Famous Filipino painters will auction off some of their works to fund the rebuilding of homes destroyed by supertyphoon Yolanda in central Philippines.
The “master painters” donated 200 paintings to be sold at half the price in the ARTabang (Art Help), said John Barnard Borja, spokesperson for Batch ’85 of the Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu.
Borja said the proceeds of the fund-raising drive will go to funding the rebuilding of homes especially those in northern Cebu.
“We will start with our own Cebu towns for now and later with other provinces,” he said.
A huge painting collaborated on by several participating artists will be among those paintings to be auctioned off on Dec. 5 at the Cebu Country Club.
A video documentary will also be shown to the audience on how the painting was created.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to victims of supertyphoon Yolanda,” Borja told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.
Part of the highlights of the auction night include an on-the-spot painting session of 20 artists who will also sell their works.
Borja said the organizers hope to raise P3 to P4 million for the rebuilding project in northern Cebu.
At least 59 Luzon-based artists will participate in the project. Joining them are 65 Cebu artists and five Bacolod-based master painters.
Among artworks that will be included in the one-night sale are the works of multi-awarded Cebuano Romulo Galicano.
The Carcar-born artist won the grand prize in the 2010 International Portrait Competition by the Portrait Society of America in Washington D.C.
In 1998, Galicano also received the Highest Title of Academical Knight for the Grand Cross by Ordine Accademico in Italy.
Aside from the Sacred Heart Alumni, several local and national artists groups have volunteered their support for the cause.
These include Art Association of the Phils., Portrait Artists Society of the Phils., Cebu Artists, Inc., PUSOD, Syano Artlink, Gallery Orange Artists and Mugna. /Dale G. Israel, Senior Reporter