will serve as its headquarters
After 75 years since its inception, the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) is now well on its way to seeing the completion of its forever home in Silang, Cavite, Metro Tagaytay. Aptly dubbed the AAP Home or Tahanan, the new headquarters for AAP is a visual manifesto rising on a 200 square-meter lot.
Visual artist Fidel Sarmiento, the president of AAP, shared that it’s time for AAP to put itself first and strive to build a permanent home. He added that the need for the AAP Tahanan became imperative after the Kanlungan ng Sining or Art Haven in Rizal Park closed its doors on the organization in 2014.
Under Sarmiento’s leadership, the AAP and its extensive network banded together to establish their most significant collaborative obra maestra.
Sarmiento also wanted their new home to be independent of the government. He drew inspiration from two successful fundraisers co-sponsored by artists for Ondoy and Ormoc victims, the Artabang 1 and Artabang 2, since “tabang” in Bisaya means “help.”
The AAP President took matters into his own hands and pushed for the Artabang 3 with the Cebuanos, with proceeds directed toward funding the first-ever AAP Home.
“We asked 80 plus artists to donate their paintings for a one night auction last December 19, 2019,” said AAP Secretary and watercolor Hall of Famer Margaret Lim.
Meanwhile, Sarmiento shared that they also created murals in an area near an artist who first took them in after departing from Kanlungan ng Sining.
“Nakagawa kami ng mga murals at ‘yung ibang mga donasyon na binigay ng mga artist ay inauction,” he said.
Eventually, this limited budget led AAP to Silang, Cavite. Yet the organization’s journey toward building its forever home wasn’t without roadblocks, as the COVID-19 pandemic slowed its progress.
It was during this time when Sarmiento and his fellow officers met what they call angels on earth. So even though the expenses piled up, donations in kind trickled in.
Some of these contributions came from the AAP’s friends in Sunshine Place, where Sarmiento is an art instructor. These offers surprised Sarmiento and his fellow officers because of the sheer amount and support from his students and friends in the recreational center.
From the foundations to the building’s structure, the organization saw its dream of a permanent home slowly take shape.
With 12,000 members, the AAP is now the most significant and oldest umbrella national artists’ organization, despite being founded as a social group by Purita Kalaw Ledesma in 1948. Its roster boasts national artists and international luminaries, including Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya, and Botong Francisco, among other personalities.
The two-story building houses AAP’s base, office, gallery, and educational center, where other aspiring artists can learn from AAP officers.
Among its other purposes include becoming a central office for various artist groups across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and a gallery for out-of-town artists who need to exhibit their works but can’t afford accommodations.
As the AAP Home nears completion, the organization continues to prove its dedication to empowering local artists and how a little Bayanihan goes a long way.