Philippine Art Awards launches in Zamboanga
The Philippine Art Award Secretariat, in cooperation with Ateneo de Zamboanga University thru its Gallery of the Peninsula and the Archipelago, launched the Philippine Art Awards 2013 on April 16 at the Carlos Dominguez Conference Hall.
“We’re really happy that PAA chose us, as a collecting center in Western Mindanao, specifically in Zamboanga,” Tricia Mae Manulong, Coordinator of the Gallery of the Peninsula and the Archipelago expressed.
The PAA is a nationwide visual arts competition which aims to support and develop Philippine Contemporary Art. The competition has existed since 1994 and was considered as part of the ASEAN Art Awards. It has expanded its reach through the years and has emerged as PAA at the present time primarily organized by PMFTC Inc.
REVEALING THE MECHANICS
The said competition is divided into two phases wherein the first phase is for the regional selection of semi-finalists and the second is for national selection of winners coming from the semi-finalists.
The first phase is divided into four Collective Regional Areas: Metro Manila Art Awards, Luzon Art Awards, Visayas Art Awards and Mindanao Art Awards. Ten finalists will be selected by a panel of three well-known artists, art connoisseurs, art critics, and art historians.
The second phase will serve as the national level competition wherein the total 40 semi-finalists will compete and be judged by a panel of five judges.
OVERWHELMING PRIZES
Winning entries will be based according to the following criteria: Creative use of medium, expression and technique, and originality of artistic perception and mode of interpretation.
The 40 Semi-finalists will each receive a Php 40 000 cash prize and a trophy by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. Whereas, National Winners will consist of one (1) grand cash prize winner of Php 350 000 and seven (7) Juror’s Choice each receiving an award of excellence with Php 120 000 cash prize and an award of merit with Php 80 000 cash, also a trophy by National Artist Napoleon Abueva and an all-expenses paid travel to an Asian country.
ART EXHIBITS
Winning entries from Luzon and Metro Manila will be exhibited in Manila and winning entries from Visayas and Mindanao will be exhibited in Cebu. After each of the exhibitions, the organizer will store the entries for the impending national finals in 2014. The National Museum will also have its own exhibition of all the winning artworks including the semi-finalists from CRA. All exhibits will be done for at least three weeks.
“Raul Bendanillo and Saudi Ahmad, both Western Mindanao artists, were former winners of PAA. The former made it to the top 40 last 2011 competition and the latter won the Juror’s Choice Award in 1997,” shared Manulong.
All interested visual artists are expected to submit their entries at the Gallery of the Archipelago and the Peninsula, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Fr Eusebio G Salvador, SJ Campus, La Purisima Street, Zamboanga City or contact 991-0871 to 76 Local 4300 or 4001 for inquiries. Zamboanga Peninsula submissions will only be received on August 5, 2013 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
