It isn’t everyday that one can experience a triad of achievement: to discover the beauty of art, to nourish the soul and to contribute to a greater cause all at the same time.
This is exactly what one can experience at benefit, an auction jointly mounted by the International School Manila (ISM) and Gavel&Block, a subsidiary of Salcedo Auctions. On Saturday, 5 May, a trove of distinctive artworks by National Artists, international masters, leading Filipino artists, and other artisanal objects of design merit will be up for bids at The Conservatory of The Peninsula Manila starting at 2pm.
The benefit auction aims to raise funds for the Vicky SyCip Herrera (VSH) Filipino Scholarship at ISM. Established to honor the well-loved guidance counsellor and her 38 years of service to the school, the VSH Filipino Scholarship underwrites the education of a fifth student with exceptional ability in each grade level from 8 to 12 at ISM, adding to the four in each grade level already funded directly by the school. For the past 57 years, ISM’s Filipino Scholarship Program has provided promising futures for over 150 Filipino scholars who have attained degrees from highly esteemed colleges and universities in both the local and international spheres. These scholars have pursued successful careers, among others, as entrepreneurs, humanitarians, lawyers, doctors, and architects.
Highlights of the sale include a 1986 mixed media painting on canvas by leading abstractionist Romulo Olazo, a 1973 oil on wood by National Artist Ang Kiukok, and ‘Deco Deconstruction,’ a limited edition digital print on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper by Ronald Ventura, which was generously donated by the artist to the school. National Artist Arturo Luz is represented by two pieces – a 1999 paper collage from the ‘Desert Series’ and an untitled, timeless wood cubiform sculpture that shows the depth of his artistry. Also included are ‘The Moving Form,’ by Eduardo Castrillo, and two works by the late expatriate Paris-based artist Nena Saguil – an iconic pen and ink featuring here primordial spheres, and a 1978 watercolor of similar motif translated into elegant chromatic forms. Apunte del Puerto de Santa Maria, a 1973 etching by Fernando Zobel which represents two views of sunset, will also be available at the benefit auction. Another opportunity not to be missed at the event are two artworks offered as one lot by the modernist vanguard: a pen and ink and a mixed media work.
Works by leading international masters round out the important artworks offered in this sale, including rare documented lithographs by the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, and the French post-impressionist Henri Matisse, as well as Filipiniana prints and maps by Pedro Murillo Velarde, Rigobert Bonne and Jean Francois La Perouse.
The auction preview was held from Tuesday, May 1 to Friday, May 4, 10am to 6pm at The Gallery, Level 3, The Peninsula Manila. The online catalogue of the benefit auction may be viewed at Salcedo Auctions’ official website.
For more information about benefit and the Vicky SyCip Herrera Filipino Scholarship at ISM, please contact Salcedo Auctions +632 659-4094 (Rose) or the International School Manila (Maica) +632 840-8606. For updates, visit the VSH Scholarship Foundation’s Facebook page and stay tuned by following @salcedoauctions and @gavelandblock on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #ismxgavelandblock #bidforthefuture and #arttransforms.
