Artists can connect and inspire at the newly opened Lapu-Lapu City Gallery.
Photo courtesy of Rapson Ybañez on Facebook
The Lapu-Lapu City Art Gallery in Barangay Gun-ob officially reopened on the 27th of February.
The newly renovated gallery held its soft opening with a special exhibit called “Re/Public”, referencing its reopening to the public after four years of closure.
Starting operations in 2017, it was converted into a command center for the city’s Crisis Management Team in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a few renovations and a newly curated list of artists, it officially reopened as the “Lapu-Lapu City Gallery”.
The removal of the word “art” serves as an encouragement to showcase and feature other art forms, as it plans to include dancing and acting in the future.
It is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and is completely free.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE LAPU-LAPU CITY GALLERY
Photos courtesy of Rapson Ybañez on Facebook
The artists featured at the gallery are all Lapu-Lapu-based, mostly affiliated with the Mactan Artist Guild. This small group of painters, sculptors, and sketch artists have hosted several local exhibits including the Mactan Art Fest and Importante Buhi.
The list was curated by acclaimed local painter Densen Almeda and the city’s Cultural Heritage Officer, Michael Luis Natavio.
The list of names includes:
- Altheya Pulvera
- Athena Gilbolingo
- Alvin Tampus
- BASTINUOD
- Elson Olivadez Jr.
- Hannah España
- Herm Bensi
- Ivy Marie Apa
- Jesse Remedio
- John Marco “Blackbolt” Torejos
- Lean Reboja
- Louise Pino Transporte
- Luigi Galo
- Mar Vidal
- Rapson Ybañez
- Vincent Dueno
Among these names, BASTINUOD is notable for his digitally-rendered drawings that have been featured in many art events in Cebu, including Gabii sa Kabilin, Tubô Cebu Art Fair, and Otakufest.
He is also known for the viral Filipino-inspired Studio Ghibli illustrations that were featured in several local newspapers and media outlets.
Photos courtesy of Rapson Ybañez on Facebook
Exhibits at the gallery are not limited to paintings, as it also features sculptures and figurines, including wooden replicas of famous science fiction vehicles, and even a customized Voltes V figurine.
The gallery has announced its own community marketplace that will be held every Friday starting from 4:00 PM onwards. Here, visitors can purchase art accessories along with local food and drinks.
Additionally, it was reported in Sunstar Cebu that the city government will be using the gallery as a venue for a theater club to improve the city’s performing arts projects. (2024)
This will be managed by the Lapu-Lapu Performing Arts Group, which currently has around 25 members. The theater club will provide several training programs to screen and gather more members.
Aside from the theater club, they will also be setting up a dance troupe. Once finished, this group will handle all the performances on special occasions, especially for those welcoming the city’s visitors.
This comes after the Lapu-Lapu contingent finished third in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival in 2024. As a result of their success, they received an invitation by the Province of Sorsogon to join the Kasanggayahan Festival this October.
City Tourism Officer Garry Lao reaffirms that Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ahong Chan has agreed to use the club as a way to improve future Pasigarbo performances by teaching dancers how to act.
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The arts community in Lapu-Lapu is usually highlighted during special events that last only a couple of days. This newly reopened gallery is now a permanent safe haven for different artworks to be shown to the public.
This is a big step forward for the Mactan Arts Industry, especially since it’s rare for the island’s artists to be featured outside of its local art fairs. Its expansion to other art forms also ensures that even lesser-known artists will be recognized.
An Opinion piece on Inquirer.net calls museums “great institutions of cultural translation”. They are places wherein inequality and the barriers between cultures are continually being defied. (2020)
The reopening of the Lapu-Lapu City Gallery is an opportunity for the history and culture of the island to be further preserved and, when needed, challenged. It is crucial to the freedom of expression of the city’s residents, especially since it’s an avenue for artists to connect and inspire.
REFERENCES:
Codis, Denise Mae P. 2024. “Lapu-Lapu City seeks to create theater club to hone dancers’ skills.” Sunstar Cebu.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/lapu-lapu-city-seeks-to-create-theater-club-to-hone-dancers-skills
Zulueta, Lito B. 2020. “Why museums matter.” Inquirer.net.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/134889/why-museums-matter
