Filipiniana Competition Reception <strong>and</strong> Security Raffles Committee Tickets <strong>and</strong> Seating
What’s Driving Miss Daisy? Art Fit For Heroes By Michelle Baltazar Artist Daisy Ann Gonzalez Cumming is driven by her passion for arts <strong>and</strong> culture. She combines that with Philippine history in her latest painting of the revolutionary hero Apolinario Mabini. There is a lot to love about Miss Daisy. Or Daisy Gonzalez Cumming- if you don’t know her. Or Daisy Gonzalez Cumming, the painter, philanthropist, mother, friend, mentor, benefactor, wife, community leaders, adviser, dancer, cheerleader, gr<strong>and</strong>mother, teacher, fundraiser, fashionista, event organized <strong>and</strong> artist- if you haven’t met her. In short, when it comes to this dynamo of a persona, calling her an overachiever would be an understatement. It is unusual that she cannot be described as a singermost Filipinos are- but she is yet to strut this talent on stage. But then again, one of her daughters played the lead role in hit Broadway musical Miss Saigon so the genes are definitely there. Perhaps the reason she hasn’t been on stage is because she’s been hitting all the right notes on one singular passion: art. Auntie or Tita Daisy, as many call her, exudes joie de vivre or joy of life. Her sense of play <strong>and</strong> her boundless energy means she doesn’t venture too far from he paintbrush <strong>and</strong> easel. After creating a painting of Philippine hero Jose Rizal a few years ago (which now lives in a receiving room at the Philippine Consulate of NSW’s office), she painted another hero, Andres Bonifacio, last year. And before the ink dried on that project, she ventured on her third: a painting of Philippine hero Apolinario Mabini ahead of Mabini’s 150th birthday anniversary celebration in July. The local community <strong>and</strong> press gathered for a preview of this painting at the Consulate office in Sydney last night (April 30). In a few months, she will h<strong>and</strong>-deliver the painting to the National Commission for Culture <strong>and</strong> Arts (NCCA), the country’s primary agency <strong>and</strong> highest institution governing culture <strong>and</strong> arts. Last years, she was feted by the NCCA for her Bonifacio painting . The Consul General Anne Jal<strong>and</strong>o-on Louis praised her trifecta of artwork celebrating Filipino heroes (Rizal, Bonifacio <strong>and</strong> Mabini). She said there are not many people in the community who are both big on vision <strong>and</strong> big on action. “Daisy is one of them,” she said. Indeed, early this year, she taught a group of Filipina women, all in their 50s or 60s, how to paint. For the first time, these women-many of whom never picked up a paintbrush nor sat in front of the canvas to create something from scratch- are now proud owners of their own art, under her tutelage <strong>and</strong> week of teaching. She rarely does things by halves, but when she does, they are still magnificent. The Mabini painting, just like the Bonifacio one, is made up of two halves, each measuring 6 feet in height <strong>and</strong> 4 feet in width. Combined, the 6” X 8” acrylic painting on canvas is a beautiful piece that highlights the life story of ‘the brains of the revolutionary’ (In 1899, Mabini drafted the first Philippine Republic Constitution <strong>and</strong> became the country’s first foreign affair minister. He was just 34 years old <strong>and</strong> was Emilio Aguinaldo’s adviser at the time). And just when you think this was going to be time for her to relax <strong>and</strong> unwind, she makes another announcement : Next year, she plans to paint an art series to honour the heroes of ANZAC <strong>and</strong> unveil them in time for the ANZAC celebrations.
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