Casa San Pablo is transforming itself into a community art space that provides living, working, and exhibition space for artists, writers, musicians, designers, performers, and filmmakers, as well as individuals, families, and corporate teams needing creative re-charge.
Our mission is to be a clearing for inspiration, creative encounters, and sharing of ideas. Our efforts are rooted in the hope that our guests and resident artists can contribute to, as well as be enriched by, the intrinsic artistry of our town’s people. We are committed to nurturing art appreciation and artistic pursuits in our hometown San Pablo City, Laguna, and to foster our identity as a blossoming creative city.
To bring our mission to life, we have four initiatives:
- We offer Artist-in-Residence Programs that will allow cross-learning opportunities between the artists and our local public school teachers
- We offer an Art Appreciation Enrichment Program for San Pablo City public school teachers handling Music, Arts, and Physical Education in junior and senior high school
- We offer regular and by-request Creativity Workshops for Casa San Pablo guests, public school teachers, and San Pablo City residents
- We offer space for Art Exhibits and Performances
Follow the Dream
As you can tell, we have a soft spot for artists and public school teachers. Why? Because they are in the unique position to inspire young people everyday. We like that and we want to help ignite their passion so they can make a difference for many more young people. We believe one great teacher can change the lives of her students simply by allowing them to discover creative possibilities. Imagine that impact multiplied to different students, across several classes, batch by batch, year on year. We are looking forward to a slow but steady burn that will eventually lead to creative citizens playing strategic roles in the sustainable development of our city. Yup, that’s the big dream.
Happily, many artists are inspired by our dream. They are coming to San Pablo not only to enjoy the tranquil surroundings of our inn and enjoy our food, but also to re-charge their creative spirits through the workspace we provide and the opportunities to inter-act with other artists and teachers. We have artist friends from the visual arts, performing arts, as well as artisans and storytellers who have agreed to come for the chance to inspire. Our Art Appreciation Enrichment workshops are designed to give the teachers tools to appreciate a particular art form through dialogue and demonstrations by the artists.
The ARTBarn is the main hub of our creative activities. It is a multi-use space ideal for workshops, exhibits, events, and intimate performances. All over the Casa San Pablo compound — from the B&B to the Café and our gardens — the creative spirit finds expression as well. Our clay storyteller painting corner is a favorite stop among guests who just want to dip in and out of art activities. Of course guests are welcome to join the workshops, too. For a minimal fee, you can be part of the learning fun. When the eagerness to share and the eagerness to learn come together, magical things can happen.
Exhibits
The Casa San Pablo ARTBarn is a community art space
Casa San Pablo offers exhibit space for the community, contemporary, and folk art. Our target audience is people of our hometown, in particular, public school teachers and students, artists and culture aficionados, who want to spend some quiet time to discover different expressions of art. By coming to our space, we hope we can help develop and harness an appreciation for our Filipino culture and heritage.
We hold seasonal exhibits presented through the lens of a private collector and his relationships with art works and artists. We also accept proposals for exhibition projects that will promote art appreciation and education for the people of San Pablo City.
We believe arts and culture play an important role in the well-being of communities. Art and culture, through exposure and creativity breaks, are powerful tools, which can effect change on various levels. They encourage community dialogue, creative learning, and help build community capacity and leadership.
Workshops
We offer regular and by-request Creativity Sessions and Workshops for Casa San Pablo guests and San Pablo City residents. These gatherings may range from Pechakucha evenings, artist demonstrations, literary workshops, or simple creative gatherings.
Our artist-in-residence program is designed to provide creative people some time away from their busy lives to pursue an artistic project of their choice and to engage in community interaction. It is both an opportunity to dig within and an occasion to reach out. Our programs run anywhere from two days to two weeks and are open to artists from different disciplines. At the tail end of their stay, the artists will conduct a workshop for Laguna public school teachers and other guests on an aspect of their craft. Participants are strongly encouraged to explore various ways of cultural exchange, drawing inspiration from the rich heritage of San Pablo, our landscape, and our people.
For 2018, Casa San Pablo in partnership with the Tuklas Program of Eskinita Gallery is giving artist residency grants to six artists who have qualified for the Tuklas mentorship program. The program includes studio sessions with Eskinita Art Gallery founder Alfredo Esquillo and resident curator Renato Habulan, production support, an exhibit, and a two-week creative stay at Casa San Pablo.
Alfredo Esquillo describes the program as one patterned after the mentorship program he himself received under Habulan. He is among the many Habulan has mentored through the years. Habulan is passionate about training the artist’s eye, hand, and heart — “imparting the drive to strive for technical excellence and adhere to a strong work ethic — whilst sharpening the individual artist’s distinctive vision, voice, and visual vocabulary.
Find out more about the Tuklas program here:
http://artradarjournal.com/2017/12/16/mirroring-multiplying-the-start-and-end-points-of-the-tuklas-program-manila/