Located in the historic former Iloilo City Hall building, the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) Art Gallery, houses more than 200 art pieces by various national and local artists. The UPV Art Gallery takes pride in being the only art gallery in Western Visayas to have the works of several national artists including Joe Joya, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Cesar Legaspi, Arturo Luz, and Kiukok Ang.

The UPV Art Gallery is also a repository of the works of Ilonggo artists namely Edward Defensor, Nelson and Joel Ferraris, Fred Orig, Alan Cabalfin, Joe Amora, Joseph Decierdo, Roman Sanares, Benjie Belgica, Martin Genodepa, Levi Salmon, and Nelfa Querubin, among others.

One of the prized pieces and the most notable in the collection is the huge artwork by Jose Joya, posthumously awarded national artist and former Dean of the college of fine Arts in UP Dilliman. Entitled “Tree of Life”, this art piece is an abstract collage consisting of acrylic paint on wood with patches of hand-made paper in cream, green, and brown which are cut in varying shapes and figures. This was acquired by UPV in 1986.

A huge number of art collections in the Art Gallery came from the personal collection of then Chancellor Dionisia A. Rola, the first Chancellor of UPV, which she generously donated upon her retirement from the university in 1997. Her collection includes the works of prominent artists in different regions in the country including Ilonggo artists. The second floor displays some of these artworks as permanent exhibits.

Nelfa Querubin, an Ilongga artist from Concepcion Iloilo also left to UPV more than 50 pieces of her pottery collection before she migrated. Querubin was a nationally-recognized printmaker and ceramic artist. Her collection is now carefully displayed in glass cabinets at the Art Gallery. Stone sculptures by Martin Genodepa as well as wood sculptures by Timoteo Jumayao and Joe Amora, are also part of the collection.

The UPV Art Gallery also serves as a venue for several visual art exhibitions, small-group art workshops, book launchings, and art lectures. The Art Gallery provides an avenue for various artists (visual or other forms) to showcase their works for the appreciation of students, faculty, and society at large.

Scheduled Exhibitions:

  • Kuhang Marino by Vargas Museum (UP Diliman) : Oct. 23 – Nov. 17, 2006
  • “Violated Portraits” featuring he stone sculptures of Martin Genodepa : Nov. 27 – Dec. 15, 2006
  • One-Man Show of PG Zoluaga : Jan. 8 – 26, 2007
  • US Photo Caravan by the Dep’t of Foreign Affairs : Jan. 29 – Feb. 15, 2007

credits to R.D. Dianala and IAMME