In celebration of the holiday season, premier auction house Salcedo Auctions and its subsidiary Gavel&Block have mounted a sale series entitled “Under The Tree.”
Salcedo Auctions on Nov. 23 staged “Under The Tree: The Wishlist” which featured carefully selected fine Philippine art pieces by National Artists BenCab, Vicente Manansala, Napoleon Abueva, and Arturo Luz.
Modern masters such as Sanso and Malang, along with sought-after contemporary works by Tapaya and Taniguchi, rare furniture, and tribal and ethnographic art also comprised the auction lineup.
According to the auction house, each lot has been selected not just for its value, but also for its inherent beauty and the appreciation it deserves. “The Wishlist” was held at Salcedo Auctions’ headquarters at NEX Tower in Makati City.
Meanwhile, “Under The Tree: The Holiday Sale” by Gavel&Block puts the emerging collector in focus as it features pieces that are covetable by accessible.
Pieces were chosen for the value they add in terms of design, as, being the contemporary subsidiary of Salcedo Auctions, Gavel&Block is for those who desire to explore a more diverse and inclusive lineup of art.
Fine art and furniture pieces to be auctioned off on Nov. 30 include paintings by artists like Malang, Emmanuel Garibay, Nena Saquil, and Bernardo Pacquing as well as original prints by Lao Lianben, Cesar Legaspi, and BenCab. Unique furniture, design collectibles, historic memorabilia, and the like will also go under the hammer.
“At Salcedo Auctions, we have always strived to create experiences that people will remember, whether it’s through purchasing art or participating in the auction process,” explains managing director Victor Silvino.
The Gavel&Block sale is happening today at The Podium.
“With Gavel&Block at The Podium, we hope to not only bring the auction experience to a whole new set of art and design enthusiasts, but also to reinforce the robust retail environment that is so crucial in the upwardly mobile, progressive direction that our country is headed,” enthused Silvino.
To reinforce the spirit of giving that “Under the Tree” represents, Salcedo Auctions has also launched Bid for the Future, an online platform that allows patrons to make charitable donations and give back to society with a focus on arts, culture, educational, and environmental initiatives.
The platform was conceptualized by Joaquin Lerma, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at the International School Manila and son of Salcedo Auctions founders Richie and Karen Lerma.
Joaquin started giving art tours at the age of 11 and has been involved in organizing and writing for Gavel&Block benefit auctions over the past two years. His passion for history, informed by travels to heritage sites around the world, led him to select Escuela Taller as the first beneficiary of this new donation platform.
Escuela Taller is a nongovernment organization that educates and trains underprivileged youth to gain the skills necessary to preserve and restore the country’s built cultural heritage. Its graduates are deployed under the supervision of experts to work on historical buildings in Manila as well as in Bohol, Batanes, and Pampanga.
Through their endeavors, the young Lerma believes that a whole new generation of Filipinos will be empowered to help secure and contribute to the appreciation of the country’s rich history, in addition to learning specialized skills that will provide livelihood not only for themselves but also to entire communities through the educational and touristic programs that it generates.