The Ibagiw 2020 Creative City Festival brings more exciting activities on its third week. On November 20, Art in Sunshine Park opened with not one, but two exhibits, accompanied by live music, on-the-spot painting, and cultural performances. Art in Sunshine Park is sponsored by Department of Tourism – Cordillera Administrative Region, in partnership with the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Incorporated and the Pasakalye Group of Artists.
“There is Still Life”
It features a one-of-kind art exhibit called “There Is Still Life,” which is a “humble homage to plants, represented in various media and techniques.” According to co-curator Joseph Andrew Carvajal of UP Baguio, “amidst our current challenges, may this exhibit be a reminder for us to press on, though as calmly as the plants, which we often gaze at for solace.”
The collection of works can be viewed at the UP Gym Foyer, which can be accessed from an entrance through Sunshine Park. This is the first batch of artworks that will be shown to the public, as the exhibit managed to gather over 100 pieces from Baguio artists.
Mula Shi Ili
Mula Shi Ili or Plants of the Homeland features photos of native plants as taken by botanists. These were taken in the course of their community-based research “From Ethnobotany to Science: Harnessing the Potential of Plants in the Cordillera for Food Product Development and Medicine.” The research is funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), led by UP Baguio Native Plants Committee with the participation of faculty from the Benguet State University.
According to Dora Balangcod of UP Baguio, one of the aims of their research to provide alternative sources of livelihood for communities through the development of food products that make use of underutilized plants that can be found in these communities. Aside from the photo exhibit, sample food products under the name Bugan’s Bounty were also on display. Products such as flour and pasta noodles, jams, candies and even ice cream were available for sale.
A Cordillera Traditional Plant Exchange will also be organized in the coming week to foster sharing and exchange of plants and knowledge as well. Mula Shi Ili bridges the worlds of art, culture and science quite naturally.
Weekends at Sunshine Park
Both exhibits will be open from November 20 to 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekends at Sunshine Park however will be extra lively and special with a lineup of musicians performing, artists doing on-the-spot painting and crafters demonstrating their skills for the public.
For more information about the Ibagiw 2020 events, please visit the Baguio Creative City Facebook page and the BACCI website.