IF THERE were to be a list of promising organizations in the University, the Gintong Susi Art Organization would be high on the list. An organization open to College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) students, it is the only art organization in the University, certainly a melting pot of bright and promising visual artists.
Unlike the usual outreach almost every organization holds, Gintong Susi goes out to several communities and entertains them—not with song-and-dance numbers and food—but with art.
This year, the organization plans to paint a colorful mural for the RVM Healing Center in Novaliches where many physically and spiritually afflicted individuals go for treatment. Gintong Susi hopes to soothe the souls of these people with the bright colors and messages of their mural.
Though relatively young, the group actively participates in many activities University activities. They eagerly offer their artistic help to other groups like the Campus Ministry and Teatro Tomasino.
Originally conceived in the summer of 2001, the art organization was originally composed of only 12 members from the four departments of the college who simply wanted to learn from one another. The group apparently did not gain a strong foothold, and the members parted ways.
One of them, however, felt their group had a good cause but it just did not work out for them at that time. Abe Luna Orobia, the son of famous painter Maestro Orobia, decided to re-organize and formalize the setting of the group to become more “useful” for Thomasian artists.
With former CFAD Dean and Regent Rev. Father Isidro Abaño, O.P. behind him, Orobia and some of the other students tirelessly took every step to make their group official. Their efforts paid off and Gintong Susi was born.
Susi does not refer to the literal “key”, but rather stands for Suri’t Sining, a reflection the group’s intention of helping students find and develop their niche in the already highly competitive world of visual arts.
With their advisers and “seasoned” members, they provide weekly art talks and training to their members, hoping to lend their experiences and knowledge to the improvement of everyone’s style.
In the near future, the organization hopes to recruit students from every college and faculty of the University. But for now, CFAD students are paving the way. Florian C. Garcia
