Fulfilling kids’ dreams through art auction

If art is beautiful and children are angels of love, there’s nothing on earth that is more valuable than being beautiful and joyful. Collecting a piece of art from this auction will bring more angels in our lives and will give children the chance to fulfill their dreams, reads the catalogue of the World Vision Charity Dinner and Art Auction held at the Marriott Cafe, Marriot Hotel Manila, recently, written by Kunst Gallery and Kunst Pilipino art impresario Virgilio Cuizon. The event raised P1.6 million, 50 percent of which is earmarked for World Vision Philippines’ Sponsor a Child for P20 a Day program that will send 600 marginalized Filipino children to school this year.
Versatile visual artist Aris Bagtas sold five paintings worth P400,000 to top the P5,000-per-plate fundraiser. His La Esperanza sold for P100,000, I Do for P100,000, Sto. Nino for P80,000, Kanlungan for P60,000 and Happy House for P60,000.
The project was coordinated and co-curated by Bill Perez. Cuizon did not attend the charity event as he had to return to Essen, Germany where his family is based to be able to take care of his first granddaughter, Laura Viola Baturi (LaVi for short). This shows his outstanding trait — a love for children — not only his own, but children in general specially the marginalized kind.
His involvement in this advocacy started in 1993 when Kunst donated paintings to an exhibit organized by World Vision.
After the exhibit, he encouraged ALAEH (Association Lending Assistance in Exigencies at Home), an association registered in the district court of Essen, to adopt a child for school. They adopted 11 children and sent them to school until grade 6.
As facilatator between ALAEH and World Vision, Cuizon used to visit the children yearly, continuing his contact with the organization.
During the Kunst Christmas party, Maf Aguila of World Vision attended and asked Cuizon if we could do again the art exhibit together with an auction. He agreed if 50 percent of the outcome would go to the artist. This led to the meeting of purpose for this dinner-cum-art-auction.
The attendance by World Vision ambassadors led by Marc Nelson and Cristalle Belo Henares as hosts and Tim Yap as auctioneer added sparkle to the fundraiser. Ogie Alcasid, Nikki Gil-Albert and the Malabon Children’s Choir delighted the exclusive event with renditions of special song numbers.
Jasmine Curtis-Smith made generous bids for Bagtas’ mixed media on circular wood, La Esperanza, and Emmanuel Bueza’s pen and ink, San Agustin Church. Miriam Quiambao-Roberto won Melvin Vargas’ Blank Page. Gil-Albert purchased Anabelle Afable’s Celebrating Joy.
Participating artists were Zorrick Enriquez, Sherwin Paul Gonzales, Vincent Christopher Gonzales, Von Gonzales. Ronna Manansala, Wilfredo Rufon, Rene Robles, Rafael Cusi, Edwin Wilwayco, Marlow Cartagenan, Emmanuel Flores, Anna Cuisia Lindayag, Anna Lumps, Ian Maigan, Misha, Rafael Cusi, Nante Carandang, Bryan Yabut, Nante Carandang, Annabelle Afable, Lita Ang and Noel Bueza.

‘KAY GANDA NG PILIPINAS (BAKIT LAGING BINABALIK BALIKAN).’ This is the theme of the Kunst Pilipino Gallery and Macuha Art Gallery ongoing national representational and non-representational painting competition.
Prizes at stake are P50,000 and trophy (first prize); P30,000 and trophy (second prize); P15,000 and trophy (third prize) and P10,000 plus certificate (for the seven Juror’s Choice awards).
The painting must be an original work of the artist and never been exhibited. The artist must sign the artwork. Entry form must be notarized. Addendum to the rules and regulations will be posted before the submission of artworks.
The required size is two feet by three feet, horizontal orientation (landscape), gallery or museum wrap, ready to hang. The acceptable media are oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas, mixed media and watercolor. Water color should be properly framed. The frame/stretcher must not exceed 4 kilos and must be 2 inches on all sides.
Submission on April 16 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and awarding ceremony on April 16 (7 p.m.), both at Macuha Art Gallery Antonio Ozaete Street, BF Resort, Las Piñas. All winning paintings including the Juror’s Chpice will be the property of Macuha Art Gallery.

TOXIC WORKING CONDITIONS AFFLICT ABS-CBN. It may have been no strange coincidence that director Wenn Deramas, talent coordinator Cornelia “Angge” Lee and director Francis Xavier Pasion were afflicted by heart diseases, two of them terminally.
Deramas died of a heart attack after a day’s shoot. His reconstructed heart failed. You see, ABS-CBN directors are expected to meet the tall order of wrapping up 50 sequences per shooting day, frequently extending the following day.  
Lee suffered a massive heart attack late Saturday night, rendering her in critical condition. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center in San Juan City, but was revived by physicians.
Pasion was  found dead in the bathroom of his house in Quezon City on Sunday afternoon. Findings of PNP SOCO reports that he died of a heart attack. He had been having chest pains, which is why he went to Cardinal Santos Medical Center to undergo a medical exam. His last project was the hit romance-comedy series, On The Wings of Love.
I can attest that it can be toxic to work at the network. When I was editor-in-chief of StarStudio magazine, I developed a bad case of diabetes. Due to the politics that operated at ABS-CBN Publishing back then and due to the coddling of non-performing staffers by my immediate bosses at that time, besides the heavy work load, I became addicted to diet softdrink as comfort food.
And I am not alone here. Entertainment journalists Maridol Bismark and Kaye Losorata, who later joined ABS-CBN Publishing, eventually resigned for the same reasons.
Now even Kris Aquino had decided to leave her kingdom as Queen of All Media starting this March 23 for health and family reasons. Many question if such departure will hold, as she had done the same several times in the past but eventually reconsidered as she could not stay out of the limelight for long.
Will she do the same this time around or is she bent on preempting brother Noynoy’s departure from government? We also know her contract with the Kapamilya network is expiring and she is renegotiating.
Buzzstation’s take? Kris stays put!