Brown Strokes on the Move

Brown Strokes at Philippine Center, NY during Julian's solo show.
Brown Strokes at the Angel Orensanz Gallery, NY, NY














Brown Strokes at Harmony Hall, Oxon Hill Maryland 2003
from left to right: Marvin Santos, Virgilio Rollamas, Marielle Mariano, Rita Cacas, David Valderama, Julian Oteyza, Mya Talavera, Rod Garcia, Mil Arcega, Ernie Cordero



The Philippine-American Foundation for Charities, Inc. Presents
“Brown Strokes on a White Canvas” Traveling Art Exhibit, 2005
Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC, Exhibit Halls
9th and G. Streets, NW (1 block from Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro and Metro Center)
Washington, DC

"Honoring the Past, Living in the Present, and Preparing for the Future" is a program about building communities by sharing our art and culture through a variety of artistic expressions. Each ingredient in this special show is blended and offered as a creative feast to whet your artistic appetite. This year the traveling art exhibit, “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas” kicks off the month long celebration of Philippine Independence and reflects the belief that without independence there is no freedom and without freedom there is limited, if any artistic expression.
The “Honoring the Past Wall” displays Art that celebrates a proud heritage in support of freedom and independence. This is the wall where we display photography of our heritage, and paintings and sculptures that display the many beautiful creative expressions of our culture. For this collection we feature traditional Filipino music and during our opening reception, performance in this area would show our respect to the Philippines as the Motherland for this celebration of freedom and independence.

The “Living in the Present Wall” displays current events (non political themes), student videos, paintings, sketches, sculptures, etc. and features current music selections. In this space during our opening reception we will present performance art – collaborations to combine several different methods of artistic expression – poetry, music and dance.
The “Preparing for the Future Wall” features the annual Philippine Festival’s children’s art contest participants, and an exciting blend of experimental artistic expressions to reflect our hope and dreams for the future of our children, families, countries and our planet. During the opening reception you will be invited to view the artistic offerings and share your hopes for the future.

Our opening reception on Wednesday, May 4th will feature light refreshments to reflect each element of the theme and an opportunity to “Meet the Artists.” As of April 6th, we have more than 35 artists participating. We anticipate a large crowd, so please clear your calendar and join us for an evening designed to celebrate the 4th year of the “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas” traveling art exhibit. For more information, please contact art committee co-chairs, Julian Oteyza (703) 536-3173 or Linda Pirrone (703) 494-3236.


Guest of Honor: Franklin Odo, Director, Asian Pacific American Programs, smithsonian

Guest Performers: Original songs by Rodney Garcia,
Poetry by Joni Samilin
Opera-Graphy by Satomi Cheena Pirrone
Martial Arts demonstration by Alex Valera

Participating Artists: Alice Buenaventura Santos; Angie Takos; Arron Odelle; Carlo Vialu; Cesar Delos Santos; Charles Oteyza; Diane Velasco; Dulcie Dee; Eve Red Buhay a.k.a. Er Bu; Gloria Cabrera; Isabel Echevarria Rocha; Lauren Shealey; Holly Adams; Julian Oteyza; Kate Paneres; Kevin Owens; Linda Pirrone; Mae Palaci; Marielle Mariano; Marvin Santos; Melissa Nolledo-Christoffelis; Mel Vera Cruz; Mya Talavera; Nikki Oteyza; Nikolai Traykov; Nilo Santiago; Paul Cabezas; Presy Guevara; Uylsses Duterte; Victor Oteyza; Virgilio Rollamas and featuring work from the PAFC sponsored annual children’s art contest, children ages 3 – 16 years.

Brought to you by the Philippine-American Foundation for Charities, Inc., Art Committee and the Philippine Festival 2005 Committee in celebration of Philippine Independence, for more information http://www.pafc-inc@org/

Brown Strokes at Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC June, 2005

Front row: Alex Valera, Charmaine, Alice Santos, Angie Tacos, Carlo Vialu, Charles Oteyza, Diane Velasco, Gloria Cabrera, Lauren Shealey, Nickolay Traykov

Back row: Presy Guevara, Marvin Santos, Mae Palaci, Mya Talavera, Nikki Oteyza, Nilo Santiago, Linda Pirrone, Julian Oteyza, Satomi Pirrone, Joni Samilin, Mary Anne Fadul

The Original Brown Strokes Artists 2002

From left to right front row:

Maria Madonna Davidoff, Mel Odilao (sitting in for Pacita Abad) Joey Manlapaz

From left to right back row:

Nilo Santiago, Frank Redondo, Julian Oteyza, Jon Melegrito, Marvin Santos

Brown Strokes and Guests at the Philippine Embassy 2002

From left to right: Maurese Owens (PAFC), Mary Anne Fadul (PAFC), Mitzi Pickard (PAFC), Ambassador Albert Del Rosario, John Del Rosario, Marvin Santos, Mary Santos, Virgilio Rollamas, RitaCacas, Julian Oteyza, Joey Manlapaz, Maria Madonna Davidoff, Nilo Santiago, Bong David (PAFC)

The History of the Brown Strokes on a White Canvas Show

In 2002, the Philippine – American Foundation for Charities, Inc. (PAFC) annual celebration of Philippine Independence, the Philippine Festival kicked off with the first opening of “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas: A Kaleidoscopic View of the Philippine-American Experience” at The World Bank in Washington, DC. This show was conceived as a traveling art exhibit by Washington, DC based Filipino artist, Julian Oteyza, to highlight Filipino artists in the area by exhibiting artwork in a public arena, and offering a diverse audience exposure to the creative cultural wealth. The event moved to the Philippine Embassy and on to the Foundry Gallery. Each venue expanded to include additional artists and the Foundry Gallery exhibit offered the first mentoring opportunity by displaying emerging artists work (represented by the winners of the Philippine Festival’s annual children’s art contest aged 3 - 16) with the established artists in a diverse, public venue. The mentoring and outreach of this group has become a model to the children of the community.
In 2003, the PAFC again sponsored a traveling art exhibit, entitled, “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas: Embracing Our Diversity” kicking off the annual Philippine Festival. Events began at George Mason University Arlington campus in early June, where the artwork of the Filipino artists also included the 2002 winners of the annual children’s art contest. The exhibit moved to Harmony Hall Regional Arts Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland and included the winners of the 2003 children’s art contest, and ended its tour at the Philippine Center on 5th Avenue in New York, including artists from the New York, New Jersey area. During the on-site art contest during the annual Philippine Festival celebration the Brown Strokes artists assisted with the annual children’s art contest by interacting with the participants furthering the mentoring model established in 2003.
In 2004, PAFC once again celebrated Philippine Independence with the 3rd annual Brown Strokes on a White Canvas art exhibit: Sharing Artistic Visionary Experience. The exhibit occurred at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library from June 6th to July 15th. The theme, “Sharing Artistic Visionary Experience” was representative of the Filipino artists who extended their outreach to include multi-cultural, multi-faceted, myriad artistic reflections in a celebration of freedom and independence. Once again, the Brown Strokes artists, including several who (because of their age) were no longer eligible for the children’s art contest, assisted with the annual Children’s art contest.
In 2005, Brown Strokes on a White Canvas began the year with a show at George Mason University in Arlington, VA, entitled, “Memory Surfaces” featuring 9 Philippine-American artists and a show at The Philippine Center in New York, entitled “Art Palabok” featuring 12 Philippine-American artists. The students at University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia invited the traveling exhibit for their April Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration; the George Washington University Philippine Cultural Society in Washington, DC invited the show to their annual cultural event in April; the show is scheduled to exhibit at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Washington, DC for the month of May; and the show is booked for Reston Arts Community Center in Northern Virginia for the months of September through November. Negotiations are underway for exhibits in Oregon, Las Vegas, Okinawa, Tokyo and Bagiuo. The Brown Strokes artists in cooperation with George Washington University Philippine Culture Society members will conduct the annual children’s art contest during the Philippine Festival scheduled for Sunday, June 5th in Washington, DC. For more information, please contact art committee chair, Julian Oteyza, joteyza@erols.com or (703) 536-3173
The Philippine-American Foundation for Charities, Inc., (PAFC) is a nonprofit, nonpolitical tax-exempt 501©3 organization formed in 1997 to focus on community-based charitable, educational and cultural projects that will improve the quality of life of the Filipino American community and the larger mainstream community. Please visit the PAFC website: www.pafc-inc.org for more information or to make a tax deductible donation to continue the self-sustaining art program.

University of Phoenix, Reston 2005 and Comments

From left to right:
Tanya Owens, Julian Oteyza, Satomi China Pirrone, Linda Pirrone, Mary Bronson (Reston Art League President) Kevin Owens, Reme "Mima" Cabacungan, Frank Redondo, Virgilio Rollamas

COMMENTS:

Dear Linda and Julian,

Thank you very much for your poem and the video of Pacita's Washington Memorial, and the material that you sent me about the 2002, 2003 and 2004 "Brown Strokes on a White Canvas" exhibitions. I know that Pacita was very pleased to be included in those shows.

I was also wondering if I could get your help with regard to establishing "Fundacion Pacita - the Pacita Abad Foundation" as a non-profit organization in the U.S. I imagine you or some of your colleagues must have a check list of things that I have to do to register a new foundation and receive a tax-exempt ID number from the IRS. Any help that you could give me would be much appreciated.

During the period immediately following the passing of Pacita, there was an incredible response from her friends and fans around the world. For everyone to share, I have put together a summary of the various memorials and events that were held in Pacita’s honor in Singapore, Manila, Batanes, Jakarta, Washington, D.C. and New York (see attached).

Over the next few months I will be working to legally establish her foundation “Fundacíon Pacita” in both the Philippines and the U.S., as well as moving ahead to launch her Studio/Museum on her native island of Batanes. I will send out more information on these projects after a few months.

I am also busy documenting and cataloguing her prolific output of paintings and other artistic creations. There is an enormous amount of work to do, as she created over 3,500 pieces of art. As part of this effort, I am gathering all types of materials (painting collectors’ photos, sketches, videos, articles, etc) in order to document Pacita’s incredible artistic career. I would appreciate any help that I can get, so if you have a painting by Pacita, or any photos or other memorabilia that you would like to share, please let me know.

I wish you the best in the “Year of the Rooster”, and on behalf of her family and friends, thank you for your support and love for Pacita.

Regards,
Jack

ART THAT EXTOLS AN INNER FULCRUM
By Remé Grefalda

Brown Strokes on A White Canvas ended its 2005 odyssey (“Honoring the Past, Living the Present, Preparing for the Future”), presumably bringing ethnicity and art to various American cities with an all-Filipino participation. Instead, the show itself is “color blind” towards race or people, projecting instead the versatility of artists who are predominantly, but not exclusively, Filipino.

Much to the credit of its curators, Julian Oteyza and Linda Pirrone (who are also exhibiting their art), the finale of this year’s travel exhibit arrived full circle in Virginia. The Exhibit can be viewed through the end of October at the University of Phoenix in Reston. The art space itself calls to mind the familiarity of common experience within a learning institution: hallways flanked by classrooms on one side where lectures are punctuated by soft discussions. Contrast these sounds of academe with the silence of art on walls, and one forms an image of framed works mentoring students on the cultural and historical roots of each artistic expression.

“Roots” towards the future

Brown Strokes’ common denominator is ROOTS: the root experience of artistic expression, its beginnings; an abundance of visual metaphors for nostalgic environs, triggers of epiphanies and hoarded childhood flashes. More than looking back, some artists herald their own awakening, thus a forward looking into the unknown, pushing this new and specific root to probe deeper into one’s sense of identity, cultural upheaval, struggles of the psyche, and always, in the confrontation of principles—the soul versus the corporate.

The show is distinguished by the inclusion of the painting “Purple Fancy” by one of the early pioneers of Philippine modern art: Victor Oteyza. In post-colonial Manila, Oteyza was one of 13 artists who decisively moved away from the influence of Western art to focus on the cultivation of Philippine expression. Victor Oteyza passed away some 20 years ago leaving behind a legacy of his art.

Happily, this exhibit opens itself to participants from all walks of life, blending established masters with emerging artists and precocious neophytes; providing equal space for students and professionals, hobbyists, photographers, sculptors and those who creatively improvise on a variety of media. Perhaps this eclectic mix is what brings ordinary people to marvel and be more than curious in viewing art. One is silent before the work of masters. But one is happily engaged in the works of individuals whose artistic attempts evoke a sense of the marvelous. One becomes convinced that artistic temperaments are honed in time.
Tenacity and Commitment: A Sign of the Emerging Artist

But it takes more than just time. It takes tenacity and commitment to cultivate whimsy and sustain visionary art. Notable for its whimsy was a wall of Remy Cabacungan’s cushions with titles to match the imaginative designs. She describes her work as “button vision” where buttons compete with the fabric design of cushions used as the canvas of expression. “The Color of Tears” (also titled “Mama’s Lullaby”) is a lilting row of fuchsia sequins that parallel white lace on embossed pink satin.“ Other titles were “The Garden I Never Tended” and “Papa Made the Violin Cry”. Remy Cabacungan is 97 years old.

Guests at the Meet The Artist event were introduced to improvisational art with opera. Satomi China Pirrone “performed” a calligraphic piece on canvas while singing an operatic aria. Her brush of choice: her own flowing hair gliding symmetrically over canvas.

Melissa Nolledo-Christoffels, a graphic artist and photographer from Oregon evoked in her digital art the blend of computerization and measured creativity, one of which was an intriguing “Woman Cradled”, a monochromatic piece that layered into a semblance of the sliced core of a fruit, but from its center emerged a concentric female figure. Christoffels’ pieces have the grain of antiquity so removed from its high-tech origins. Her art teeters from textured tension to surrealistic haunting with all that is graceful in between.

Photography in dervish motion found many a viewer faintly stupefied by Nikki Oteyza’s pieces titled simply as “Motion 1” through “Motion 4”. Theatrical choreography was recognizable in each piece, highlighting motion of colors and lines.

The violence in Philippine History was a stark reminder in the charcoal drawings of Frank Redondo, a professional illustrator from Alexandria, Virginia. Four scenes of execution (reminiscent of artworks for the drafting of postage stamps) detailed a hero and his martyrdom: Jose Rizal, the “Gomburza” Trio of priests in 18th century Philippines, the Sublime Paralytic, Mabini, and Jacinto the Brains of the Katipunan.

Brown Strokes on A White Canvas elicits pride and inspires a brimming confidence in its viewers. A deep appreciation for the collection of works is only the beginning. What the exhibit instills is the wonder of affirmation. It affirms one’s singular beginnings in a world that easily divests us of the pearl in our orient skies.

Participating Artists: Marvin Santos, Marielle Mariano, Charles Oteyza, Nikki Oteyza, Kevin Owens, Holly Adams, Linda Pirrone, Isabel Rocha, Virgilio Rollamas, Ulysses Duterte, Arron Odell, Victor Oteyza, Lauren Shealey, Mel Vera Cruz, Jon Melegrito, Melissa Nolledo-Christoffels, Presy Guevara, Nabil Makar, Satomi Cina Pirrone, Russell Anderson, Tanya Owens, Reme "Mima" Cabacungan, ErBu, Jerico Tugado Marzan, Joy Quintana, Sally Tsou, Frank Redondo, Julian Oteyza, Nilo Santiago, PAFC Children's Art Contest WinnersShow sponsored by PAFC and the Art League of Reston