August 2024 marked a special milestone for us at Pinspired Art Souvenirs as we prepared for our group art exhibition at ILOMOCA (Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art).
The "Lamang Dagat" project, which started in March 2024, is focused on supporting Philippine marine wildlife through art. We knew this would be a long process, as it involved working with new Ilonggo artists and preparing the Art Print Book for publication.
The idea behind "Lamang Dagat" was to create art that serves both as beautiful wall decorations and as a way to raise awareness about endangered marine species. With the help of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, who provided a list of threatened marine creatures, the 14 participating artists got to work.
Their task was simple: make something visually stunning that also sends a message about marine conservation. Each artist completed their work on time, and we were able to publish the Art Print Book just in time for the exhibition launch on August 23, 2024.
Traveling from Dumaguete to Iloilo for the event was a fun adventure for our team, along with local artists Cil Flores and Gerabelle, who joined us. We packed the original artworks and books in the car, excited to bring this project to life in Iloilo.
When we arrived at ILOMOCA, we were amazed by the venue. As one of the biggest art museums in the Visayas region, it was an honor to hold our exhibition there.
The opening day of "Lamang Dagat" was a highlight. Alongside the exhibition launch, we also introduced the Art Print Book. It was a proud moment to reward the artists with their copies of the book. Although not all the artists could attend, those present received their copies in person, and we appreciated their contributions to the project.
A particularly memorable part of the day was the presence of AA, the head of Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, who flew in from Manila with his family to be part of the event.
This added significance to the project and reminded us of the important cause we are supporting.
With "Lamang Dagat," we aim to increase awareness of marine conservation efforts and contribute to these efforts through the sale of artworks and the Art Print Book. Limited-edition copies of the book are now available in our physical store, at ILOMOCA during the art exhibition, and online.