Gateway Gallery

 Araneta City successfully mounted its Gateway Art Fair

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Coinciding with the celebration of the Museums and Galleries Month, the Gateway Gallery mounted the Gateway Art Fair over the weekend. Eleven art groups from Metro Manila and nearby provinces gathered to showcase the best of their visual artists. 

Aimed to be a platform and support for local artists, the exhibit served as the flagship art festival of Araneta City. The fair's theme, "Jumpstart," was a call for artists to regroup and reactivate after the lockdowns.

"This event was supposed to open in May 2021 but, due to the pandemic, we had to reset it to the Museum and Galleries Month of 2022. We chose artists that I personally know and those from the provinces of Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, and the NCR; making it as inclusive as possible.

"The artworks employ diverse media such as pastel and mudwork and we let aficionados appreciate these eclectic pieces. We want to engage the art communities without the middle men. We saw the need to energize these communities and reactivate what they've been doing in the past. 

"With this event, we are more hopeful of its outcome. We assist the art groups logistically and make sure they are more accessible to the viewing public," enthused Gari Apolonio, curator of the Gateway Gallery.

The exhibit also featured artist demonstrations in scheduled afternoon and evening sessions on thread art, mud art, oil pastel on felt, acrylic paint weaving, pet portraits, and wood inlay art. Leading the pack of participating artists were Noel P. Bueza, Julius Legaspi, Grandier Gil Bella, Jenny Cortes, Carlos Francisco II, Cris Cleofas, Leandro Concepcion, Elaine Clemente, and Nina Libatique, among many others. In toto, it was an assemblage of a hundred artists and over 200 artworks.

The participating art groups included the Philippine Pastel Artists, Pahiyas Art Group,  Law of Art-traction, MakiSining Art Group, KaSiBulan (Kababaihan sa Sining at Bagong Sibol ng Malayan), Female Art Addicts, Daloy Likha, Angono Collective, Freedom Arts Society, Animo Replica, and the Alpha Camera Club.

The three-day event was also an opportunity for art groups to grow further in terms of network, awareness, quality memberships, and partnerships. It was a meeting of creative minds in an event that was inclusive, diverse, and fun.

The Gateway Art Fair was supported by partners Gateway Mall, TicketNet and Araneta City. To know more about the exhibit and other museum programs, simply email gatewaygallery@aranetagroup.com.