From ‘Estorya Kuris-Kuris,’ an art hub rises in Guimaras

SUBLI Artists Guimaras invites us to reconsider the Ilonggo expression “estorya kuris-kuris” — not as something to be taken lightly, despite the enduring perception that ideas tossed around in such informal conversations are often improbable, impossible, or simply out of this world.

Yet it was precisely through an estorya kuris-kuris among artists and young people that something more tangible began to take shape, leading to two significant milestones for the arts community in Guimaras: the Estorya Kuris-Kuris Art Caravan in 2025 and, a year later, the establishment of the Jennie Love Teen Center–Kuris-Kuris Art Hub.

“What started as an informal exchange of ideas eventually opened the door to collaboration and found support from well-meaning people: artists, educators, local leaders, and community members, who share the belief that art mirrors our lives and serves as a vehicle through which we can reflect our experiences, stories, and aspirations,” said Frank Alexi Nobleza, president of SUBLI Artists Guimaras.

Art brought the Guimaras community together on September 16 as the Jennie Love Teen Center–Kuris-Kuris Art Hub was inaugurated at Nueva Valencia National High School, some 22 kilometers from Jordan Wharf.

The occasion gathered artists from Guimaras and Iloilo alongside school officials, teachers, students, cultural workers, local government representatives, and community members — a cross-section of people who came not only to witness the opening of a new space, but to celebrate the spirit of collaboration that made it possible.

Among those who graced the occasion were representatives of the Guimaras Provincial Government under Gov. Ma. Lucille L. Nava and Nueva Valencia Mayor Emmanuel C. Galila, who described the art hub as a “bridge of hope for creativity and second chances” and expressed his commitment to creating opportunities that empower children in the community.

The DepEd Schools Division Office–Guimaras was represented by OIC-Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Rolando B. Jamora, together with Dr. Arnen T. Rivera. Also present were Guimaras Island Chamber of Commerce President Sanie Ong and Rhen Poll T. Potato, president of the nonprofit humanitarian organization Reaching Out WorldWide.

The homecoming of art to the school was hosted by the Nueva Valencia National High School community, led by school principal Gina H. Navida, Art Club adviser Cynthia S. Bautista, and Edilyn Legita, chief of the School Governance and Operations Division. Navida also expressed her gratitude to Barney and Jennie Love Gochnour, whose support made the facility possible. “You are planting seeds of inspiration that will bloom for generations to come,” she said.

That sense of possibility was echoed by Maricel Montero, programs director of the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA), member of the NCCA National Committee on Museums, and former executive director of Museo Pambata, who served as the event’s inaugural speaker. For Montero, the Kuris-Kuris Art Hub is more than a place to make art; it is a space where young people can discover their voices, nurture creativity and critical thinking, and gain the confidence to imagine what might be possible.

“Art teaches us to be courageous enough to express who we are, to connect with others by seeing the world through their eyes, and to imagine possibilities that do not yet exist,” Montero said. “The Kuris-Kuris Art Hub is a space where everyone is welcome, especially those just beginning to discover art.”

That spirit of gathering found its most tangible expression inside the new art hub, where the inaugural exhibition, “Tingub: Pagbuylog kag Pasalamat,” brought together 56 artists in a collective gesture of coming together, joining forces, and giving thanks. The exhibition’s title carries the meaning of the occasion: “tingub,” a Hiligaynon word for “to gather” or “to come together”; “pagbuylog,” the act of joining forces; and “pasalamat,” gratitude.

The inaugural exhibition gave visual form to the very idea behind the art hub — that art can gather people around a shared space, a shared story, and the possibility of something larger than any one person. Bringing together emerging and professional artists, the exhibition explored the natural beauty, bounty, and lived experiences of Guimaras, while the works of its young artists approached the everyday as a place of discovery. Their paintings of familiar scenes and uncomplicated pleasures carry the freshness of early looking — curious, playful, and attentive to the small details through which ordinary life becomes meaningful.

The Jennie Love Teen Center–Kuris-Kuris Art Hub became possible through the facilitation of Rhen Poll T. Potato, who helped bring together the support of Barney and Jennie Love Gochnour of Salt Lake City, Utah. Jennie Love’s connection with Guimaras began during a 2018 humanitarian mission with the Reaching Out Worldwide Humanitarian Team, where she formed a lasting bond with the community and its young people. The project’s architectural planning, technical support, and construction were provided by architect Frank Alexi Nobleza of Nobleza + Gallo Architects. Named in Jennie Love’s honor, the teen center became a continuation of that connection and a concrete expression of a shared commitment to nurturing creativity among the youth.

The story of the Kuris-Kuris Art Hub is about what happens when “estorya kuris-kuris” is taken seriously. After all, “kuris-kuris” in Hiligaynon is also where much of art begins — in the seemingly random mark, the playful line, the drawing made on a scrap of paper before an idea knows what it wants to become.

What began as informal conversations among artists and young people grew into an art caravan, then into a permanent space — a wandering idea that found a home. And if “tingub” means coming together, the art hub now gives that coming together a place to grow: where conversations can wander, marks can become images, ideas can take root, and the seemingly impossible can, once in a while, become real.