BAGUIO CITY – The Pasakalye Group of Artists (PGA) helps the city’s Mental Health advocacy through an art exhibit entitled– “Art Heals”, as the exhibit revolves around mental and emotional health, and self-discovery, reflected in the art works of 5 exhibitors, where these works are viewed with one’s creative interpretation.
During the exhibit, Joel Arthur Tibaldo, a former PGA member and currently a Baguio Creative City Council member, gave emphasis on the role that artists can play in promoting Mental Health awareness in the city.
The city of Baguio strengthened awareness on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention to “destigmatize” mental health as the city faced an increase of suicide cases in the recent years.
Tibaldo said that while artists face problems of their own, they can be a big help in raising awareness and in this advocacy with their talents in the different types of art. Tibaldo further stated that the Creative City Council started to tap on experts and medical practitioners as they also prioritize Mental Health issues.
“We are also focusing on Mental Health as part of ‘healing Baguio’, so if we have ‘breathe Baguio’, dagdagan natin ng Heal Baguio”, pwede na rin ang hashtag na Heal Baguio”, he said.
The five exhibiting artists explained their artworks that centered on the themes of healing and childhood memories. While the exhibitors shared different journeys towards healing, their common denominator was, not only that art healed but also saved them.
George Rosales, whose artworks were inspired by his art students, said that it is the art process that helps in his healing journey and part of this process is teaching art to kids.
According to him, his exhibited pieces reveal his journey of survival.
Rosales also mentioned that he also advocates ‘healing the inner child’. Further he quoted, “It’s a journey, so babalik pa rin tayo. Kailangan lang natin magpahinga minsan, pero our journey doesn’t stop. So we have to keep moving forward.”
For Jordan Dacanay, his art pieces were inspired by the promise of spring representing hope and recovery. While physically recovering from an open-heart surgery, he finds himself filled with anxiety.
He said that he just found himself doing art starting from just sketching which eventually led him to express himself through art, helping him to recover from his anxieties.
Rochelle Bakisan’s artworks explore self-discovery during the phase of choosing one’s path in the middle of being an adult and a teen. She says that she was initially choosing between the theme’s of art and healing which eventually was combined into, art heals.
“Habang pinipili mo yung path mo, mahahanap mo yung sarili mo at hindi mo kailangang mamili”, Bakisan said in her realizations.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo Maranan’s artworks were inspired from the 4R’s of the Trauma-Informed Approach. In which he explained the importance of ‘realizing’ that the trauma exists,’recognizing’ the signs from one’s self or manifested by others, what a person will do in ‘response’ to trauma, and ‘resisting re-traumatization’ by how a person moves forward.
Nicole Morales was absent during the exhibit’s opening, nevertheless, her artwork shows fragments of childhood memories.
PGA’s long-term partner–Melan Marquez, owner of Hoka Brew, Podium Boutique Hotel, that hosted the exhibit highlighted the importance of supporting local artists and helping them to have an avenue for their art.
“Ang art kase is very subjective, but I think yun ang dapat din nating gawin na ma-encourage natin ang ibang tao to appreciate the art and the artist”, Marquez said.
As Tibaldo seeks the help of Pasakalye Group of Artists, the group said that they have been doing activities and workshops in relation to their mental health advocacy and will further do so. By Peachy Clarisse Tillay
