YANGOT TURNS RESIDENCE TO ART MUSEUM
Photo Caption:
WELCOME. Councilor artist Leandro Yangot, Jr. welcomed artists to his home at Bengao, Bakakeng Central which is now the Le Yan Art Museum. Among them are Jordan Mangosan, Ged Alangui, Colinton Anniversaryo, Wigan Warren Lopez, Gladys Labsan and young Jamil Adaclog.
GAL Photo
BAGUIO CITY
Councilor artist Leandro Yangot, Jr. welcomed some of e city’s top artists from Baguio and Benguet at his residence when the country’s first solar powered art gallery, the Le Yan Art Museum at Bengao, Bakakeng Norte opened
officially last Thursday. Councilor-artist Leandro Yangot, Jr. welcomed the works of the artists at their residence now a space for creatives. More than 30 artists contributing to the display, 18 of them are high school who apprenticed with the LBY art program the last two years.
It is a culmination of sorts of the art project of the councilor whose three year stay in Geneva, Switzerland, his last year was during the onslaught of the Covid19, that made him “reunite” with his artistic leanings. “I was an artist during my younger days and won art contests and even against my close friend Jason Quinopez,” said Yangot during his speech at the museum’s opening. Quinopez is a Dona Aurora High School teacher who is a selftaught artist and one of those who helped Yangot establish the Free Arts Lesson at the Park in late 2021 when Yangot ended his Geneva sojourn and decided to take painting seriously.
Quinopez, some of his work on display at the Le Yan, helped establish the Baguio Educators Arts Guild with fellow mentors from the Baguio City National High School, the Josefa Carino Elementary School, among others. The artists in Le Yan’s Puon exhibit include Jordan Mangosan, Roland Bay-an, Buddy Cabrera, Art Lozano, Clinton Anniversaryo, Hermie and Cara Bruno and Ged Alangui. Alangui is joined by fellow Heroes Wall of Fame artist Gladys Labsan as well as Wire Lady Michelle Camolo who introduced National Commission for Culture and Arts executive council member Maria Pangan, who turned out to be councilor Ma. Victoria Mylen Yaranon.
Yaranon, who is in her last term, said that she only used her maiden name to run for a city council seat since she is not known for her married name. “Yaranon could land me a city council seat,” said the architect, whose profession
allowed her to join the NCCA. In the introduction of the artists profile for the Puon exhibit, it read: “Coming back, he
established the Free Art Workshop at the Park and with him were educators from the different public elementary and high schools as facilitators. They will later organize the Baguio Educators Arts Guild or BEAG. He will later found the SinAgi Group of Artists with other artists, among them Mich Camolo, Ged Alangui and Gladys Labsan, in
preparation for the Legarda Road Climate Action Wall.”
It was a busy art season for Yangot when he came back in October 2021 that saw him reunite with Quinopez and start the free art lesson with school teachers, who became members of the BEAG, and Hermie Bruno, who used to stay at one of the Yangot houses near the Bengao, Bakakeng Central residence of the councilor. Councilor was behind a city ordinance the sought the establishment of creative spaces in hotels and public places that will allow them to enjoy premiums like tax holidays. He also saw the creation of the region’s first Art Bank at the Baguio athletic bowl
and the start of apprenticeship program for students. Yangot also pushed for the start of the Baguio Educational Arts Festival at the Baguio City National High School, where he funded the construction of an arts gallery at the city’s biggest public high school.
“Big houses (castles) in Switzerland were converted as art galleries, so why not here,” said Yangot, pointing at his house which is now big with him all alone. His wife, lawyer Cheryl nee Daytec, and only son, Lugat, has called Geneva their hometown, their eldest, former Sangguniang Kabataan president Dinney Karmin, is married and the
youngest is now a University of the Philippines – Diliman student, thus a Quezon City resident. “I will be staying now with my brother Paul, who moved back from Australia, and aunt Bennie at our old house in Bakakeng Norte,”
added Yangot.
Yangot said that it was his wife who started collecting art works and so “most of those displayed here are my wife’s. The artists profile added: “Thus, Puon or beginning, is a long planned effort of the councilor, with his wife, to help promote creativity in the city. It is also a venue where artists could display their works with the aim of selling it,….”
In it, Yangot added: “It is a venue where they can sell their works not worrying how much they will be charged as compared when they bring same to galleries.”
PML
