Hello, Bukal Sining!
It’s time for an overdue update on where CANVAS stands today, and where we’re headed in this milestone year: our 20th Anniversary!
We kicked off the year in grand fashion at Art Fair Philippines (Feb 20-23, 2025) with a stunning exhibition of Abi Dionisio’s artworks. Her paintings will bring to life Salakot Flowers, a children’s book by Maria Lorena Santos which book is also the product of our Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition.
The Art Fair exhibition featured the first four paintings for the book - each a massive 6x6 feet - and the response was overwhelming. Collectors are lining up for her work, and anticipation is growing. That said, Abi’s creative process is intricate and immersive, so patience will be key. We expect the remaining 12 paintings to be completed in time for the book’s launch next year in June 2026.
A Landmark Year for Publishing
Beyond Salakot Flowers, 2025 is shaping up to be another banner year for CANVAS’ publishing activities. We have over ten new children’s books in the pipeline, featuring some of the country’s finest artists, including Tiffany Lafuente, Roel Obemio, John Marin, Renee Avila, Liza Flores, Chad Montero, and Dengcoy Miel. On top of this, we are also working on books commissioned by corporate partners whose values align with ours.
We’ve also decided that every new title from the Romeo Forbes Story Writing Competition will now be released with a minimum of 2,000 softbound copies - all earmarked for donation to children in public schools and underserved communities nationwide. Limited hardbound editions will still be printed, but our focus is clear: getting more books into more children's hands in more places across the Philippines.
This commitment, of course, is part of our larger mission: One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children.
And we’re making serious progress. Last December 2024, we hit a historic milestone - 500,261 books distributed. It took 13 years to get here, but we are determined to reach the next half-million even faster. These books—collectively valued at over $2.5 million—aren’t just stories on paper. They are tools of empowerment, vehicles of imagination, and seeds of hope.
CANVAS Turns 20:
A Retrospective at The National Museum and Unveiling “I Am the Storyteller”
A milestone like this deserves a celebration, so we’re making it count.
On June 13, 2025, we will open our year-long retrospective at The National Museum. Designed with children in mind, the exhibition will feature interactive, month-to-month educational programs, keeping it fresh and engaging for visitors of all ages.
But this is just a preview of something even bigger.
Also in June 2025, we will unveil the architectural plans for I Am the Storyteller - the planned main exhibition hall of the Tumba-Tumba Children’s Museum of Philippine Art. This space will eventually house over 200 storytelling artworks by some of the best contemporary Filipino artists from our permanent collection.
In the coming few months, we also hope to formally open our first museum gallery, I Am the Explorer, designed by Leeroy New. Its inaugural exhibition will feature a larger-than-life, immersive sculptural experience courtesy of artist Jojo Barja.
Finally, because we believe in making spaces as welcoming as the stories they hold, we have now also commissioned landscape architects and designers to transform Tumba-Tumba into the walkable, well-landscaped, open-air museum that we envision it will become.
Other Updates
Beyond books and museums, our commitment to socially engaged art remains steadfast. We have two major shows being planned, both of which will tackle pressing issues of our time:
Kasaysayang? opening this April 2025 at the Parola Galleries of the UP College of Fine Arts will feature over 80 artists re-examining and reflecting on Philippine history.
Then early next year, we will launch the second edition of our If Trees Could Talk International Art Biennale. We are now talking with art collectives across the Philippines, as well as museums and institutions in Japan, Germany and the United States, with hopes of bringing in even more international participants. The goal? To turn the Biennale into a global conversation on climate change and the environment - one that crosses borders and inspires real change.
As a lead up, the If Trees Could Talk Outdoor Banner Project will be launched this November 2025.