that

 

Juan Luna in retrospective moved from the smooth marmoreal finish of the academy to a more dynamic and expressive mode, characterized by freer brushstrokes and more liberal, though still restrained, use of color[2]. This is a fact that Calbayognon artists also in retrospection moved from one style to another along with the trend of historic times.

 

In the report of Calbayog City Arts and Culture Office (CACO) entitled Calbayog Kahiaraan, Five Decades Harvest in the Arts, 1950-2003 mentioned that it has been five decades now since the first breakthrough of art performances and creations in 1950’s…from the time of Manong Jose Gomez, the well-known Calbayognon artist-musician, to the contemporary artists of the new millennium. Five decades filled with enormous and exceptional harvest in the arts in all genres: music, theater, dance, painting, drawing, mixed media works and multi-media productions. A valid rationale to call Calbayog City as the Talent Bank Capital of Region VIII.[3]

 

Artist Dodong Gutang, the eldest son of the late Man Tinong Gutang - the artist known in Calbayog Knights of Columbus, unfolds some historical events in the youth of his father as estimated year 1950’s. Man Tinong Gutang initiated to organize the Calbayog Artist Group and worked in unrecorded arts projects in the city. He was also known of being a craftsman who made rubber stamps and banners-like scroll for patron saints and other religious-related artistry.

 

In early 70’s, three visual artists came about in the Diocese of Calbayog.

 

1. Alberto Doinog - who used to be hired by the parish priest to restore the damage ceiling of the Cathedral,

 

2. Pablo Rueda - known for his fine restorations of religious images.

 

3. Monico Panoy, Sr. - whose work showed religious upbringing, on feast days he is commissioned to install images of Saints on the altar and processions.

 

In 1982, the Leyte Samar Artist Association (LESARTA) was organized by six

 

enterprising Artists: Raul Agner, Leo Villafuerte, Dulce Cuña, Nelly Zabala, Val Villanueva and Manding Toleza. It was during the Martial Law Years that Leyte Samar Artist Association was able to conduct three exhibits in three succeeding years. Solo and Group art exhibits were mounted not only in Calbayog City but in other places as well. [4]

 

It was also in this span of years that one artist was being recognized because of his laughing Christ painting series that made him according to many, put to tragic end. This artist was Edgar Sobrejuanite.

 

More artists came in like Edwin Tuazon, Danny Celum, Raul Celum and Noel Sagayap.Raul Isidro, one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee helped organized the Calbayog Art Association, Inc., a SEC registered Visual Art organization affiliated with Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) with artist-members; Noel Sagayap, Mercedita Garcia, Florence Cinco, Manuel Sabile, Jr., Jaime Sagayap, Jr., Aristole Ventures, Dante Rosales, Gary Manalo, Gerardo Navilon, Ramon Porcare, Armando Toleza, Danny Celum, Valente Villanueva, Rustom Villamor, Tammy Barandino, Rex Ecal, Jun Salurio, Wilfredo Labana, Jose Malnegro, Nokie Batlangao, Marcelino Paz and Ryan Comilang.[5]

 

One of the most significant works undertaken by Calbayog Art Association, Inc.,

 

(CAAI) was the mural painting entitled “Bulawanon nga Handumanan san Calbayog”, acrylic on board, size 16 feet by 24 feet. The masterpiece was crafted in connection with the 50th Charter Anniversary of the City of Calbayog. [6]

 

CAAI also organized the 1st ever Group Art Exhibit in New York dubbed as “Tugahan Nga Ladawan San Isla San Samar (Enchanted Sceneries of Samar Island Philippines) in cooperation with the Office of the President, Department of Tourism (DOT), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and also with the help of Mana Laudette Avelino of Senator Jose Avelino Foundation.[7]

 

In 1994, more breed of young artists came in which resulted to the organization of the Balangau Artist Society with the pioneer members; Jaime E. Sagayap, Jr., Manuel Sabile, Jr., Gerardo Navilon, Wilfredo Labana and Aristole Ventures. [8]

 

In 1999, Calbayog Art Gallery was established with the artist members; Carlos

 

Barandino, Mercedita Garcia, Florence Cinco, Manuel Sabile, Jr., Jaime Sagayap, Jr., Aristole Ventures, Gary Manalo, Gerardo Navilon, Armando Toleza, Danny Celum, Valente Villanueva, Jun Salurio, Wilfredo Labana and Ruben Mawo. Many painting exhibits was mounted by the Calbayog Art Gallery (CAG) and CACO like; Kalibungan Group Exhibit at Armando’s Gallery, Kinahimat-an Art Exhibit, Pinturahay, Val Villanueva’s One-man-Show, Noel Sagayap One-man-Exhibit, Mural Exhibit at Intercom Hotel, Manila dubbed as “PISTA”, SM Cebu group art exhibit and others.

 

In the late 90’s and early of 2000’s more artist groups came into the picture of the visual art’s world namely; Munting Kulay Artists Society (Kulay Artist Society), Dagao Visual Arts Group, Kalbayog Photographers Association, La Granja Artists Association, Batodecolor Artists Association, Isla Caruja Artists Association, Samar Haven of Artists (SAHA), Kadis Arts Group, Replica Artist Group, Pinta-Pintura Artist Group, Likhang Kamay Sisiw (LIKAS), Likha Arts Group and Samar Island Artist Association.[9]

 

This report recognizes much that from 1950 to present times Visual Arts of Calbayog City is ever growing to its peak of development and universal awareness. The proof of this line is witnessed by many Visayan Islands Art Groups like Black Artist of Asia, Kasikasi of Leyte, and other art groups from Bacolod, Negros, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Cebu, Leyte and Samar in the Bi-annual Visayas Island Visual Artists Association Exhibit and Conference (VIVAA EXCON) where many Calbayognon Artists are joining to this vital event which is institutionalized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

 

The writer in his own advocacy would like to create a vision of continuous connectivity of steps to a more vivid and crystal clear study of the visual arts history of Calbayog City and even Samar Island in general. This is in this book that more unfolding of visual art facts are going to be done and exposed as you scan the pages. Moreover, the writer also adhere the vista of the future that is dazzling and vibrant. As a share of thought from H.R. Ocampo, a Filipino painter-writer who wrote the Birth of a New Day as something that was as:[10]

 

 

 

Tall as an odorous cadaver

 

The petals bloomed

 

Against the gale of the moon

 

Against the grinning loon

 

Darkly came the dawn

 

Darker still came the stench

 

Of the quietly blooming morn.

Done