Sagada's Newest Art Hub Is a Sanctuary in the Mountains
It is called the Dogo Siwang Art Hub
For most artists, places that are away from the crowd and close to nature provide an ideal setting to create a new work of art or the next bestselling novel. Even better if it's high up in the mountains where you can't be bothered by the Metro's everyday noise, annoying message alerts (because signal can be weak), and other distractions of living in the city. Sagada, a favorite destination not only for its chilly weather but also for its breathtaking view, is now the home of artists looking for a sanctuary in the highlands. Dogo Siwang Art Hub, which serves as a meeting venue for local artists and tourists and a space where they can focus on making their artworks, opened in Barangay Patay, Sagada, Mountain Province on December 13.
PHOTO BY Pamela Mariz Geminiano Philippine News Agency
"This is a place, where artists can go. This is not a museum but a venue of art that will propagate the culture not only here in Sagada but of others as well," explained Sonia Daoas, a retired college professor and university executive who facilitated the project through a grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The Cordillera News Agency, mostly composed of veteran newsmen, helps the Daoas family maintain the art hub.
"Our hometown is visited by a lot of artists. In Sagada, a lot of talents of artists are being maximized with the many mystic places, where they can meditate and concentrate, allowing them to come up with their art," added lawyer David Daoas, who was a former chairman of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Barangay Patay's landscape of pine trees and rice fields make it an idyllic spot for creating a masterpiece.
Dogo Siwang Art Hub is patterned after Tam-awan Village in Baguio City, which is a whole complex of traditional huts showcasing Cordillera's history and art. Like the City of Pines’ art hub, Dogo Siwang will soon hold drawing and sketching sessions among its local artists. It is open to the public by appointment.
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This story originally appeared on Spot.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Realliving.com.ph editors.
