Press Release

“The HeART of the Season”: Art Exhibit at the Sentro Rizal-Toronto, Philippine Consulate General, 6 December 2019

2019-12-17

Consul General Orontes V. Castro welcomed the guests to the formal opening of the painting exhibition “The HeART of the Season” at the Sentro Rizal-Toronto on 6 December 2019. The audience was composed of members of the Consular Corps and the academic community, the Filipino-Canadian community and media, the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the other attached agencies, and the families and friends of the featured artists.
Top photo: Consul General Castro introduced Grupo Cinco – from left, Mr. Frank Tonido, Mrs. Nelia Tonido, Ms. Michelle Chermaine Ramos, Mr. Genaro Lopos and Mr. Frank Cruzet.

The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony. Personalities from left: Japanese Consul General Takako Ito, Justice Steve Coroza, Consul General Orontes Castro, Turkish Consul General Sinem Mingan, Councillor Josh Matlow, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Dr. Julie Nguyen.

With the Grupo Cinco artists

Left: Members of the Filipino community posed with Consul General Castro and Mr. Cruzet of Grupo Cinco.
Right: Consul Edwin Mendoza (2nd from left) with members of the Filipino community and another famous artist, Mr. Romi Mananquil (farthest right), also a Toronto-based artist and founder of the Philippine Artists Group, of which the Grupo Cinco are members of.

Left Photo: Consul General Castro (center) with (from left) artists Mr. Tonido, Mr. Lopos, Mrs. Balderamma, Ms. Helen Balderama of York University, Justice Coroza, Dr. Maria de Villa, Dr. Eileen de Villa, artist Michelle Chermaine Ramos and Consul General Ito.
Right Photo: Consul General Castro and his officers and staff pose with Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow.

Art demonstration conducted by Mr. Frank Tonido. From left, Mrs. Chen Zhang, wife of US Vice Consul Owen Fletcher was one of those picked to be Mr. Tonido’s subject in his art demo. Vice Consul Fletcher & Mrs. Zheng were happy with the sketch of Mr. Tonido

12 December 2019, Toronto, Canada – The Philippine Consulate General’s Sentro Rizal-Toronto, officially launched the art exhibit of Grupo Cinco’s “The HeART of the Season” on Friday, 6 December 2019 at the Consulate General. Grupo Cinco is composed of five (5) Toronto-based Filipino-Canadian artists namely, Mr. Frank Cruzet, Mr. Genaro Lopos, Ms. Michelle Chermaine Ramos, Ms. Nelia Tonido, and Mr. Frank Tonido.

“The HeART of the Season” was officially opened by Consul General Orontes V. Castro and was joined in the ribbon-cutting ceremony by The Honourable Justice Steve Coroza and Dr. Eileen de Villa, both Canadians of Filipino descent occupying high positions in the Canadian Government, Councillor Josh Matlow (City Councillor for Toronto-St. Paul’s Ward 12), members of the Consular Corps – Japanese Consul General (Ms.) Takako Ito, and Turkish Consul General (Mrs.) Sinem Mingan and her spouse, as well as Dr. Julie Nguyen of the Canada-Vietnam Society. US Vice Consul Owen Fletcher and spouse Mrs. Chen Zhang, and Professor Nhung Tran of the University of Toronto likewise attended the opening night. Members of the Filipino-Canadian community and media also graced the successful event.

Justice Steve Coroza was a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines before he was appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Brampton) in July 2013. Dr. Eileen de Villa, on the other hand, is the Medical Officer of Health of the City of Toronto and leads the Toronto Public Health, which is Canada’s largest local public health agency providing public health programs and services to 2.9 million residents.

In his welcome remarks, Consul General Castro highlighted the great works of the members of Grupo Cinco and introduced them to the guests present. He also encouraged the other Filipino Canadian artists in Toronto and the GTA to come out and share their wonderful talents to the community.

A reception followed immediately after the ribbon cutting.

An art demonstration conducted by one of Grupo Cinco artists, Mr. Frank Tonido, was one of the highlights of the night. There were four (4) lucky attendees picked to be Mr. Tonido’s live models for his portrait sketching, Mr. Filbert Wong (UNTV), Mr. Hermie Garcia (Philippine Reporter), Ms. Jane Ranga (Philippine Consulate General Toronto Consular Assistant), and Mrs. Chen Zhang (spouse of US Vice Consul Owen Fletcher).

“The HeART of the Season” art exhibit will run from 9 December 2019 to 6 March 2020 at the Sentro Rizal-Toronto of the Philippine Consulate General, 7/F-160 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario M4P 3B5, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays thru Fridays, except on holidays observed by the Consulate. END

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