Empowering artists through community gallery

If you want to understand a town or city and its people, you must visit two essential places: the market and the community gallery.

A vibrant hub showcasing local produce and crafts, the market is where you can observe the social rhythms of a community. Conversations among vendors and shoppers reveal cultural dynamics, regional dialects, and communal bonds that characterize the area. Observing these interactions provides insights into their livelihoods, challenges, and triumphs, painting a vivid picture of the community’s essence.

Meanwhile, community galleries highlight the area’s artistic spirit, with artworks by local artists reflecting shared experiences and heritage. Engaging with these artifacts helps gain a deeper understanding of the local identity and the narratives that shape it, showcasing the community’s unique experiences, histories, and aspirations.

There has been significant development in the Philippines in creating and producing community-based galleries and spaces. “Members of such communities, often marginalized in previously dominant museum practice or society as a whole, are given greater opportunities to negotiate the representation of their memory or heritage in ways they deem appropriate in such institutions,” said UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Francesco Bandarin in the preface of a literary publication on community-based approaches to museum development in Asia and the Pacific for culture and sustainable development.

During the recently concluded 14th Tam-awan International Arts Festival (TIAF), over 500 participants engaged in discussions about empowering artists through community galleries. For four days, artists from various regions of the Philippines came together to immerse themselves in Cordilleran cultures while sharing their artistic journeys with peers.

Kublai, an artist from Davao, expressed his motivation for attending the festival, noting his desire to understand whether the experiences of Mindanao artists align with those in other regions. Many participants highlighted how Tam-awan Village has become a model for other community-based cultural spaces and artist hubs, showcasing the festival’s significance in fostering collaboration and cultural exchange.

“We believe this space has become a showcase of Cordilleran culture, mirroring the heritage of Baguio City,” said Engr. Aloysius Mapalo during the Kapihan sa Baguio held at the village. He emphasized how Tam-awan exemplifies the true essence of community.

While the government cannot do it alone, he believes that everyone is a stakeholder. “Baguio is one big community, where different sectors work together to showcase and promote the Cordilleran creative industry.”

Mapalo congratulated the Chanum Foundation, Inc. for continuously producing and organizing the TIAF for the past 14 years. “Fourteen years is no joke. We know how difficult it is to organize and produce a festival every year. For fourteen years, TIAF speaks volumes about how the community is steadfast in pursuing cultural consciousness and perpetuating it through different generations,” he said.

Nestled in the heart of Baguio City, Tam-awan Village was established in 1996 by the Chanum Foundation, Inc., currently led by visual artist Jordan Mang-osan, to educate visitors and tourists about the Cordillera region’s rich cultural heritage.

For 26 years, it has continued to instill appreciation for Cordilleran art, music, and way of life by transforming itself into a creative haven for artists and people from all walks of life.

In addition to exhibiting and selling artworks by local artists, the village offers art workshops and cultural presentations. The village has also embraced artists from different regions of the country through the annual art festival.

Known for its breathtaking location and cultural experiences, the village has become a beloved cultural destination for both local and international visitors over the past two decades.