I was introduced to the public during the art talk attended by students, the faculty, the university president, and the people of Pittsburgh by Mr. Jeffrey C. Guterman, Associate Professor of Communications.
Friday, July 27, 2007
I also had a chat with the university president during the opening receptions right after the gallery art talk. He thanked me for an excellent performance and exhibition. There was an absence of the usual ribbon cutting. Instead the exhibition opened with an art talk and some guests and viewers came to the gallery even before the gallery talk. One Jewish professor and a Filipina professor gave me positive comments.
At the start I felt a slight tinge of nervousness only to disappear right away when my turn to talk started. That nervousness was replaced by confidence. I started by giving thanks to our God the Father Almighty for bringing me safely there and making the whole event possible.
In my mind, had something unfavorable happened, had some kind of racial profiling occurred in the US immigration especially because I was bemoustached and sporting a long hair, or had all the preparations gone awry then nothing like that moment in front of those curious audiences, with their pink cheeks in the Bradford winter adding color to the dimly-lit room, would have ever happened. (BTW, back in Hong Kong my wife Sally was rushed by ambulance to the hospital due to back pains that caused her to have difficulty standing. But later, all was well and good)
As the talk progressed I shared about our humble beginnings as family of artists in Iloilo and that our province is so beautiful and interesting. Mr Guterman mentioned that I traveled more than 7,000 miles to setup the show and I replied that I live in a country consisted of more than 7,000 islands depending on the tide. I mentioned a bit of history about Iloilo starting with a painting of BARTER OF PANAY which I won second prize at the Marikudo Country Club competition in the late 70s in Iloilo City, Philippines and where Eddie Ilarde, Minister Duavit and Artist Jose Blanco were the judges.
In the middle of the talk I mentioned about Gawad Kalinga and how these constructive efforts to somehow bring peace in Mindannao benefitted a Muslim slum area where Christians and Muslims alike all worked side-by-side to build homes for the poor. At the back of my mind I had the threat of global terrorism victimizing not only Americans but also Filipinos especially because Mindanao was declared by Bush as the next battle front.
I did hope that in my small way I was able to contribute in international understanding and in making people realise the hardships of foreign workers forced to work abroad just to make sure their families survive back home.
In the middle of the talk I mentioned about Gawad Kalinga and how these constructive efforts to somehow bring peace in Mindannao benefitted a Muslim slum area where Christians and Muslims alike all worked side-by-side to build homes for the poor. At the back of my mind I had the threat of global terrorism victimizing not only Americans but also Filipinos especially because Mindanao was declared by Bush as the next battle front.
I did hope that in my small way I was able to contribute in international understanding and in making people realise the hardships of foreign workers forced to work abroad just to make sure their families survive back home.
FREE FLOW exhibition venue
That was my first time to see that place in Pennsylvania. KOA Art Gallery is situated in this building. Blaisdell Hall also serves as an arts and cultural center for this community in North America. The nearby surrounding landscapes suggest that this is a place away from the irritants caused by pollution and noise of a crowded urban area. I miss this place and how I wish I could go back there once more. And that time would be to introduce a lot of my new works.THE NIGHT BEFORE the opening
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The winter snow has begun to release its chilly winds but that night prior to the opening day I got the chance to have my last peep at the exhibition gallery. How excited I was to see the exhibition setup thoughtfully arranged and made more dramatic by those directional gallery lights. These two views of the gallery are seen from the parking lot outside and was surely attractive during the evenings while the lights were still on.
FREE FLOW exhibition materials
It was a good thing that the university provided the right promo and exhibition materilas. Other help from friends has brought awareness about the exhibition to a wider viewership.
Links:
KOA ART GALLERY
KOA Art Gallery is in Blaisdell Hall, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford • 300 Campus Drive • Bradford, PA, USA.
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