Necrological service for the Arts

Artists and art supporters gathered today, Friday, Aug 7, 2009, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to protest, mourn for what they think was the death of the National Artist Award of the Philippines, a prestigious award given to the artists who's work have help contribute to the development of the Philippine contemporary art.

Two names have been the center of this controversy. The two who has been included in the list of the new national artists are; National artist for theatre Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, whose also executive director of the National Commission for Culture and Art (NCCA) and also presidential advisor for culture.

The other one was National artist for Visual arts and Film, Carlo J. Caparas. Caparas who's work was well established on the comic book industry as well as in TV and film.
But most expert, artists, and art enthusiasts believed that Caparas hasn't done anything important yet to really deserve this prestigious award, also winning the Visual art category, questions were raised, even though being in the comic book industry, Caparas is not an illustrator, he doesn't even draw his comic books.

The two were selected by malacanang, then pull out one nominee, which they say malacanang has no right to do so, and Caparas and Alvarez didnt go through the natural process of nomination.
In line with this artists from various disciplines joined together in a necrological service for what they say is the Death of the National Artist Award.
They wore black, a procession was made, and past national artists gave their eulogies.

National artists such as BenCab (Visual arts), F. Sionil Jose (literature), Bienvenido Lumbera (literature) Napoleon Abueva (Visual arts), Arturo Luz (Visual arts) and Virgilio Almario (Literature) were present at the ceremony.

After the necrological services, they held a funeral march and went to NCCA to continue their protest. The ceremony had little tension but peacefully ended, but artists said they wont stop, and will then comeback with a much larger group. and they made it clear that they will not recognize Caparas and Alvarez as their new national artists.

Artists and art supporters gathered today, Friday, Aug 7, 2009, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to protest, mourn for what they think was the death of the National Artist Award of the Philippines, a prestigious award given to the artists who's work have help contribute to the development of the Philippine contemporary art.

Two names have been the center of this controversy. The two who has been included in the list of the new national artists are; National artist for theatre Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, whose also executive director of the National Commission for Culture and Art (NCCA) and also presidential advisor for culture.

The other one was National artist for Visual arts and Film, Carlo J. Caparas. Caparas who's work was well established on the comic book industry as well as in TV and film.
But most expert, artists, and art enthusiasts believed that Caparas hasn't done anything important yet to really deserve this prestigious award, also winning the Visual art category, questions were raised, even though being in the comic book industry, Caparas is not an illustrator, he doesn't even draw his comic books.

The two were selected by malacanang, then pull out one nominee, which they say malacanang has no right to do so, and Caparas and Alvarez didnt go through the natural process of nomination.
In line with this artists from various disciplines joined together in a necrological service for what they say is the Death of the National Artist Award.
They wore black, a procession was made, and past national artists gave their eulogies.

National artists such as BenCab (Visual arts), F. Sionil Jose (literature), Bienvenido Lumbera (literature) Napoleon Abueva (Visual arts), Arturo Luz (Visual arts) and Virgilio Almario (Literature) were present at the ceremony.

After the necrological services, they held a funeral march and went to NCCA to continue their protest. The ceremony had little tension but peacefully ended, but artists said they wont stop, and will then comeback with a much larger group. and they made it clear that they will not recognize Caparas and Alvarez as their new national artists.

Artists and art supporters gathered today, Friday, Aug 7, 2009, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to protest, mourn for what they think was the death of the National Artist Award of the Philippines, a prestigious award given to the artists who's work have help contribute to the development of the Philippine contemporary art.

Two names have been the center of this controversy. The two who has been included in the list of the new national artists are; National artist for theatre Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, whose also executive director of the National Commission for Culture and Art (NCCA) and also presidential advisor for culture.

The other one was National artist for Visual arts and Film, Carlo J. Caparas. Caparas who's work was well established on the comic book industry as well as in TV and film.
But most expert, artists, and art enthusiasts believed that Caparas hasn't done anything important yet to really deserve this prestigious award, also winning the Visual art category, questions were raised, even though being in the comic book industry, Caparas is not an illustrator, he doesn't even draw his comic books.

The two were selected by malacanang, then pull out one nominee, which they say malacanang has no right to do so, and Caparas and Alvarez didnt go through the natural process of nomination.
In line with this artists from various disciplines joined together in a necrological service for what they say is the Death of the National Artist Award.
They wore black, a procession was made, and past national artists gave their eulogies.

National artists such as BenCab (Visual arts), F. Sionil Jose (literature), Bienvenido Lumbera (literature) Napoleon Abueva (Visual arts), Arturo Luz (Visual arts) and Virgilio Almario (Literature) were present at the ceremony.

After the necrological services, they held a funeral march and went to NCCA to continue their protest. The ceremony had little tension but peacefully ended, but artists said they wont stop, and will then comeback with a much larger group. and they made it clear that they will not recognize Caparas and Alvarez as their new national artists.

Artists and art supporters gathered today, Friday, Aug 7, 2009, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to protest, mourn for what they think was the death of the National Artist Award of the Philippines, a prestigious award given to the artists who's work have help contribute to the development of the Philippine contemporary art.

Two names have been the center of this controversy. The two who has been included in the list of the new national artists are; National artist for theatre Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, whose also executive director of the National Commission for Culture and Art (NCCA) and also presidential advisor for culture.

The other one was National artist for Visual arts and Film, Carlo J. Caparas. Caparas who's work was well established on the comic book industry as well as in TV and film.
But most expert, artists, and art enthusiasts believed that Caparas hasn't done anything important yet to really deserve this prestigious award, also winning the Visual art category, questions were raised, even though being in the comic book industry, Caparas is not an illustrator, he doesn't even draw his comic books.

The two were selected by malacanang, then pull out one nominee, which they say malacanang has no right to do so, and Caparas and Alvarez didnt go through the natural process of nomination.
In line with this artists from various disciplines joined together in a necrological service for what they say is the Death of the National Artist Award.
They wore black, a procession was made, and past national artists gave their eulogies.

National artists such as BenCab (Visual arts), F. Sionil Jose (literature), Bienvenido Lumbera (literature) Napoleon Abueva (Visual arts), Arturo Luz (Visual arts) and Virgilio Almario (Literature) were present at the ceremony.

After the necrological services, they held a funeral march and went to NCCA to continue their protest. The ceremony had little tension but peacefully ended, but artists said they wont stop, and will then comeback with a much larger group. and they made it clear that they will not recognize Caparas and Alvarez as their new national artists.