LEGAZPI CITY—Albay’s arts and culture scene has flourished and has played an invaluable role in the province’s robust tourism.
The visual arts improved in the past nine years as artists participated in local government-sponsored exhibits and year-round festivals and cultural activities.
The provincial government has sponsored over nearly 70 exhibits at the Albay Atrium Gallery for local and visiting painters, sculptors, photographers, installation and graphic artists, ceramics and handicraft designers, according to Apo Gonzales, the provincial curator.
Speaking at the opening of the 24K Exhibit at the Atrium Gallery last week—the last visual arts display he attended as provincial chief executive—three-term Governor Joey Salceda praised local artists for their role in the development of Albay’s culture.
“You are the true agents that make our culture and our arts lasting. With you around and always active in your creative ways, I am confident our local arts will be handed down to our next generations,” added Salceda.
Visual arts has also been an integral part of Albay’s robust tourism surge.
In 2013, the Daragang Magayon legend was staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2013. This set a new record in Philippine Art History as the first full-length ballet rendition of a provincial epic.