2009 New Releases
Philippine Exhibit Opens August 29
CONTACT:
Janet
Peterson, Marketing and Public Relations Director
TEL:
(856)
825-6800, Ext. 108
FAX: (856) 825-2410
E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonarts.org
down jersey folklife center at wheatonarts PRESENTS “Understanding Others: Philippine Traditional Arts and Culture”
MILLVILLE,
NJ –
The Down Jersey Folklife Center at WheatonArts presents, “Understanding Others:
Philippine Traditional Arts and Culture,” a new exhibit opening September 29
and continuing through December 31, 2009.
The exhibit provides visual insights
into Philippine folklore, mythology and religions and represents a wide range
of regional folk arts and crafts. It focuses on the diversity of beliefs,
ceremonies, celebrations and everyday activities of the Philippine people as
interpreted by master folk artists working in a variety of media: fabrics,
wood, metal, stone, shells, beads, bones, and horn. The diversity springs from
a unique blend of indigenous cultures with those imported from Spain, Mexico,
the U.S., India and China, scattered across the more than 7,000 islands that
comprise the Philippine archipelago. Running north and south in the Pacific
over a 300,000 square kilometer region between Taiwan and Indonesia Philippines
are dominated by three main island groups, Luzon,
to the north, site of the capital, Manila; Mindanao
to the south and Visayas in between.
The blend of cultures allows us to
observe a complex process where “old” and “new” are integrated into various
artistic forms and cultural practices. Indigenous beliefs, legends and tales
co-exist with Christian, Buddhism and Islam and inspire exemplary artistic
expressions that become part of the present-day Philippine folk culture.
Understanding
Others
assembles a rich collection of ritual, decorative and utilitarian objects that
reflect the styles, subjects, values and aesthetic concerns of the Philippine
artists and the various ethnic communities they represent. All of the exhibit
items belong to the private collections of Emilio and Ameurfina Nazario and
Stewart and Mirinisa Myers.
Major art forms featured in the
exhibit include:
■
Traditional Musical Instruments – Northern Mountain
Province: Bangibang (wooden yoke-shaped percussion bars); Bongkaka
(bamboo buzzer for driving away evil spirits); Kulibao (bamboo jaw
harp); Palendong (lip valley bamboo flute); and
Tongali (bamboo nose flute). From the
South: Agong (large bronze gong with a wide rim); Babandir (small
bronze gong with turned-in rim); D’bakan (goblet-headed drum of hollow wood and animal skin); Gabbang (bamboo
xylophone); Kubing (Bamboo jaw harp); Kudyapi (two-stringed
lute); Kulintang (set of eight bronze gongs of graduated sized played
using a pair of soft wood sticks); and Suling (bamboo ring flute). Also,
Rondalla Instruments (stringed instruments)
such as Bandurria, Laud and Octavina.
■
Hand-woven and Embroidered Fabrics made of various materials such as
palm leafs, pineapple fiber, banana leafs, tree bark, as well as cotton and
silk. Visitors can recognize the Southern geometrical patterns and compare them
with the floral motifs that dominate the Northern designs. Hand-painted fabrics
feature a variety of motifs including small animals like grasshoppers and
lizards or dancing human figures. Fabrics made by the Igorot people (the group consisting of five tribes – Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao and Kalinga – all residing in the northern
mountain province) show specific designs representing tribal symbols, colors or
ritual relevance. Some fabrics are assembled into full costumes representing
different regions in the Philippines; others are shown separately in order to
illustrate specific techniques such as the calado (type of embroidery
and cutwork), which requires closer look for better appreciation.
■ Baskets,
designed in the various traditions of Northern, Central and Southern
Philippines,
are used for planting, harvesting or storing
rice, fruits and vegetables. They are made of palm leafs, grass, rattan,
bamboo, jute, abaca or a combination of grass and carved wood, grass and
beadwork. The geometric patterns of the beaded decorations on the baskets are
distinct for the Southern part of the Philippines. Visitors can see the famous kayabang
basket, which is carried with the help of a strap across the forehead.
■ Woodcarvings
reflect different religious beliefs, such as examples of carved Christian
saints and angels or carved bulol (rice gods) and anito (spirit
figures representing the spirits of the ancestors, nature-spirits or other
deities). They are believed to provide magical protection or to give guidance
in difficult life situations. Also on display are carved animals, bowls for
ceremonial offerings, human figures dressed in the local garments, and utensils
for everyday use.
■ Bone
and Horn Carvings appear in some of the musical instruments, jewelry items
and decorative objects. Visitors have a unique opportunity to see the famous Sarimanok
(The mythical Maranao bird holding
two fish, one with its beak, and the other with its claws, that symbolize good
luck and prosperity) carved out of bone and wood in the Southern Philippines.
■ Jewelry
and Amulets constitutes a separate section of the exhibit featuring a
variety of materials and techniques such as beadwork, metalwork, shell crafts,
bone and seeds designs. For example, there is on display a tamborin necklace
(scapular, gold filigree with an image of Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary, or saint
on the pendant) and a necklace made from skeleton of a snake. Both of them are
perceived as amulets protecting people from evil powers.
Other items
on display survey miniature toys - models of transportation vehicles
including Kalesa (horse drawn-carriage) and Jeepney (originally
made from U.S. military jeeps left overs after the World War II and known for
their flamboyant and colorful decoration), basket-shaped hats made of rattan, grass, abaca or wood, and headdresses with elaborate bead,
bamboo and wood decorations.
Several workshops will
be held in conjunction with the exhibit in order to provide deeper insights into the Philippine folk traditions and culture.
The exhibit
is included in the price of admission to WheatonArts. Admission: Adults $10.00,
$9.00 Senior Adults and $7.00 Students. Children five and under are free. Free
to shop and stroll except during outdoor special events. For more information about
WheatonArts, call 856-825-6800 or 800-998-4552, or visit www.wheatonarts.org.
WheatonArts
strives to make exhibits, events and programs accessible to all visitors.
Provide two weeks notice to accommodate needs. Patrons with
hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey
Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.
The Down
Jersey Folklife Center is a division of Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center.
Funding
has been
made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of
State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, from the Geraldine
R. Dodge Foundation and the Bank of America Foundation. WheatonArts has also
received grant support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of
Cultural Affairs in the Department of State and from the New Jersey Department
of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.
