41 female artists featured in Baguio 'Be-ei' exhibit

By Pigeon Lobien  

BAGUIO CITY – A total of 41 female artists, led by national artist for film Kidlat Tahimik’s daughter-in-law, were featured in an art exhibit at the Victor Oteyza Community Arts Space here on March 8.

Lissa Romero-de Guia, wife of Kidlat’s eldest son and namesake, led 40 other female artists in the show in honor of women this March, the Month of Women.

"Be-ei: Being Her" is an art exhibit that is a tribute to women.

Be-ei is a term of the Ibaloys, who are natives of southern Benguet including Baguio, for women.

“The works of the women are the creative expressions of their introspection, a singular activity that is becoming rare because women multi-task and have many responsibilities other than herself," Romero-de Guia said in a media release.

“This show is about women’s inspired and much needed ‘buntong hininga’, her sigh...“It may only be a second, an hour but it’s a moment for herself. Being Herself – a mother, daughter, ‘lola’, carer, creator, healer, fighter, heroine, free-thinker, or a queen," said Romero-de Guia, an alumna of a stage play that included being an understudy of Miss Saigon.

Romero-de Guia also writes a column in a weekly newspaper here.

The show that opened at 4 p.m. on March 8 at the Tahimik’s arts center at the 5th floor of said building featured works of Tara Lalaine Natividad, Solana Lim, Sheela “Ming” Tabuno, grade-schooler Sakura Alangui, Raisa Pocais, Pam Reyes, Nona Garcia, Nida Dumsang, Mia Magdalena, Maya Racuya, Marlyn de Lazo Bulayo, Marj Olivete, Marissa Romero, Mare DC Gomez, Malaya Olivette, Malaya de Guia, Maela Liwanag Jose, Ma. Belen Macawili, Luisa Galang, Laurice Pocais, Kara Dandan Albano, Kelly Ramos, Kathy Bimuyag, July Rain, Joyce Mallare, Jo-anne Bray Siadto, Jessica Faye Marino, Jen Lorenzo, Ilene Carantes, Greta Apolinar, Freya Jadormio, Fatima Erasmo, Ella Pinder, Dumay Solinggay, Danielle Florendo, Dana Cosio-Mercado, Cynthia Dalisdis, China Valdez and Bahare Hamide Kerdar.

Several art shows are scheduled to open this month including others that are all-women shows.

Today (March 15), the family of the late Ben Hur Villanueva will stage a tribute to the sculptor who died late January this year.

“Ben Hur’s Baguio, Baguio’s Be-Hur” will feature some of the late artist’s work at the Café by the Ruins, an establishment known as artists hub.

One of Villanueva’s famous sculptors could be found at the Saint Louis University on Bonifacio Road, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.

The third staging of the Ipitik Festival was set March 28 at the Rose Garden of the Burnham Park but this was cancelled due to the Covid-19 virus scare.

The week-long festivity was set to be staged during the culmination days of the 25th Panagbenga with wine tasting festivity, culinary, musical, theatre and an artisan’s village in the part of the park using the chalets that were used during the Enchanting Christmas in Baguio in December last year.

An international jazz festival featuring jazz artists from the United States and five national jazz artists was also set but this was put on hold. -- (PNA)