La Herencia

As a young girl, I first encountered the French word “atelier” (pronounced ah-tel-YAY) as something that refers to a studio of some elite fashion designer. I cannot remember if I first read it on some magazine or novel or if I heard it on a television program.

I guessed then that it’s probably where “talyer” — what Filipinos usually call a repair shop for vehicles — came from. It’s the low-brow version of a mechanic’s workshop.

So when Davaoeño artist Alfred Galvez opened his Galvez Atelier Davao in the old house owned by the Kahayag Foundation along University Avenue in Juna Subdivision, fronting Philippine Women’s College of Davao, I realized that an atelier can also refer to an art school.

Atelier is a French word that literally means workshop or studio. But in the context of art, it has a much richer and deeper meaning. 

Basically, an atelier is a studio where artists create their work, a space dedicated to making art, containing tools, materials, unfinished pieces, and inspiration. But in the context of art history, from the Renaissance through the 19th century, an atelier referred specifically to the studio of a master artist where students or apprentices learned the craft through direct instruction and hands-on practice under the master’s guidance.

The traditional atelier system has the following key features: (1) Master artist as mentor whose style, techniques, and philosophy deeply influenced the students; (2) Skill-based curriculum that focuses on mastering fundamental skills like drawing (from life and casts), anatomy, perspective, composition, color theory, and specific techniques; (3) Learning by doing where students progressed through sequential learning and structured exercises; (4) Hierarchy and collaboration where senior students help teach junior students and students assisting the master with commissions; and (5) Eventually developing a personal style where students develop their own artistic voice after mastering the fundamentals.

Today, an art school will call itself an atelier to emphasize their lineage to the historical master-apprentice model. They prioritize intensive studio practice, rigorous foundational training, and close mentorship by skilled practitioners.

It is the art world’s equivalent of a master craftsperson’s workshop, where skills are learned and passed down.

Davao City is fortunate to have an atelier that caters to people who want to take art seriously as a practice. Galvez Atelier treats art “not just as a passing trend, but a practice.” It looks at skill “not just as manual dexterity but the result of structure, analysis, and disciplined observation.” It is not just a place to practice drawing or painting, “it is a studio that trains the mind as much as the hand.”

Last Saturday, July 5, we had an interesting conversation with Alfred, founder of the Galvez Atelier, during our DaWOW radio program and podcast over DXUM 819 and Mindanao Times Facebook Page.

He shared that “more than income, artists in Davao need more opportunities to show their work and for their art to be talked about.”

This means artists need more art spaces to showcase their works. Not necessarily traditional art galleries but artist-run spaces that serve as their workshops or studios but also a place where people can visit to look at their art and their process.

Private art galleries are run primarily as a business so often each gallery will feature only selected artists who they think will have a market for their art. This practice tends to limit exposure for new artists and access to new audiences.

Alfred’s dream is for Davao to have many artist-run spaces in every barangay, in every street corner to create a dynamic, diverse, and vibrant art community.

He believes the market will grow and be more diverse when the works of art available are also varied and abundant.

He said there are many ways to create art spaces like weekend pop-ups in public spaces and unused buildings, art workshops in cafes and gardens, art fairs, and art shows in community markets.  But these activities need organizing, resources, promotions, and support of the whole community.

Alfred cites La Herencia Davao run by Wilfred Dexter Tanedo as a good example of what an art space should be — open, diverse, inclusive, and promotes creativity. “There is no gate-keeping there that is why it is thriving,” he said.

By gate-keeping, he means, controlling what kind of art and artist should be exhibited and supported in Davao and Mindanao.

“Art should be universal so insisting on branding it Mindanao art is limiting and confining us in a box,” he explained. 

As part of broadening Davao’s art community, Alfred is also promoting artist exchange programs and collaboration among diverse artists around the world. That is why they are establishing a shared studio for artists where they can work, create, and grow. The studio features spacious and quiet work areas (indoor and outdoor), professional easels, and free wi-fi.

Galvez Atelier Davao is the only atelier in the Philippines and Southeast Asia that is a member of the Art Renewal Center (ARC), the foremost and only vetting service for representational art (“art that depicts recognizable objects or scenes from the real world”) schools around the world, ensuring that the teaching curricula and quality of teacher and student work meet strict standards. So Davaoeños can study art atelier-style and get a certificate that is internationally recognized.

I have always wanted to draw and paint something beautiful. I used to think I can only do that if I have the “innate talent” for it. That thinking probably got started in Kindergarten when I did not get enough praise and encouragement from my art teacher with my imperfect lines and strange figures that do not resemble fine art. I was dismissed as having no potential as a visual artist.

I know better now. My teacher did not know that art is a skill that needs to be learned and developed. Of course, you cannot be that good at age five taking only one art class. You need to keep at it, learn, and grow. Just like in any art form, craft, trade, or even sport. And you learn best with a mentor or coach guiding you while you practice.

Maybe it is a sign that I could still fulfill that childhood dream of painting something beautiful at age 55 because an atelier came to create a space in Kahayag Foundation, where I serve as one of the Trustees. Do you want to join me?

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