Talented creators, art lovers, and collectors took center stage at the recently concluded Tubô Cebu Art Fair, which served as a fun platform for like-minded individuals to interact, learn, and grow.
The week-long gathering adopted the theme “Let’s Play” to ignite the playful side and imagination of visitors and partners as they engage with their passions. Tubô ran from September 11 to 18 and adopted online and physical formats to reach more artists and art enthusiasts across the country.
Tubô’s impressive roster of more than 300 exhibitors was led by Puluy-an Artists Space, Kolor Banwa, Dumaguete Visual Artists, Bohol Pop, Solitaryo Cinco, Gravado Sugbo, Regional Art Forum, Luyo Space, and Art Portal Cebu among others.
The art fair formed a long trail, connecting exhibition booths from the Activity Center all the way to the Gallery area of the Ayala Center Cebu. There were distinctive collections by Koliktib-Koliktib, Studio 201, and Joya Gallery, and diverse displays from both the young artists and established ones such as Happy Garaje, Kenichi Wani, Jose Mari Picornell, the Bart Brothers, Christopher Java, Keanne Larrazabal, Dani Yu, Clyde Baricuatro, and Marianne Guinto.
Finally, Tubô’s curated setting called the Signature Collection placed the spotlight on key artists whose works are representative of the artistic styles and themes seen in the different regions in the country. The line up included Melvin Gurheim, Kimsoy Yap, Adeste Deguilmo, Sam Penaso, and Darby Alcoseba.
The on-ground showcase was complemented by an eight-day online art sale at www.tubocebu.art, with artworks from premium to affordable price points.
“We want to create an art-appreciative society by making artworks more affordable to the people. This will also inspire and encourage our Visayan artists to hone their craft further and produce masterful art pieces,” said Tubô Cebu Art Fair curator Jay Nathan Jore.
Aside from the exhibitions and the jam-packed cast of creatives, the fair was made more exciting by a merch market run by Cebu Art Book Fair, collaborative art projects, a talk series, augmented reality displays, art projections by Beta Ops, live art and musical performances, guided tours, and other city-wide art events.
Starting in 2018, Tubô became an annual tradition and proponent of art and culture philanthropy in the Visayas region. It is the brainchild of the Arts Council of Cebu, a non-profit organization that believes in bringing unique regional art experiences to ordinary people and integrating them into the national culture.
Tubô was co-presented by Ayala Center Cebu, PRWorks, Inc. and the University of the Philippines Cebu. Adobo Magazine, Cartellino, Cebu Daily News, MyTV, Sunstar, Cinemata, and Agimat are the official media partners. Sponsors include Shakey’s, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Pepper Lunch, DB Wines and Spirits, Primeway Suites, Fablab – UP Cebu, Jose T. Joya Gallery, Qube Gallery, From Here Coworking Space, Crossroads Mall, Draft Punk Craft Café and Mango Square. Tubô’s exhibiting partpners include Cebu Art Book Fair, Southwestern University – Phinma, Cebu Institute of Technology University, Melt Records, and Beta Operations.
Revisit Tubô Cebu Art Fair at https://www.tubocebu.art/ or visit their socials, @tubocebuartfair on FB and IG.
