Aklanon artist wins Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tanaw art competition
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Dr. Jaime Laya and BSP Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. with Gary Custodio (third from left) during the awarding of winners of the Tanaw Art competition at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. The judges were Mercedes Lopez-Vargas of the Lopez Museum, Dr. Patrick Flores of the UP Diliman College of Arts and Letters, Olivier Dintinger, former director of Alliance Francaise de Manille, visual artist Nona Garcia and art connoisseur Paulino Que / PHOTO BY Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

KALIBO, Aklan – Aklanon artist Gary Custodio took home the grand prize of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Tanaw Art Competition. He received P500,000 prize money for his work from BSP Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. and Dr. Jaime Laya, chairperson of the BSP Cultural Properties Acquisition Advisory Committee.

Tanaw, a national painting competition, aims to support the development of Philippine contemporary art and challenge artists to strive for a higher level of artistic excellence.
The winning entry of Custodio, out of 189 other entries across the country, earned the nod of the judges with his watercolor artwork “The Rebuilders.”
Custodio’s entry is on public exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila from February 16 to April 16, 2011.
Other winners were Melvin Culaba from National Capital Region (NCR) for his oil painting "Unresolved." He received P300,000 while third placer Brave Singh from Bantay, Ilocos Sur bagged P200,000 for his oil painting entry titled "Pagsabay sa mga Hakbang ng Ating mga Pangarap."
The competition challenges artists to strive for a higher level of artistic excellence and is dedicated to the recognition,encouragement, and support of contemporary art. It endeavours to enhance the BSP art collection by showcasing outstanding works of Philippine contemporary art.
In the website of BSP, the prime financial institution of the country is a known patron of the arts and has in its collection impressive artwork ranging from the 18th century to the present era.
Through the competition, the BSP intends to raise the public’s awareness and appreciation of art and to recognize the artistic excellence of contemporary artists. The competition is open to professional and non-professional Filipino artists who have previously won in national and international competitions and art fairs. Artists are free to explore any subject or theme.

The winners of the competition were determined by a panel of judges: Mercedes Lopez-Vargas of the Lopez Museum, Dr. Patrick Flores of the UP Diliman College of Arts and Letters, Olivier Dintinger, former director of Alliance Francaise de Manille, visual artist Nona Garcia and art connoisseur Paulino Que.