Antipolo

City

ARTipolo

ARTipolo Group, Inc.: Growing Sturdy and Fruitful Like the Tipolo Tree

Since its inception in 2014, ARTipolo Group, Inc. has been at the forefront of the art and culture movement in the City of Antipolo, Rizal Province’s capital city. Born at the house of Magel Cadapan – Vitug, who also curated its exhibits, ARTipolo Group, Inc. started with only 14 members, including its current president, Mr. Leopoldo “Pol” Mesina Jr. Now, it has grown in membership and even accepted members even outside of Antipolo City. It now has members living all across Asia and the Pacific—Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the United States, Canada, Austria, and the Middle East.

The name ARTipolo has been derived from two words— “art” and “tipolo,” (Artocarpus blancoi) where, according to tradition, the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary says to have appeared many times during the construction of the old Antipolo Church in the 1630s. The group’s logo, which has been designed by one of its members, Mr. Jayson Tejada, resembles the tipolo leaf, rendered in layers of different colors. This symbolizes the different facets of the group, as well as the talents of its members and officers.

It takes pride to have master visual artists Fernando Sena and Elmer Borlongan; Manila Times writer Ms. Margie Logarta as its advisers.

More than an artist group, it’s an advocacy

However, ARTipolo is more than a social group; it is actually advocacy.

Its primary goals are to help its members further hone their creative talents and to help Antipolo City with its tourism program. The Antipolo City Government has since then designated ARTipolo Group, Inc., as the primary artist group tasked to promote the City’s tourism program, organizing the annual art competitions, in line with the celebration of National Arts Month in February.

But ARTipolo’s advocacy doesn’t end with arts and culture. Part of its community service work is the advancement of health, education, and welfare of children, women, persons with disabilities, and special needs. Hence, it has partnered with different socio-civic and professional organizations to help the marginalized sectors of Philippine society. They worked with the Haemophilia Association of the Philippines for Love and Service (Haplos); Soroptimist International Club of the Philippines; Philippine Cancer Society; The AFP Medical Center; Tulay Ng Kabataan; Autism Society Philippines-Antipolo City Chapter; Rotary Club; Knights of Columbus-Antipolo City Chapter; Familia (a Christian organization committed to counseling and other forms of support to families); Save the Children; and (11) Philip

By organizing art exhibits and auctions, ARTipolo has been able to raise money for these advocacies, benefiting hundreds upon hundreds of target beneficiaries.

ARTIpolo Academy: The Community School of the Champions

Aside from charity and community work, the group also established its ARTIPolo Academy, an informal school where its members and members of the Antipolo City community can learn art-making techniques from the masters.

Social realism pioneers Renato Habulan and Biboy Delotavo; and Emmanuel Garibay, Elmer Borlongan, Fred Liongoren, Jayson Moss, and Othoniel Neri, are among those who have mentored ARTipolo members in its art lecture and workshop series in the past years.

“Art-letics” and Artistic Collaborations

ARTipolo Group has also cooperated with other artist groups in the holding of the annual ARTletics, a national sports event for artists, which promotes camaraderie; the further development of creative skills; and artistic collaborations.

ARTIpolo also worked with Freedom Art Society, United Artists Association of the Philippines, Tam-awan Village artists, and Pakalye Group of Artists of Baguio City, in joint art activities and exhibits.

Meanwhile, in October 2019, ARTipolo artists collaborated with several artist groups, as coordinated by the Pinto Museum, to beautify the perimeter walls of the South Cemetery in a day-long painting activity in the project Flores Para Los Muertos. This is with the sponsorship of Davies Paints, upon the request of Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno.

The Home of the Champions

ARTipolo, in its more than seven years of existence, has bred champions in local and national art competitions.

In 2021, several members of the ARTipolo Group brought honor and pride to the group, to their families, their city, and the entire province of Rizal as they bagged the major awards in different competitions that they participated in.

Jenella Medina won Pera Asia Inc. Choice Award in the Pinoy Pride Inter-Town Giant Mask Design Contest, Rizal Province Edition in June, while Krister Isip bagged the Grand Prize in the YES 8th Anniversary Painting Competition Theme “SIKAT (Sining, Kultura at Turismo) Rizal in September organized by the Rizal Provincial Government, earning him P100,000 in cash. Mark Joseph Beloria, Amador Inlayo, Dominic Fabio, and Jadie Regala Pasaylo, on the other hand, won the Consolation Prizes in the same contest.

Meanwhile, it’s a double celebration for Ran Bolivar as he won First Prize in Watercolor Category and Second Prize in Oil / Acrylic Category, in the recently concluded 54th Shell National Students Art Competition in December.

In the same month, Ariel Purca and his team of artists in the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas won the Grand Prize in the BSP Parol-Making Contest in December, with a cash prize of Php100,000.00.

The Grand Prize in the YES Painting Competition the “Sikat Rizal 2.0” was awarded to Jayson Borlon also in December 2021, while his Fellow ARTipolo member Dominic Fabio won Consolation Prize in the same competition.

ARTipolo Vice President Jerry Contridas also received the Creative Award for 2021, given by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a special award among the BSP artists. These distinctions attest to the artistic capabilities of the members and officers of the ARTipolo Group.

Here are the other laurels crowning the head of ARTipolo Group:

  • Twelve Artists of ARTipolo Group completed in early 2021 a Mural for the lobby of the office building of 1Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines
  • In December 2019, ARTipolo member Jon Albert Rico received from the Department of the Education the award for Best Graphic Designer in the Kindergarten Category, for his entry “Ang Paborito Kong Hugis” in the 2019 National Competition on Story Book Writing.
  • ARTipolo member Liana Mariz Mesina won the Php 50,000.00 1st prize in the tagline contest Arboles Para Los Muertos of Pinto Art Museum in October 2020
  • ARTipolo Group won the 1st prize of Php 100,000.00 in the Halloween Costume Party of the Pinto Art Museum in October 2019, in celebration of the completion of the project Flore Para Los Muertos by artists from several artist groups including ARTipolo Group
  • Paintings by ARTipolo artists Dyna Quizon Ondoy, June Tagaro, and Michael Briquillo, have been selected by Hallmark Philippines, Inc., for use in their 2016 calendar and souvenir merchandise.
  • A jeepney model on permanent exhibit at the Quezon City Experience Museum was decorated by Artipolo artists as a commissioned work in 2015.
  • ARTipolo member Michael Briquillo was awarded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2015, as one of 10 winning artists, for his entry in the NCCA National Competition to depict folklore heroes.
  • About 50 life-size monsters of Philippine mythology were created from wood, wire, and papier-mache by ARtipolo artists, for the 2015 Halloween display at Lores Plaza in Antipolo City, which was featured by Jessica Soho in her news magazine program for GMA 7 Television network.
  • ARTipolo Group won the second prize in the 2014 Art Competition organized by Resorts World Manila, with its design that employed elements of Philippine fiestas in embellishing a Philippine jeepney, according to the theme prescribed by the competition.

Meanwhile, over 100 group and solo exhibits of ARTipolo members have been held in various prestigious venues since 2014 and until the present. Recent exhibits include The HeArt Beat Exhibit at Café Lupe from February to April 2020 for the benefit of the Save the Children; Cartwheel Exhibit at R Gallery in March 2020, and Fund-Raising online auction of the Philippine Bar Association in December 2020.

But the growth of ARTipolo as a group is not only of their own. There were people and institutions who trusted them and believed in their capabilities as a primary mover of arts and culture in Metro Antipolo. Loreland Farm Resort is considered by ARTipolo members as their home. Other businesses who welcomed ARTipolo into their arms are Luljetta’s Hanging Garden Spa, LeBlanc Hotel and Resort, Café Lupe, and Casa Nieves International Cuisine.

Ms. Lanelle Abueva – Fernando of the Crescent Moon Café; Ms. Susan Hassig of Viuex Chalet Swiss Restaurant; Mr. LJ Sumulong of the Sumulong Farm; and Ms. Edna Del Rosario of Jardin de Miramar were the ones who sponsored their on-the-spot painting sessions in the past several years.

Just like the tipolo tree, as ARTipolo Group, Inc. is planted solidly in the fertile ground (charity, camaraderie, and creativity), in the coming years, ARTipolo Group, Inc. is expected not only to grow in number but also in terms of its achievements and of course, community work. (Written by Noel Sales Barcelona for ARTIpolo Group, Inc.)