LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Heartwarming stories of Pangasinan artists echoed within the walls of the newly opened art exhibit: Wala Yan Tongtong Ko (I Have A Story To Tell), in celebration of National Arts Month 2025 of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The event was spearheaded by the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on February 17 at the Banáan Pangasinan Provincial Museum, Casa Real.
Invited guests and attendees feasted their eyes on beautiful masterpieces displayed on the pristine walls of the museum’s Asin Gallery. The art exhibit offers a chance to convey personal stories of featured Pangasinan artists through the lens of art and is deeply rooted within the cultural pulse of the province. The artworks are mainly a collection of acrylic paintings, mixed media pieces, and digital photography.
In her remarks, Ms. Maria Luisa Amor-Elduayan, department head of PTCAO, highlighted the province of Pangasinan’s recent recognition by the Department of Health as one of the healthiest communities in the Philippines. It is a distinction that she attributed in part to the thriving cultural heritage of the province. “Malaki po ang kontribusyon ninyo sa pagtatawag sa atin na isa sa mga healthy communities in the Philippines. Nagagawa po natin ang mga katulad nitong exhibit dahil nandiyan po kayo na patuloy na lumilikha (Your contribution is tremendous in our recognition as one of the healthy communities in the Philippines. We are able to organize this kind of exhibit thanks to your continuous creations),” she said.
The heart of the exhibition is ‘A Salty Project,’ a group composed of talented artists in Pangasinan. Among the standout artworks was a Triptych piece of a Dagupeña artist, Teressa Martinez. It was named Consapevolezza or ‘awareness’ in Italian by the male figure in the artwork, Sylvester Salcedo. He eagerly said, “The artistic goal is that, in 35,000 years of world art, the male figure is always represented by, basically, puti [or] whites…almost never a Filipino. It’s time na [ipagmalaki] natin that the Filipino male figure deserves full respect and acknowledgement (It’s time we showcase that the Filipino male figure deserves full respect and acknowledgement).”
One of the featured artists was a 17-year-old teen, Precious Angelie Nipales, who proudly painted the historic town plaza of Mangaldan. Despite her young age, she was deeply honored to have the opportunity to showcase her talent in such a prominent setting. She said, “Ang goal ko po ay ma-capture ‘yong beauty po ng hometown ko, and gusto ko pong iparating na, despite being young, kaya po naming mga batang [katulad ko] (My goal is to capture the beauty of my hometown, and to convey that, despite being young, youths like me are capable of doing so).”
Marni Evangelista, 65, also had a piece on display, a painting inspired by the Angalacan Bridge in his hometown of Mangaldan. His artistic path has inspired his younger sibling, Reynaldo Evangelista, who lives with cerebral palsy, to express his emotions freely through art.
Visitors—whether they are visiting for the first time or returning to witness something new—can enjoy the exhibit until May 2025. The new art gallery is another must-see destination for art lovers and history enthusiasts alike.
/MGE
Photos: JOT
