Some Palabok Art (more photos will be added)

Art Palabok Comments

COMMENTS:

*Congratulations to your untiring effort to keep the arts alive in the community. But please, let me point out a disturbing thought about your choice of name. The word Palabok is used as slang or has conotations as in: full of air, hollow, sugar coating, covering up, icing in the cake, meaningless, nonesense,"borloloy", fake, etc. Not meaning to discourage you. your Brown Strokes, i think is great. May you consider another name? just a thought. More power to you.
Paul

*Hi, Julian!
I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you soon enough because I had to get a few things out of the way these past two days. You might get to wonder what in heaven's name do I still keep myself busy about here in Vancouver??? Well, let's just say that when most people choose retirement to end a career, this"old" hombre chose retirement to start a new career: I'm doing management/marketing consultancy work for small business entrepreneurs, primarily Filipinos, to help them get an even chance in the mainstream market. I also write business plans and corporate communications as I strive to professionalize the businesses of our compatriots here. Just like your goal for some of the finest Filipino-American artists there, mine is also some kind of missionary work, galvanizing a segment of Filipino business entrepreneurs here into a force beyond just putting up sarii-sari stores and turo-turo carinderias, and improve their image as well, etc., if you know what I mean.
I'm glad you didn't cave in to Paul's comments even as I suspected you won't. Just remember that nothing or no one has to keep us off track from what we believe to be right, except by our consent. Otherwise, we have abdicated our position to the likes of the Pauls in this world. Obvious naman, he was leaning on the negative side but, then, that's part of our humanity and no reason for us to be critical too, we can only respect their views just as we would expect them to respect ours. Alam mo naman (your mom knows this too), there are many lives in this world that painfully creak and grate as they go about their daily work. Often nothing seems to go right with them and they need lubrication through our own thoughtfulness and affirmation of them. Kaya cool ka lang, ituloy mo yang ginagawa mo, just stay the course, I'm with you and I'll try to link you up with some artist friends in Manila for your planned exhibit there. God-willing, this June I'll also try to include an exhibit of Filipino artists here for the Philippine Independence day celebration in hopes that you might also want to link with them here in the future (I'm being asked tp make a proposal).
I've noted your goals for the Palabok exhibit and I commend you for the crusading work you are doing for them there. My sincerest hopes are for your efforts to bear fruit . . . from Washington and beyond! Good luck! --- pio

*Julian Oteyza is bringing this art palabok on the road and I'm looking into a couple of venues here in Oregon and Los Angeles. Si Mel I think will look in San Francisco. Sama kayo dito???? Mukhang we even have a potential Las Vegas venue, let me know what you think, Melissa

* I hope this comes as a pleasant surprise, having lost touch with each other for quite a awhile since you last visited me with that nicely packed Paul Blanco painting I brought along. Very neatly done, and I'm still keeping the box while the painting is now hanging on my wall. I still do miss my Joya and Zalameda paintings though.
Anyway, i hope everything's fine with you and the gallery despite the economic problems you're facing there and that your exhibits continue to prosper, especially in terms of fulfillment and art appreciation with our local folks there. It is in this context that i am forwarding below another forthcoming art exhibit among our "exiled" artists in the US of A, this February 28 (a special day for me, coincidentally!) and a chance as well to introduce to you, Julian Oteyza (whose email also appears on this page, should you wish to communicate with each other directly later on) from Washington, DC, who is among the leading lights of this movement. Julian is also the son of a former dear artist-friend, Victor Oteyza who was also a friend of national artist Nanding Ocampo, and both are now in the great beyond where "there are no more tears and no more sorrows." The exhibit and its objectives are self-explanatory and I'm sure you'll feel a common bond with its aspirations to challenge and raise the quality of creativity among its members. Julian is also planning to conduct his own exhibit there in the near future, showcasing his works and those of his father (he still has 15 of Vic's paintings), on a Father and Son theme. And here's another surprise for you: I'm coming back for a month's visit there this first week of March and perhaps explore possibilities on how we can establish links for Julian. We'll have so much to cover, Arnel, and it certainly would be nice to see you again. In the meantime, take care! -- pio

*Palabok makes a tasty dish... dahil maraming "palabok". Title apt to achieve unity in an xhibit for artists with differing perspectives. Puede ring Pinakbet ... I'll be the bagoong!Josie