CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — A treasure trove of antiques and fine arts carefully, if tastefully, collected over half a century has found a home right in this capital city of Pampanga.
Andrea Dizon-Domingo, former representative of the 3rd District of Pampanga and chair of PAGCor, inaugurated her eponymous foundation’s Museum of Philippine Arts and Culture on July 1 and to be opened to the public starting July 4.
Already hailed as one of the more significant museums outside of Metro Manila for its vast and diverse collections, MOPA consists of two buildings.
The first features works of National Artists Fernando C. Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala, HR Ocampo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Arturo Luz, Ang Kiukok, Federico Alcuaz, Cesar Legaspi, Jose Joya, Victor Edades, and Jerry Elizalde Navarro; Presidential Medal of Merit awardees such as Anita Magsaysay-Ho and Mauro “Malang” Santos, and other notable names in the Philippine visual arts.
The second houses metal age pottery, sculptures of “santos,” excavated Chinese tradeware ceramics, Spanish-era jewelry, pre-war furniture, and tribal cultural objects from the Cordilleras and Southern Philippines.
“To be able to exhibit substantially, the works of major or prominent artists had to be borrowed from other art collectors,” explained Domingo of the works on exhibit.
Connecting the buildings is a covered open space reserved for art exhibits and cultural events.
“The opening of the museum is the realization of my decades-long dream.” said Domingo, chair of the foundation. “I feel that my constant prayer for a peaceful and productive retirement has been fulfilled as well.”
She is reported to have “avidly” put together the collection in between her stints in the private and public sectors, the last as PAGCor chair. during the Duterte Administration. Domingo owned and curated Galerie Andrea Arts and Antique Shop for 26 years.
Among the guests at the inauguration and blessing former Public Works Sec. Jose “Ping” de Jesus, former Malacanang Palace Secretary Sec. Gabby Claudio, tourism regional director Richard Daenos, activist nun Sister Mary John Mananzan, Mary the Queen College board chair Teresa David Carlos, Center for Kapampangan Studies director Robby Tantingco, curator and consultant Alex Del Rosario Castro, and CKS assistant Myra Lopez.
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with entrance fee ranging from P200 to P300 per person. Punto New Team/Contributed photos
