7 Art Hubs You Have to Visit in Baguio

Baguio isn’t just a place filled with tourist attractions and condominiums for sale. The City of Pines is also identified as a sanctuary for art enthusiasts. If you are a certified aesthete, Baguio is your go-to place.

The Baguio Arts Festival is an event held annually by the Baguio Arts Guild since 1989. The function features visual arts such as photography, film, sculpture and art installations. It also covers the performing arts which include dance, drama, music and poetry reading. The province, indeed, is a cradle of art.

Here are some of the featured places to celebrate and experience Philippine art:

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Ben Cab Museum

Owned by premier artist Benjamin Cabrera, the BenCab Museum highlights the “perfect marriage of art and nature.” The museum houses his paintings, collections of indigenous Cordillera Art and the works of other Filipino masters and contemporary artists. You can also enjoy nature thru its nature-inspired tour. It includes the garden with a duck pond and a mini-forest with an eco-trail.

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Baguio Botanical Garden

Baguio is also loaded with cultural sites. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the area was the enclave of the Igorots. When the Westerners arrived, the natives had a hard time preserving their heritage. The Botanical Garden is a proof of how they preserved their native culture.



The garden is replete with nipa huts, which formed the Igorot Village. There are even exotic floras found in it. It offers a picturesque landscape adorned with cultural ornaments. During the Baguio Art Festival, you can see artists at work where you can even have your portrait done.

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Arko ni Apo

Ben-Hur Villanueva, another mainstay artist in Baguio, was one of the originators of the Baguio Artists Guild. Villanueva was an educator for 30 years at Ateneo de Manila University and believed in the university’s motto “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” (For the greater glory of God and A Man for Others). He personally believes that we should give back what the Lord has given. This was one of the reasons why he built the Art Gallery. He once said that, “Sharing it (his creations) with others is what makes our life more meaningful and blessed.” The museum is free of admission. His masterpieces are of brass, metal, wood and oil. If you’re craving for a profound connection with art and life, the artworks come with Villanueva’s personal endeavors.

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Tam-awan Village

Tam-awan Village showcases the perfect fusion of indigenous aesthetic and Cordilleran craftsmanship. It flaunts the beauty of Ifugao and Kalinga huts that reflects that of a traditional Cordilleran Village. The materials used in constructing the architectural attraction were of cogon, the material used for building traditional houses of the Cordillera Village.

The huts are also available for lodging except for one hut, Bugnay, which serves as a gallery for art enthusiasts.

In Tam-awan Village, you can experience the immersion to art and culture. Yes, you could go for a Baguio condominium for sale, but wouldn’t it be better to experience the province’s culture firsthand?

(choosephilippines.com)

Cinematheque Baguio

The Philippine Cinematheque’s mission is to bring mainstream, independent, classic and contemporary films to Filipinos. This is the country’s first ever archival cinema which is free of admission.

The Cinematheque is also an alternative venue for revolutionary foreign films. It also offers workshops and symposiums on directing, scriptwriting, editing, cinematography and other aspects of filmmaking.

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Woodcarving Village

Woodcarvings are very abundant in Baguio and if you’d like to see a vast area full of Baguio’s best, this village is your go-to place. Sizes vary from small keychains to life-size sculptures.

The carvers are Ifugaos who are born with an unmatched skill for woodcarving. The art of woodcarving has been long practiced by their forefathers. How cool is it that the tradition is passed from one generation to another?

Their knack for woodcarving is the reason why the Village is a tourist attraction. You can witness the carvers start something from scratch and turn it into a magnificent wood work.

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Victor Oteyza Community Art Space (V.O.C.A.S)

The restaurant slash art gallery is a suitable place to feed your mind and fill your stomach. The view and the art space are just some of the best finds in Baguio.

The art space was conceptualized by Kidlat Tahimik, one of the most prominent filmmakers in the country. He assembled the gallery as a tribute to Victor Oteyza, his uncle, and one of “The Thirteen Modernists” who was a prominent figure in ushering Philippine art after the Second World War. It has been a venue where cultural performances take place and art-related events are held.

You could invest your time and money on an expensive trip, or even purchase a Baguio condominium for sale but an “artscapade” provides an experience like no other. “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” –Twyla Tharp.