arts

Greenfield Weekend Market: A Weekend Market in the Greens

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Weekend markets in the eastern side of the metropolis have been growing in popularity in recent years, thanks in part to such events first organized at Ortigas Center by Banchetto, which has since then transferred to the area near Forum Robinsons in southeastern Mandaluyong. Since then, there have been a number of other weekend market venues there in the east, though few has yet to match the legacy of the former. Perhaps, the closest that would have rivalled Banchetto would be the weekend market set up by Mercato Centrale in the area of Greenfield District (right around the corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard) called Manda Centrale.

Unfortunately, despite the Mercato name, Manda Centrale fizzled out after a few months like a number of Mercato locations outside Bonifacio Global City. Which was a shame since Greenfield District is itself a bustling commercial area that benefited from heavy foot traffic that goes all the way up to the busy Ortigas Center nearby. Nevertheless, the seeds of a weekend market venture have been planted; on March 2014, Greenfield District opened a weekend market of its own: the Greenfield Weekend Market.

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A One-of-a-Kind Trade Fair for the Arts

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Trade fairs usually showcase commodities or services for public consumption or use. That being said, a trade fair that deals with art is something that few would even think about.

But the Department of Trade and Industry held such an event at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall called “Sikat Pinoy: National Art Fair,” the first of its kind to be held here.

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Checked Out: the Sunday Intramuros Pasyal

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Traditionally, Sunday is day to unwind. For families, Sunday is also family day when families do some bonding together somewhere, especially after attending a Sunday religious service. These days, the venue of choice for these moments would be a modern, air-conditioned shopping mall which offers many amenities and sights to see. While I have nothing against shopping malls, it;s just that they have become so much ingrained in our culture and lifestyle that we tend to forget to look beyond the mall, so to speak. There are many things to discover outside the confines of the mall that may surprise and perhaps enamor you if one takes the time to do so.

That being said, allow the Urban Roamer introduce you to a one-of-a-kind Sunday experience right in Manila’s Walled City one should not fail to miss: the Sunday Intramuros Pasyal.

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Manansala’s Philamlife Paintings at the National Museum

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When the Urban Roamer got the opportunity to visit the Philamlife Building at Ermita during its (sob) final days, one of the things I was fixated upon was the artworks whose artist was a mystery to me at that time. Thanks to a reader, I found out that those artworks were actually done by Vicente Manansala himself, National Artist for Visual Arts alongside with colleagues like Fernando Amorsolo and Botong Francisco.

The paintings are a a series of 7 commissioned works completed by Manansala in 1961, the same year the Philamlife Building was completed, done in the cubist style Manansala was known for.

Vicente Manansala (courtesy of iloko.tripod.com)

While the issue about the fate of the Philamlife Auditorium was in full rage for several months last year, curiously there was not much news about what was to happen to those paintings considering these were done by a National Artist.

That question was answered with a satisfying resolution today as the National Museum of the Philippines announced over its Facebook page that these 7 paintings can now be seen in one of the halls of the 3rd floor of the museum’s National Art Gallery named aptly, “Philam Life Hall.”

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