Winning in this year’s ArtPetron 4 National Student Art Competition comes with the pride of being able to say that one has successfully earned the nod of some of the country’s much celebrated and respected name in the fi eld of Art.
Leading the impressive roster of judges are National Artist Napoleon Abueva, who is, for the fourth straight year, the chairman of the Board of Judges for the Painting Category; and seasoned photographer Wig Tysmans, chairman of the Board of Judges for the Black and White Photography Category introduced for the fi rst time this year.
“Mang Billy”, as Abueva is fondly called, has been with ArtPetron since its launch in 2001. Each year, he takes time out from his artistic endeavors to lend his eye for talent in choosing the best paintings. He has just fi nished
“The Risen Lord” for the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Tagbilaran, Bohol and a public sculpture for the town of Buhangin, Bulacan.
Also taking a break from his busy schedule is Tysmans who is currently working on two book projects -
Malacanang: The Offi cial History, and the town of San Juan. He just fi nished shooting for the centennial book of St. Luke’s Hospital and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gold Collection. Equally challenging is his new assignment as the lead judge for the fi rst ever ArtPetron Photography Category.
They will each be joined by other art luminaries in the fi nal screening for the selection of the best artistic interpretations of ArtPetron 4’s “Lumang Ani, Bagong Sali” theme which aims to celebrate life and hope by featuring harvest as a celebration of abundance and provision.
Completing the list of judges for the Painting Category are Mauro Malang Santos, 1994 Gawad ng CCP for the Visual Arts Awardee; Dean Rosario,Bitanga of the Institute of Fine Arts and Design of the Philippine Women’s University, recipient of the Parangal Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan for Painting given by the City of Manila in 2001; Ramon E.S. Lerma, curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery and coordinator for the Art Education and Art Management program also at Ateneo, more popular to Philippine Star readers for his “ArtSpeak” column; and Romulo Galicano, who has won in the Art Association of the Philippines, Philippine Art Awards, and was recently awarded a certifi cate of merit by the Portrait Society of America.
Also on board for the Photography Category are Romy Gacad, chief photographer for Agence France-Presse Manila Bureau and three-time nominee for the Pulitzer, more recently for his coverage of the 2003 Iraq War; fi rst ever FAMAS Hall of Famer, multi - awarded cinematographer Romy Vitug who has done more than 50 feature fi lms; Baron Patrick Koenigsworter, English photographer who has held 14 one-man exhibits at various venues in the Philippines and is credited for his photography work for the books
A Thousand Years of Stoneware Jars in the Philippines and In the Gardens of the Philippines; and Denise Weldofi , fi rst recipient of the Miriam F. Carpenter Prize in photography to be honored consecutively for two years.
Six entries will be selected in the painting category (three each for watercolor/ water-based media and oil/acrylic) as fi rst prize winners to each receive P50,000, a trophy designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva, plus a 29” color TV for their respective schools. Another six paintings will be awarded runners-up prizes of P20, 000 each and a trophy.
Winning artworks will be featured in Petron’s 2005 wall calendar to be distributed nationwide. Awarding of winners will be on August 20 at the Cultural Hall of the Petron Mega Plaza in Makati City.
