Local art gets overdue recognition in Bangus Festival 08

For the first time since the Bangus Festival’s inception, art has been included as one of the featured events. The Dagupan Visual Arts Festival which opens on April 21^st until the 23^rd is a strong affirmation that art has indeed been given public acknowledgment as an important social activity.

It would take the foresight and support of a community leader such as Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chairperson of this year’s festival to make it happen. Fernandez acknowledges her belief that art is a central component of a well-rounded society. Based on what she had seen from all her travels, art is not only for the high-minded, but can be by itself, a tourist attraction and an indirect contributor to local revenue.

This potential of art as commerce excites Fernandez just as much as the fact that public exposure will change the impression that art is “too deep” or “too inaccessible”.

The Dagupan Visual Arts Festival will try to change that by featuring activities and competitions that brings art to an accessible level. Featured in the three-day run are Vase, t-shirt and canvas painting and performance art.

Led by local pioneering art group the Dagupan Artist’s Circle, the group has collaborated with the Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA) to hold TAMA 08. Flying in for the festival are twenty (20) performance artists from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Poland and the USA and ten (10) from Manila.

The event is chaired by Councilor Farah Decano.