The Blanco Family Museum
Museum Assessment of
The Blanco Family Museum
in Angono, Rizal
The Blanco Family Museum is located at Ibanez St. Angono, Rizal. The museum shows an extensive collection of paintings by Jose "Pitok" V. Blanco, his wife “Loring”, and seven children, namely Glenn, Noel, Michael, Joy, Jan, Gay and Peter Paul (along with other paintings by his grandchildren, recently mounted). Their works are said to stem from the “Realist” school of painting, and are referred to as “folk-realism” by Alice Guillermo. However, Filipino themes are prevalent throughout the museum, featuring the unique culture and history of Angono. Examples of these famous paintings exhibited not only locally but internationally are ““Angono Town Fiesta”, “The Burning of Angono”, among others.
Right across the street is the Blanco Art School, and the museum is close to the municipal building of Angono, as well as other art workshops and museums like Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Nemiranda. I interviewed Maria Adora M. Perez and Mary-Ann Rodella, students of the Blanco Art School and guides/curators/maintenance of the museum during my visits. Referring to the provided Museum Visit checklist, I first inquired about the location of the museum. I looked for the address in the internet but the directions were inadequate, so I had to rely on asking questions. However, once you start asking the residents of Angono, it seems that everyone there knows where the museum is located, so I eventually found it. The art school is easier to place because there is a large banner on top of the tall building, but the museum is a different matter. If you ride the tricycle they can lead you there, but I was in a car with my mom. Unfortunately there the museum is not well sign-posted. The exterior of the museum gave me the impression that it is trying to blend in its surroundings; you could pass by without giving it a second glance. The gate and walls are all colored beige. I was told that once the museum was a house, and they renovated it to show their paintings on the ground floor, while a stairway leads to their residence on the museum. Several renovations were made; in the 1970s the museum had two floors and the materials were made out of wood, but they replaced the structure with concrete because the wood eventually rotted.
There is no definite parking space, though buses and other vehicles usually park in front or at the back of the museum. The area is at the end of the street so there are usually no people in sight. There is a runway for the disabled in the entrance, and the museum hours (8:00 - 12:00 NN, 1:00-5:00 PM everyday) are listed. The admission charge is twenty pesos, and it is open to everyone. I asked for the plan of the museum but they didn’t have a floor plan; according to Ms. Perez, the floor plan was not printed because they plan to change the layout, add a coffee shop (Angono Café), and create a bas relief mural on the entrance of the Blanco museum.
My impression of the interior from the entrance door is that it is spacious, and the layout of the museum (circular) was very interesting, because this way you can view the paintings smoothly. The guides welcomed me warmly, and you can leave your belongings in the desk with the security guard, though they are not really that strict on that matter. There is one CR for boys and one for girls, found in the main hallway. The building is well suited to its functions and is wide, though it is maintained very poorly. I firmly believe that the building is not secure in relation to fire, theft, and environmental damage. The entrance of the museum is only a steel gate, and there have been repeated cases of theft; even huge works by Jose Blanco were stolen (they decided to leave the areas where the stolen paintings were once mounted blank, to “remind audiences of what they have lost”. You can actually see the edges of the frame marked on the wall). I don’t find this surprising because when I was there the first time they had a female security guard, but during my next visits there was no security at all. Also, when a group of college students arrived, the curators left me at the main desk to guide the students around the museum and left the gate open for the students to just enter and exit whenever they wanted to. The walls had huge cracks and spider webs, and there was moisture-induced algae that clung to the Museum’s inner walls and stained some of the works of art. The paintings and the corners of the walls were also extremely dusty, and there was a portion where bits of thread from the dividers were scattered on the floor.
The staff is basically headed by the Blanco family, in particular Mrs. Blanco. The manager is Michael Blanco. The curators serve as security, guides, and maintenance, particularly because of a low budget. The Museum is private property owned by the whole Blanco Family, and is not supported by the government. If I would rate the staff I would say that they have a very poor performance; the curators only work there part-time, and are not well-trained and/or educated in curatorial practices and responsibilities. Not only that, but the museum had this aura of being abandoned. The sources of funds are the visitor’s payments, but some come from donations, sponsors, and payments when they hold art workshops in the lobby.
I gave the collections a high rating because I was really impressed with the work. Although the place in my opinion was not only a museum but a “storage exhibit”, one cannot deny the power of the Blanco family’s paintings, portraits, and large murals. The museum documents the progression of skill the Blanco children acquired under their father's guidance, as well as highlighted Jose Blanco’s own work. It is a permanent collection of the family, and new paintings created by Jose Blanco’s grandchildren are displayed in one of the newer rooms. They are organized from the youngest daughter, Gay, and showed a timeline of her advancement from when she was four years old until she became a professional painter. The same theme was applied to the rest, until finally you reach Jose Blanco’s works of art as the “main display”, as said by the curators. It seems that they mostly show all the works that they have, but the storage room is located in their own residence. There are no facilities for conservation and restoration work. When I asked how they take care of the collection, they said that they use varnish for conservation, plus the electric fan “helps a lot” because the air should circulate around the museum. As for documentation, they record the title, image and medium, date, and the artist. These files are saved on the computer, but there are no hard copies. They used to write everything by hand before, and those are still kept. The self-published catalogue of the collection is the hardbound art book “Blanco”, which features certain highlighted paintings in full color. Usually foreigners donate money for museum conservation. It should be worth noting as well that visitors are allowed to take photos, as long as they disable the “flash” function in their camera. The museum staff also undertakes research on collection, and since it is managed by family members and artists themselves, they have first-hand knowledge of the collection. Visiting researchers can ask questions to the guide staff, or they could also schedule a meeting with Michael Blanco or have a lecture/tour of the area.
The main display is Jose Blanco’s works, being a National Artist nominee and contemporary of Carlos “Botong” Francisco. The highlight or his most popular work is the Angono Fisherman’s Festival. He made this certain mural for two years, painting the likenesses of his neighbors and other old people of Angono, including himself and his grandchild. Jose “Pitok” Blanco visit their houses and ask permission to be included in the large painting. In this light, I believe that the displays relate to the purpose of the museum, which is to record the culture and traditions in Angono and show this to the public, especially in a modern age, for educational purposes. The galleries are lighted scantily; I noticed that light bulbs were even missing in some areas. They use yellow, dim light. Climate control depends on only electric fans, open windows and an exhaust fan - though I have read that recently ceiling ventilation ducts have been installed in strategic areas for more efficient air circulation. Leaking water downspouts have also been replaced, and metal spacers to be placed behind the paintings have been fabricated.
The display is from the 1990s. As for how effective they are in relation to their use of objects, labels, and other interpretative techniques, it depends on the exhibit area. Some artists have labels (though they are faded and illegible), others do not. The guides confided in me that they plan to change the labels with new ones, as well as renovate the whole area, and that is why they are still fixing the documentation. I’ve observed visitor reactions (including those of my family) and most of them stay still and really look at the paintings, especially the murals, which are a hit. The labels stating that Peter Paul painted since he was eleven months old, for example, really draw the people’s attention (and disbelief). There is a special space for temporary exhibitions, mostly those by the Angono Artist’s Association, when they wish to exhibit the products of their art workshops. The space for temporary exhibitions is located at last room. Anyone can exhibit their works in this area, as long as they ask permission from the Blanco family and they are accepted. While most Angono folk have been to the museum, The Blanco Museum’s primary target is students, from grade school, high school to college. The Museum attracts 30-60 students per week, usually because of educational tour programs. 8-10 buses arrive per week. Around 25-30 schools visit per year, almost ten schools per month.
When I asked for the loan service, they had no idea of it. Then I proceeded to ask about the facilities, which are as follows: transport is through the entrance, for visitors in buses or their own vehicles. They hire cargo trucks if they are going to transport big pieces to other exhibitions, mostly abroad. The displays/exhibitions are primarily used for teaching purposes. The main lobby can serve as a lecture room, but usually they go around the Museum to answer questions from visitors. If one schedules ahead of time, the family can give an art demo at the lobby. These programs are available to all age groups but are especially suited for the youth. According to Ms. Rodella, the exhibit seeks to inspire, especially college students from the Humanities or Fine Arts, because it aims to develop art appreciation. Although most of the time grade school students visit the museum during fieldtrips. She said that at least in a young age, they are already inspired by the paintings and may wish to pursue it as a hobby or profession. Their main targets are also foreigners, so that they can show the “talent of the Filipino, especially those from Angono, Rizal”. The Blanco Family Museum does not have specific activities for holidays and weekends, but during the Angono Higantes festival the Blanco family and the Angono Artist’s Association prepare their own Higantes and other props. In fact, in one of my visits I saw some materials and masks in one of the art workshop areas.
The inquiry or identification service is simple: you just have to say where you’re from and sign the guest book, while they document it in the record book. The library facilities are not available to visitors; the Blanco family has their own private library in their residence upstairs, though they do sell books on the Blanco family and Angono in general, plus magazines and newspapers. Examples of these books would be the Blanco Book and Dangal ng Angono by Ligaya Tiamson-Rubin. With this in mind, the publications are directly relevant to the collections available. As for publicity advertising the museum and its activities, there are none. No brochures, no posters, leaflets, etc. They rely on signboards in Angono, blogs and websites that highlight The Blanco Museum and major newspapers who write feature articles. The Museum is usually featured in Rizal magazine, and is sometimes shown in local TV, international media, and books about the province of Rizal.
The main lobby is pretty much for all sorts of meetings, art demos, and workshops. Cognate societies can meet there. They do not have a “Friends” of the museum scheme for it is private and owned by the family. There is a museum shop right after the security desk at the entrance, strategically placed at after the last exhibition (since the structure is circular, the entrance is also the exit). They sell books, t-shirts, school supplies and postcards of specific Blanco family works in different sizes, mostly those painted by Jose “Pitok” Blanco. The items on sale are cheap (the largest postcard only costs twenty pesos, so I bought myself three postcards). They do enhance the museum and its functions, except maybe the school supplies are questionable; they were probably just included since their visitors are mostly students. What also bothered me that the guides were not only curators, and maintenance staff but they were also in charge of the museum shop. In this case, the shop is usually left unmanned and is quite subject to theft, especially since the postcards are just there, exposed. I think the shop makes a profit; especially the postcards because they are inexpensive, printed excellently, and are in mint condition. The rest facility is in the entrance/exit, and the main lobby. Several wooden chairs and benches are available. As for refreshments and meals, they are not available, though there are carinderias and stores nearby. As I said earlier, they do plan to create an Angono Café soon, once they have the budget for a complete renovation.
Overall, The Blanco Family Museum is truly worth visiting if only for its collection. I was inspired right after I viewed all the pieces, and I was left wondering why Jose Blanco did not succeed in becoming a National Artist. The whole family is extremely talented, and they are also approachable and readily available for educational programs. Though a contemporary of Botong Francisco, they choose to depict scenes as if they were frozen in time, and are life-like and engaging. With painstaking detail and a huge body of work, one cannot help but admire the collection. However, in general the museum is badly curated and maintained; it is possible that since Jose “Pitok” Blanco’s death the Museum had been somewhat forgotten, as evidenced by the numerous cases of art theft and dusty facilities. I have read articles and heard accounts that it was well-maintained when he was still alive. The maintenance is probably faulty because the guides not only work part-time, but they also fulfill many roles like security, maintenance, as well as conservation- roles that require intense training and research. Nevertheless, the guides told me that they do plan to make several changes, like repainting the walls and fixing the whole structure. I suggest that they should also focus on heightening public awareness, which will be a big help not only in increasing interest in the collection but it can also motivate the managers to enhance their facilities. With the proper budget and maybe government support and recognition, the value of The Blanco Family Museum would be given importance as a sustainable repository and a tangible educational tool of Angono’s art and culture and of the Philippines as well.
The Blanco Family Museum
in Angono, Rizal
The Blanco Family Museum is located at Ibanez St. Angono, Rizal. The museum shows an extensive collection of paintings by Jose "Pitok" V. Blanco, his wife “Loring”, and seven children, namely Glenn, Noel, Michael, Joy, Jan, Gay and Peter Paul (along with other paintings by his grandchildren, recently mounted). Their works are said to stem from the “Realist” school of painting, and are referred to as “folk-realism” by Alice Guillermo. However, Filipino themes are prevalent throughout the museum, featuring the unique culture and history of Angono. Examples of these famous paintings exhibited not only locally but internationally are ““Angono Town Fiesta”, “The Burning of Angono”, among others.
Right across the street is the Blanco Art School, and the museum is close to the municipal building of Angono, as well as other art workshops and museums like Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Nemiranda. I interviewed Maria Adora M. Perez and Mary-Ann Rodella, students of the Blanco Art School and guides/curators/maintenance of the museum during my visits. Referring to the provided Museum Visit checklist, I first inquired about the location of the museum. I looked for the address in the internet but the directions were inadequate, so I had to rely on asking questions. However, once you start asking the residents of Angono, it seems that everyone there knows where the museum is located, so I eventually found it. The art school is easier to place because there is a large banner on top of the tall building, but the museum is a different matter. If you ride the tricycle they can lead you there, but I was in a car with my mom. Unfortunately there the museum is not well sign-posted. The exterior of the museum gave me the impression that it is trying to blend in its surroundings; you could pass by without giving it a second glance. The gate and walls are all colored beige. I was told that once the museum was a house, and they renovated it to show their paintings on the ground floor, while a stairway leads to their residence on the museum. Several renovations were made; in the 1970s the museum had two floors and the materials were made out of wood, but they replaced the structure with concrete because the wood eventually rotted.
There is no definite parking space, though buses and other vehicles usually park in front or at the back of the museum. The area is at the end of the street so there are usually no people in sight. There is a runway for the disabled in the entrance, and the museum hours (8:00 - 12:00 NN, 1:00-5:00 PM everyday) are listed. The admission charge is twenty pesos, and it is open to everyone. I asked for the plan of the museum but they didn’t have a floor plan; according to Ms. Perez, the floor plan was not printed because they plan to change the layout, add a coffee shop (Angono Café), and create a bas relief mural on the entrance of the Blanco museum.
My impression of the interior from the entrance door is that it is spacious, and the layout of the museum (circular) was very interesting, because this way you can view the paintings smoothly. The guides welcomed me warmly, and you can leave your belongings in the desk with the security guard, though they are not really that strict on that matter. There is one CR for boys and one for girls, found in the main hallway. The building is well suited to its functions and is wide, though it is maintained very poorly. I firmly believe that the building is not secure in relation to fire, theft, and environmental damage. The entrance of the museum is only a steel gate, and there have been repeated cases of theft; even huge works by Jose Blanco were stolen (they decided to leave the areas where the stolen paintings were once mounted blank, to “remind audiences of what they have lost”. You can actually see the edges of the frame marked on the wall). I don’t find this surprising because when I was there the first time they had a female security guard, but during my next visits there was no security at all. Also, when a group of college students arrived, the curators left me at the main desk to guide the students around the museum and left the gate open for the students to just enter and exit whenever they wanted to. The walls had huge cracks and spider webs, and there was moisture-induced algae that clung to the Museum’s inner walls and stained some of the works of art. The paintings and the corners of the walls were also extremely dusty, and there was a portion where bits of thread from the dividers were scattered on the floor.
The staff is basically headed by the Blanco family, in particular Mrs. Blanco. The manager is Michael Blanco. The curators serve as security, guides, and maintenance, particularly because of a low budget. The Museum is private property owned by the whole Blanco Family, and is not supported by the government. If I would rate the staff I would say that they have a very poor performance; the curators only work there part-time, and are not well-trained and/or educated in curatorial practices and responsibilities. Not only that, but the museum had this aura of being abandoned. The sources of funds are the visitor’s payments, but some come from donations, sponsors, and payments when they hold art workshops in the lobby.
I gave the collections a high rating because I was really impressed with the work. Although the place in my opinion was not only a museum but a “storage exhibit”, one cannot deny the power of the Blanco family’s paintings, portraits, and large murals. The museum documents the progression of skill the Blanco children acquired under their father's guidance, as well as highlighted Jose Blanco’s own work. It is a permanent collection of the family, and new paintings created by Jose Blanco’s grandchildren are displayed in one of the newer rooms. They are organized from the youngest daughter, Gay, and showed a timeline of her advancement from when she was four years old until she became a professional painter. The same theme was applied to the rest, until finally you reach Jose Blanco’s works of art as the “main display”, as said by the curators. It seems that they mostly show all the works that they have, but the storage room is located in their own residence. There are no facilities for conservation and restoration work. When I asked how they take care of the collection, they said that they use varnish for conservation, plus the electric fan “helps a lot” because the air should circulate around the museum. As for documentation, they record the title, image and medium, date, and the artist. These files are saved on the computer, but there are no hard copies. They used to write everything by hand before, and those are still kept. The self-published catalogue of the collection is the hardbound art book “Blanco”, which features certain highlighted paintings in full color. Usually foreigners donate money for museum conservation. It should be worth noting as well that visitors are allowed to take photos, as long as they disable the “flash” function in their camera. The museum staff also undertakes research on collection, and since it is managed by family members and artists themselves, they have first-hand knowledge of the collection. Visiting researchers can ask questions to the guide staff, or they could also schedule a meeting with Michael Blanco or have a lecture/tour of the area.
The main display is Jose Blanco’s works, being a National Artist nominee and contemporary of Carlos “Botong” Francisco. The highlight or his most popular work is the Angono Fisherman’s Festival. He made this certain mural for two years, painting the likenesses of his neighbors and other old people of Angono, including himself and his grandchild. Jose “Pitok” Blanco visit their houses and ask permission to be included in the large painting. In this light, I believe that the displays relate to the purpose of the museum, which is to record the culture and traditions in Angono and show this to the public, especially in a modern age, for educational purposes. The galleries are lighted scantily; I noticed that light bulbs were even missing in some areas. They use yellow, dim light. Climate control depends on only electric fans, open windows and an exhaust fan - though I have read that recently ceiling ventilation ducts have been installed in strategic areas for more efficient air circulation. Leaking water downspouts have also been replaced, and metal spacers to be placed behind the paintings have been fabricated.
The display is from the 1990s. As for how effective they are in relation to their use of objects, labels, and other interpretative techniques, it depends on the exhibit area. Some artists have labels (though they are faded and illegible), others do not. The guides confided in me that they plan to change the labels with new ones, as well as renovate the whole area, and that is why they are still fixing the documentation. I’ve observed visitor reactions (including those of my family) and most of them stay still and really look at the paintings, especially the murals, which are a hit. The labels stating that Peter Paul painted since he was eleven months old, for example, really draw the people’s attention (and disbelief). There is a special space for temporary exhibitions, mostly those by the Angono Artist’s Association, when they wish to exhibit the products of their art workshops. The space for temporary exhibitions is located at last room. Anyone can exhibit their works in this area, as long as they ask permission from the Blanco family and they are accepted. While most Angono folk have been to the museum, The Blanco Museum’s primary target is students, from grade school, high school to college. The Museum attracts 30-60 students per week, usually because of educational tour programs. 8-10 buses arrive per week. Around 25-30 schools visit per year, almost ten schools per month.
When I asked for the loan service, they had no idea of it. Then I proceeded to ask about the facilities, which are as follows: transport is through the entrance, for visitors in buses or their own vehicles. They hire cargo trucks if they are going to transport big pieces to other exhibitions, mostly abroad. The displays/exhibitions are primarily used for teaching purposes. The main lobby can serve as a lecture room, but usually they go around the Museum to answer questions from visitors. If one schedules ahead of time, the family can give an art demo at the lobby. These programs are available to all age groups but are especially suited for the youth. According to Ms. Rodella, the exhibit seeks to inspire, especially college students from the Humanities or Fine Arts, because it aims to develop art appreciation. Although most of the time grade school students visit the museum during fieldtrips. She said that at least in a young age, they are already inspired by the paintings and may wish to pursue it as a hobby or profession. Their main targets are also foreigners, so that they can show the “talent of the Filipino, especially those from Angono, Rizal”. The Blanco Family Museum does not have specific activities for holidays and weekends, but during the Angono Higantes festival the Blanco family and the Angono Artist’s Association prepare their own Higantes and other props. In fact, in one of my visits I saw some materials and masks in one of the art workshop areas.
The inquiry or identification service is simple: you just have to say where you’re from and sign the guest book, while they document it in the record book. The library facilities are not available to visitors; the Blanco family has their own private library in their residence upstairs, though they do sell books on the Blanco family and Angono in general, plus magazines and newspapers. Examples of these books would be the Blanco Book and Dangal ng Angono by Ligaya Tiamson-Rubin. With this in mind, the publications are directly relevant to the collections available. As for publicity advertising the museum and its activities, there are none. No brochures, no posters, leaflets, etc. They rely on signboards in Angono, blogs and websites that highlight The Blanco Museum and major newspapers who write feature articles. The Museum is usually featured in Rizal magazine, and is sometimes shown in local TV, international media, and books about the province of Rizal.
The main lobby is pretty much for all sorts of meetings, art demos, and workshops. Cognate societies can meet there. They do not have a “Friends” of the museum scheme for it is private and owned by the family. There is a museum shop right after the security desk at the entrance, strategically placed at after the last exhibition (since the structure is circular, the entrance is also the exit). They sell books, t-shirts, school supplies and postcards of specific Blanco family works in different sizes, mostly those painted by Jose “Pitok” Blanco. The items on sale are cheap (the largest postcard only costs twenty pesos, so I bought myself three postcards). They do enhance the museum and its functions, except maybe the school supplies are questionable; they were probably just included since their visitors are mostly students. What also bothered me that the guides were not only curators, and maintenance staff but they were also in charge of the museum shop. In this case, the shop is usually left unmanned and is quite subject to theft, especially since the postcards are just there, exposed. I think the shop makes a profit; especially the postcards because they are inexpensive, printed excellently, and are in mint condition. The rest facility is in the entrance/exit, and the main lobby. Several wooden chairs and benches are available. As for refreshments and meals, they are not available, though there are carinderias and stores nearby. As I said earlier, they do plan to create an Angono Café soon, once they have the budget for a complete renovation.
Overall, The Blanco Family Museum is truly worth visiting if only for its collection. I was inspired right after I viewed all the pieces, and I was left wondering why Jose Blanco did not succeed in becoming a National Artist. The whole family is extremely talented, and they are also approachable and readily available for educational programs. Though a contemporary of Botong Francisco, they choose to depict scenes as if they were frozen in time, and are life-like and engaging. With painstaking detail and a huge body of work, one cannot help but admire the collection. However, in general the museum is badly curated and maintained; it is possible that since Jose “Pitok” Blanco’s death the Museum had been somewhat forgotten, as evidenced by the numerous cases of art theft and dusty facilities. I have read articles and heard accounts that it was well-maintained when he was still alive. The maintenance is probably faulty because the guides not only work part-time, but they also fulfill many roles like security, maintenance, as well as conservation- roles that require intense training and research. Nevertheless, the guides told me that they do plan to make several changes, like repainting the walls and fixing the whole structure. I suggest that they should also focus on heightening public awareness, which will be a big help not only in increasing interest in the collection but it can also motivate the managers to enhance their facilities. With the proper budget and maybe government support and recognition, the value of The Blanco Family Museum would be given importance as a sustainable repository and a tangible educational tool of Angono’s art and culture and of the Philippines as well.