Art moves people. It conveys different meaning to each person but still art gives people a different satisfaction. On my recent visit to Baguio City, I did not missed to visit one of the awesome museum in the country today – BenCab Museum.
BenCab or Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, is hailed as a master of contemporary Philippine art. His works has been exhibited widely in the Philippines and in Asia, Europe and the United States. He has won several major art awards in a career spanning four decades. Conferred as a National Artist for Visual Arts in 2006, BenCab now lives and works in Baguio City and one of the best way to get to know him is by seeing his work. (Also Read: Azalea Hotel in Baguio City)
Isn’t that enough reason to visit BenCab Museum, well I still got a few more listed below;
1. Get to know Sabel – You might be wondering, who is Sabel? Is she the wife of BenCab, or maybe his mother? Well you’re wrong. Sabel has been the inspiration of most of BenCab’s works. Inside the museum, you can actually find a lot of pieces and even a room full of BenCab’s different interpretation of Sabel.
Inspired by a real-life scavenger, he photographed and sketched in 1965, the Sabel image has become the artists vehicle for the transmission of intensely emotional moods. You’ll get to know the whole story once you visited the place.
2. Commune with Art and Nature – Baguio City is known for it’s amazing artists, that is one of the reason why arts is something to be considered as a gem in the city. Art is almost everywhere in the city, but if your looking for a not so crowded place to enjoy art and nature, visiting BenCab will suffice your need. Below the museum, you can find the Farm & Garden which showcases farm produce and typical indigenous architecture of the Ifugao, Kalinga and Bontoc. You can also enjoy a sip of coffee at Cafe Sabel which is situated at lower ground of the Museum.
3. Learn History – Aside from BenCab’s works, the museum also houses different artists who do exhibitions. You can also learn history from different arts including sculptures that are house in the museum. And by the way, one of the scene in the movie “That thing called Tadhana” is shot inside the museum.
Get to know Sabel, commune with art and nature and learn history. I guess those are just enough reason for you to visit BenCab Museum. And hey, Its BenCab! Even I don’t know what I’ve be seeing inside I did went still because it’s BenCab! (Also Read: Best Way to Commute to Baguio City)
Here’s a photo diary of my trip to the museum . . .
BenCab Museum
Tuesdays to Sundays 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
(last entry at 5:30 pm). Closed on Mondays, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan,
Tuba, Benguet, Philippines
Tel /Fax: (+63 74) 442 7165
Email: bencabartfoundation@gmail.com
Admission to the Museum:
General: PHP 100.00
Students and senior citizens with valid ID: PHP 80.00
Special rates for student groups with prior arrangement.