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| Metrobank Art and Design Excellence | |
|---|---|
| Name | Metrobank Art and Design Excellence |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Founder | Metrobank Foundation |
| Headquarters | Philippines |
| Type | Cultural award |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
Metrobank Art and Design Excellence is a major Philippine cultural initiative recognizing achievement in visual arts, architecture, industrial design, and other creative fields. Established by a private foundation, it operates alongside institutions and prizes across Asia to promote art preservation, design education, and professional practice. The program engages artists, designers, scholars, and cultural managers through awards, exhibitions, and educational support.
The program was inaugurated by the Metrobank Foundation in the mid-1980s, joining a landscape shaped by institutions such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines, and the Ateneo de Manila University. Early iterations paralleled regional initiatives like the Prince Claus Fund and national platforms such as the Katha Awards, integrating with museum circuits including the National Museum of the Philippines and private galleries in Manila. Over successive decades the initiative adapted amid policy shifts tied to agencies such as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and cultural trends exemplified by movements linked to practitioners associated with BenCab, Jose Joya, and Fernando Amorsolo.
The program's stated objectives mirror those of foundations like the Ayala Foundation and trusts such as the British Council in the Philippines: to identify outstanding practitioners, support professional development, and foster public appreciation. Core aims include recognizing lifetime achievement akin to honors like the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining and providing project grants comparable to awards administered by the Asian Cultural Council and the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. Objectives also align with curricular institutions including the University of Santo Tomas and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to strengthen pedagogy and mentorship.
Governance involves a foundation board with trustees drawn from the private sector and cultural circles similar to boards at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and steering committees resembling panels convened by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Adjudication panels have included curators and critics from institutions such as the Ayala Museum, the Vincent Limjoco Gallery, the BenCab Museum, and academe represented by faculty from the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Fine Arts and the Ateneo School of Humanities. Administrative coordination cooperates with museum registrars, gallery directors, and program officers comparable to staff at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The program confers awards analogous to the Thomson Foundation prizes and national fellowships like the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan. Categories have covered painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and industrial design, and have supported recipients with cash prizes, exhibitions, and publications reminiscent of benefits from the Lopez Museum and the Asian Art Museum. Competitions have paralleled juried events such as the Philippine Art Awards and scholarships have been offered similar to fellowships from the Smithsonian Institution and the Japan Foundation, enabling study residencies with institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, and regional centers including the Singapore Art Museum.
Exhibition programs have been staged in venues including the Ayala Museum, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and commercial spaces in Makati and Bonifacio Global City, as well as touring shows to provincial museums aligned with the National Museum of the Philippines network. Public engagement activities mirror practices by the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in offering lectures, panel discussions, and catalogue publications featuring curators and critics such as those associated with the Art in America editorial tradition and regional scholars from the Asian Civilisations Museum. Outreach includes school partnerships with universities like the University of Santo Tomas, workshops with collectives similar to Sining Kamalig, and community projects comparable to initiatives by the International Committee of the Red Cross cultural programs.
The program has influenced career trajectories of practitioners who later exhibited at institutions such as the National Museum of the Philippines, the Ayala Museum, and international fairs including Art Basel and the Singapore Biennale. Its recognition has paralleled national honors like the Order of National Artists of the Philippines in elevating public profiles, attracting curatorial attention from museums like the BenCab Museum and galleries affiliated with figures such as Fernando Zóbel alumni. The program's grantmaking and prize cycles have supported cross-disciplinary collaborations involving architects from firms comparable to Palafox Associates and designers connected with trade platforms like the Manila FAME fair.
Collaborations include partnerships with cultural institutions such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, academic units at the University of the Philippines, corporate patrons akin to the Ayala Corporation, and international partners similar to the British Council and the Japan Foundation. Programmatic alliances have enabled residencies and exchanges with museums like the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, research links with libraries such as the National Library of the Philippines, and joint initiatives with festivals including the Manila International Book Fair and design events comparable to Design Week Philippines.
Category:Philippine art awards