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Press Release "The Spirit that Dwells Within"
Carlos Villa and Santiago Bose, two of the most well known and influential Filipino artists working today, have been brought together for the first time to hold a two-man exhibition and lead a collaborative workshop at Pacific Bridge Contemporary Southeast Asian Art.
The exhibition, The Spirit that Dwells Within, is a dynamic pairing of two visionary artists. Although Villa, born in San Francisco, and Bose, born in Baguio, The Philippines, had never met let alone worked or exhibited together, they have addressed many of the same issues throughout their careers. Both are known and respected for expanding the boundaries of fine art materials and methods in their personal explorations of, and advocacy for, Filipino identity. This exhibition juxtaposes new works by both artists that challenge us to reconsider "the spirit that dwells within."
Villa and Bose are leading a "Manong Workshop," a multimedia workshop on design, papier-mâché, recycled papermaking, installation and performance. The workshop is designed to familiarize Filipino American youths with the life and times of the "Manongs," early Filipino migrants to America as farm laborers in California and Hawaii, and to expose Filipino American youths to creative means of interpreting stories and histories of their own with the use of available materials. Since many of the Manongs are in the twilight of their lives Villa and Bose believe that it is vital to hear and remember their stories for it is a part of the collective memory of the Filipino Americans. The workshop is being hosted jointly with Pusod Center for Arts, Culture and Ecology in Berkeley and Pacific Bridge.
Villa, the son of Filipino immigrant parents, is a professor in the Painting Department at the San Francisco Art Institute where he has taught since 1969. His contributions to the development of the Bay Area art scene began with his first two-person exhibition with Joan Brown at KPFA in 1958 and continue until this day with his current work.
Since his graduate exhibition in 1972, which opened as Marcos declared Martial Law, Bose has earned an indisputable reputation as one of the most prolific, ingenious and innovative artists the Philippine art scene has ever produced.
The Spirit that Dwells Within opens September 9th and runs through October 28th, 2000. The opening reception for the artists is Saturday September 9th from 7 - 10 PM at Pacific Bridge, 95 Linden Street # 6, Oakland CA 94607.
The artists are available for interviews. Please contact Geoff Dorn at (510) 451-8840 for more information.
Press Release "International Hotel Intersection"
Multimedia workshop about Manong led by Santiago Bose and Carlos Villa.
Saturdays starting August 26th through September 30th, 2000.
As part of Santiago Bose's residency at Pacific Bridge Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Santiago Bose will lead series of collaborative workshops with Carlos Villa.
Carlos Villa's early works on paper are castings of parts of the body. Santiago has used paper extensively as a medium for his art. Their root in the Philippines is from the northern region of the Philippines particularly the Ilocos region where many Filipino farm workers came from at the turn of the century. The whole concept of the workshop revolves around the "Atang" or offering to the souls.
The Manong workshop is a multimedia workshop on design, papier-mâché, recycled papermaking, installation and performance with visiting lectures on the "Manong." The workshop is designed to familiarize Filipino American youths with the life and times of the "Manongs," early Filipino migrants to America as farm laborers in California and Hawaii, and to expose Filipino American youths to creative means of interpreting stories and histories of their own with the use of available materials. Since many of the Manongs are in the twilight of their lives it is vital to hear and remember their stories for it is a part of the collective memory of the Filipino Americans. During the workshops Santiago and Carlos will expose the participants to cultural productions about the Manongs like poetry readings, story telling, and video and films related to Filipinos.
Target participants:
High school and college aged Filipino Americans. Workshop size is limited to 20 participants.
Dates and Times:
Five Saturdays, starting August 26th and running through September 30th, 2000, from 12-5 PM.
Location:
Hosted jointly by Pusod, Center for Arts, Culture and Ecology in Berkeley (8/26 and 9/2) and
Pacific Bridge Contemporary Southeast Asian Art gallery in Oakland (9/16, 9/23 and 9/30).
Schedule:
Week 1 (8/26 at Pusod) Orientation, information and linkages, a tour to a Manong center/ or Int'l Hotel site;
Week 2 (9/2 at Pusod) Conceptualization, proposals sketches;
Week 3 (9/16 at Pacific Bridge) Construction of ideas;
Week 4 (9/23 at Pacific Bridge) Rehearsals for performance;
Week 5 (9/30 at Pacific Bridge) Procession, performance and installation, and burning of the installation at the end.
Cost:
Time… each Saturday is essential.
Money… there is a $25 fee per participant to cover the cost of materials. Several need based scholarships are available.
Questions? Or to register please call (510) 451-8840.
