The Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation (ACC Philippines) celebrates 25 years of solid commitment to supporting Filipino artists and fostering cultural exchange. To mark ACC Philippines’ silver year are a series of special events beginning with its much-anticipated annual Asian Cultural Council Auction set to take place on February 22, 2025, at 2:00pm at Leon Gallery.

The fundraising auction directly benefits the ACC Philippine Fellowship Program, which empowers Filipino artists by providing opportunities to engage in apprenticeship programs, pursue research and studies, participate in international collaborations, and learn from esteemed mentors and experts abroad. These initiatives align with ACC’s overarching mission to advance international dialogue and cultural exchange, fostering mutual understanding and respect across cultures.

Since 1963, when ACC started giving grants to support artists in their self-exploration and development through cultural exchange in the United States and/or intra-Asia, the growing list of Filipino artists who have received the ACC fellowship grant continues.


ACC Philippine Grantees

9 Filipino artists and art specialists representing Visual Arts, Theater, Literature, Conservation, and Art Criticism are the recent additions to the roster of ACC’s outstanding fellows and alumni all over the world. Currently on their ACC fellowship are dance artist MARIA PATRICIA BERNAS who is pursuing her Master of Science in Dance Movement Therapy at Sarah Lawrence College in the United States; theater arts practitioner AINA RAMOLETE who is pursuing her MA in Puppet Arts at the University of Connecticut; Literary artist PADMAPANI PEREZ who is conducting her research in India;  visual artist ARCHIE OCLOS is conducting his research in Coney Island; dramaturg and educator SIR ANRIL TIATCO is training on dramaturgy in New York; curator and critic JOHN ALEXIS BALAGUER is also in New York for his research on exhibition writing and art criticism. Conservation specialist PETER JOHN NATIVIDAD has just returned from his fellowship in Japan for his research on the techniques used in the mounting and seismic control system of display and storage in museums; while theater artist TONI GO and stage writer and director JOSHUA LIM SO are set to leave in July for their New York fellowship.

Through the years, ACC is proud to have supported almost 300 exceptional alumni, some of them have become revered National Artists such as Jose Joya, Lucresia Kasilag, Lamberto Avellana, Alejandro Roces, Francisco Feliciano, Jose Maceda, Kidlat Tahimik, Ramon Santos and Alice Reyes. They are joined by icons of contemporary art and some of the most promising young creatives of this generation.  From the year 2000, grants were supported and sustained through the fundraising projects of the ACC Philippines Foundation Trustees and the donations from ACC sponsors and benefactors.


The ACC Auction, with Preview starting February 18, 2025 at 6:00pm, has become a highly anticipated event in the art and cultural community, bringing together esteemed collectors, patrons, and art enthusiasts to support a meaningful cause.  Among the important pieces up for bid are by ACC alumni, starting with 1967 ACC Fellow and National Artist JOSE JOYA, 1968 ACC Fellow, Gawad CCP Awardee and Father of Philippine Conceptual Art ROBERTO CHABET, and ACC 2012 Fellow RIEL HILARIO. The proceeds from the auction will help sustain the foundation’s grants program, ensuring that Filipino artists continue to have access to invaluable learning and growth opportunities on the global stage.

Join us in celebrating this milestone and supporting Filipino artistry. For more information on the auction,

visit www.leon-gallery.com. To know more about the ACC and how to support its programs, visit www.asianculturalcouncil.org. Click here for more stories like this. You may also follow and subscribe to our social media accounts: FacebookYouTubeInstagramTikTokX, and Kumu.