Art in the Park: Discover tomorrow’s stars at this creative hothouse
Come March 23, Jaime Velasquez Park will be even more colorful than usual.
For one day every year, the pocket park in Salcedo Village, Makati, plays host to Art in the Park, where emerging and established artists and art enthusiasts (and pretty much anyone) converge.
What started out as a mere first-anniversary event for Salcedo Weekend Market has taken on a life of its own to become a cherished annual tradition 19 years on.
The much-anticipated affair—created by Trickie Lopa and Lisa Periquet back in 2006—continues to serve as an accessible incubator for fledgling creatives, successfully launching many a stellar career. This year’s featured artists themselves have deep histories with the beloved community fair, each describing being tapped to do their own special exhibitions this time around as a “full-circle moment.”
During the press launch, AR Manalo said that Art in the Park became his entry point as an artist five or six years ago. Now sought-after for his poignant perspectives on the ordinary, his exhibit next Sunday will mark the exclusive debut of his fresh works. “This is something new for me. It’s my way of giving back and saying thank you to Art in the Park for paving the way for my career,” he said.
As a “parent by day, artist by night,” Manalo was inspired by his toddler’s love for parks and pop-up books. Working with ink, charcoal, graphite, acrylic, vintage book cutouts, and giclée prints, he created “adult pop-up books” to ignite grownups’ imagination and help them find joy even in the mundane. Even in adulthood, he said, life should still be filled with adventure.
First introduction
Multimedia visual artist TRNZ (real name: Terence Eduarte) also started his practice at Art in the Park in 2018. “Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery kind of gave me a shot. I was one of many, like 30 artists. That was my first introduction to the local art scene,” he said.
Influenced by the Tagalized ‘90s Japanese animation that he used to watch as a kid, his pieces are both whimsical and surreal. Oddly enough, he conjures these curious figures and scenarios out of unremarkable objects he comes across in his neighborhood like tacky ukay-ukay clothes or a pile of discarded shuttlecocks.
“I always use those things I see in a different context. Sometimes I repeat, sometimes I exaggerate,” he added. “I learned to incorporate the things around me because I kind of want it to be Filipino without being cliché.”
While “not necessarily charged” with typical local symbols like the jeepney or sampaguita or tamaraw, his artworks are undeniably Filipino at their very core, reflecting the everyday, almost overlooked elements of Filipino life.
“Rizal Matchbox: Apoy Ng Kagitingan” by Carlo Tanseco
Featured artist
Carlo Tanseco told Lifestyle in an email interview that Art in the Park holds a special place in his journey, having started out as an eager attendee on the hunt for hidden gems. He then transitioned from collector to exhibitor when he was invited by J Studio and Art Cube to showcase his own work. And now he gets to be one of the featured artists.
The designer-slash-artist, whose “chichiryacore” creations at the recent Art Fair Philippines went viral, will reintroduce his “Rizal Matchbox” series, first exhibited in 2021.
“Rizal Matchbox: Apoy ng Kagitingan,” which comes from Tanseco’s personal collection, draws inspiration from the safety matchboxes featuring the image of Jose Rizal that he grew up seeing.
“The textual elements on the box allow me to convey themes of fire, light, and heat—metaphors for patriotism and a call to both self and country. The inner box, traditionally holding the matches, is filled with visuals and symbolism that connect to the text, creating an interplay of words, imagery, and hidden details—some of which keen-eyed viewers may discover,” he explained.
Tanseco will also be releasing 20 limited-edition giclée prints of the nostalgic piece exclusively for Art in the Park. “This marks the first time I am offering prints from the ‘Rizal Matchbox’ series, making it a special opportunity to share this series with a wider audience.”
Art in the Park has “literally and physically brought art closer to the community,” Tanseco added. “It fosters a love affair between the community and art.”
Every year, the event that lasts a total of 12 hours (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) provides a unique experience for visitors, cultivating a friendly and non-intimidating space for creativity and love for art to thrive.
“The point of the whole event, really, was to break down the walls of the galleries,” said Periquet. “It’s like an incubator, a breeding ground, an opportunity for younger people who haven’t broken into the market.”
With a cap of P70,000 on artworks, the fair also offers a great chance for budding collectors to score pieces at great value.
As it gears toward a milestone year in 2026, pressure to go bigger or transfer have cropped up. But the organizers would prefer to sustain the current vibe.
Incubator
“If it transfers, it has to be tied to that place,” said Periquet, referring to Salcedo Park, the other name for the venue. “(Art in the Park) is tied to that place.”
Through the years, Art in the Park has grown from occupying only half of the then dusty park to taking up the entire area with its ever-growing roster of participants—but it has never strayed from that particular patch of green.
The free event that served as an inspiration for other bigger expos that came after it (like the recently concluded Art Fair Philippines that Periquet also helped establish with Lopa and Dindin Araneta) has always been about giving space for people who are just starting out, including exhibitors, food and beverage concessionaires (staying away from big enterprises in favor of homegrown brands that have been with them from the start), and performers (this year, it’s indie pop/singer-songwriter duo Leanne and Naara, and an all-vinyl DJ set by Mario Serrano of EST City).
“It’s part of the whole character of the fair, being like an incubator, a nurturing place for people with ideas starting out,” Periquet said. “We feel that’s what gives it its character, that’s why we persist with that park and this neighborhood.”
Alongside Manalo, Tanseco and TRNZ, 61 exhibitors from various galleries, collectives and independent spaces will also join this year’s edition, including Ang Ink, Archivo 1984, Art for Space, Art Lab: Atelier Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco, Art Toys PH, Art Underground, Art Verité Gallery, Artbeat Collective, Artery Art Space, Avellana Art Gallery, Boston Art Gallery, Cartellino Art, Cornerstone Pottery (EJ Espiritu), Cultural Center of the Philippines, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, FA Gallery, Fuse Projects, Galeria de las Islas, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Stephanie, Gallery Genesis, ILCP Art Space, J Studio, Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn, Kasibulan, Komiket, Kulay Art Group, Looking for Juan, MAG, Metro Gallery, Mono8, Nest, Nineveh Artspace, Orange Project, Pintô Art Museum and Arboretum, Qube Gallery, Resurrection Furniture, Savage Mind / Kamarin Art Space, Sheerjoy Collective, Sierra Madre Gallery, Space Encounters Gallery, Superduper Art Gallery, Talyer 15 Manila, The Authenticity Zero Collective, The Mighty Bhutens, The Photography Collective, The Print Outpost, The Thursday Group, Tin-Aw Art Projects, UP Artists’ Circle, UP College of Fine Arts, Urban Sketchers Manila, VeryGood Gallery, Village Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, White Walls Gallery, and Ysobel Art Gallery.
Organized by the Philippine Art Events Inc., Art in the Park will benefit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines.
