Philippine Science Foundation Inc.

Hello everyone!

As I write this, I am preparing to go to the art galleries that I have asked my students to visit for an art appreciation project that consists of a four-page critique of an artwork of their choice. Through the years, the students have always generated very impressive and insightful work for this assignment as visiting the galleries affords them the opportunity to “get to know” the artworks in a more intimate way than I, their teacher, can provide them in class. Without this authentic experience, students have little to say about many artworks that has not already been written in books and magazines or stated by their teachers.

As a humanities teacher at the Philippine Science High School for the last 30(?) years, I can confidently say that my expertise and experience in the world of art has allowed me to transform the country’s young scientists into art enthusiasts, if not artists themselves. Despite this, I cannot help asking myself these questions: Is my own knowledge of the artworks based on the kind of authentic experience I want my students to have? Have I seen all those Matisses, van Goghs, and Picassos in their original forms myself? What added value does my discussion of artworks that I have never seen “in the flesh” bring to my students’ authentic appreciation of them? Sadly, I have not seen the originals of many of the artworks that I have been teaching about all these years.

Thus, I find myself writing to you now. I wish you could help me realize my life’s dream of traveling to Europe and seeing for myself the famed artworks that I discuss in class. Being able to do so would naturally be a thrilling experience for me that will surely enrich the authenticity of my teaching of art at the PSHS. To maximize the rare experience, I plan to design the trip as a documentation and resource- gathering project that will result in a treasure trove of teaching/learning materials for the school’s art and humanities courses. With your assistance, I hope to be able to participate as well in the School Art Magazine’s “nancywalkup” tour of Paris, Florence, and Rome for art educators in 2012.

The Philippine Science High School Foundation, Inc., has very graciously offered its support of my project by coordinating a solicitation campaign to raise the funds necessary to cover my travelling expenses and to fulfill my educational and research goals for the trip to Europe, which I have tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2012. Thus, should you deem my project worthy of your material support, I would very much appreciate your coursing your “Edcip’s Wish to Travel” donation through:

Isabelo P. Africa,
President
PSHS Foundation, Inc.

BPI C/A SM North Branch
4431-0000-54
PSHS Foundation, Inc.

US Based Donations
Online through the Ayala
@ www. af-usa.org

Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Ed Cipriano

P.S. If the solicitation campaign turns out successful and more than enough funds is raised, the school’s other art teacher will also be invited to join the trip. For details, please contact pshsfoundation@yahoo.com.