It was Henri Matisse, a French artist/sculptor/painter, who said: “Creativity takes courage.” Now that we are in the web-centric world, it’s a lot easier to express one’s thoughts, critique someone’s work, and show appreciation on ingenious things. However, as what Stan Lee taught us: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
Last Saturday, iACADEMY unveiled another brilliant campaign against bullying called: “Armed with Art.” It’s the first Anti-Bullying Exhibit which will run from August 27 to September 30, 2016, at the iACADEMY Plaza in Makati City, Philippines.
The said initiative is a collaborative work of iACADEMY management and its Senior High School and College students.
Luckily, I arrived earlier so I had the opportunity to watch the process of Trip63’s mural about anti-bullying.
This amazing mural was done by the Trip63 team. Their throw ups are mostly found in BGC.
This marvelous artwork was done by Jenn Paulin Carreon. She named her artwork: “Words of Strength.” She explained: “I decided to join the exhibit because of personal reasons. I’ve been a victim of bullying when I first transferred here in the Philippines and I actually stopped going to school because of it.
I want to help people like me, who have been bullied and show those who wronged us that no matter what they called us, we’re here now, full of pride and power.”
As defined by another student who joined the art exhibit Rogerto Ollodo III, “creativity is what fuels us as artists and our masterpieces help define us. This exhibit was a great opportunity for me to not only showcase what I can do as an artist, but also that I can create works that support an import cause like anti-bullying.”
Rogerto is a third-year student currently studying BS Animation at iACADEMY. At a young age, he used to trace drawings from textbooks until he was finally able to create his own interpretation, which made him realize that his drawings were something that he could be proud of.
The artworks are featured on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors. In one of the paintings, you can write the word you wish people should STOP using. Of course, as an avid supporter of Best Buddies Philippines’ campaign #endtherword, I wrote:
Drop or #endtherword, please.
“I joined this exhibit because I wanted to make more people aware that bullying is a problem that needs to be stopped. At this day and age, with the technology we have, bullying can be done more easily and the effects can be more devastating,” says Joanna Bechayda, a Senior High School student taking up Multimedia Arts.
As a mom, it became my mantra to protect and safeguard my children from bullies. Whether the act was done in the simplest form, we fix it right away. When my children got bullied a long time ago, I swore that it wouldn’t happen again. In fact, it is one of the major reasons why we opted homeschooling before. Yes, we were that cautious. Admittedly, we can only do so much. We can only guard and trust them, as far as our eyes can see. That’s why a school that is “bullyproof” is essential to us parents; we all have a peace of mind.
iACADEMY’S Vanessa Tanco joins the remarkable students behind the project, “Armed with Art.”
One of the schools I love is iAcademy. Apart from their facilities and mentors, the school is definitely a bullyproof institution. Unfortunately, (cyber)bullying is rampant in this day and age.
What we need in this ambiguous world is words of encouragement. We all need to be courageous, so we can stand up for our right.
As what a popular quote entails, “a tongue has no bone but it can break a heart, so be careful of what you say.” We must think before we click.
Do you agree with their anti-bullying campaign? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.
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