A showcase of Kapampangan Christmas Heritage through miniature art

You see dioramas of snow-filled mountains with skiers or icey lake with skaters going round and round. You might even see a mini Santa Claus aboard his sleigh being pulled by reindeers.

Imagine if these dioramas depicted Christmas in the Philippines, where you can see a bahay kubo adorned with parol, or a street filled with Christmas lights decorating sari sari stores.

This was the idea for the launching of the "Liwanag ng Pasko: Cultural Heritage Stories in Miniature – A Diorama and Tipos del Pais Exhibit" held at the Clark Museum in Clark Freeport on 19 December.

The said event marks the second installment of the museum’s diorama showcase.

Twelve artists, including Kapampangan creators and guest artists from Quezon City, Bulacan, and Nueva Vizcaya, are presenting miniature works that depict everyday scenes, architectural heritage, and Kapampangan Christmas culture.

Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera emphasized the link between a strong economy and the flourishing of local art.

“Art is really the language of the soul. If our people can eat three meals a day, they’ll have time to be full-time artists,” she said. Devanadera also encouraged artists to share their talent through workshops and outreach programs for employees, schoolchildren, and indigenous communities.

Department of Tourism Region III Regional Director Richard Daenos expressed his support for the initiative. “Art is universal. And it’s a must for us to have an experience of it—even at a certain point that it will have to be our last portion of our breath. Because that makes us human,” he said.

The exhibit is the 17th under CDC’s Public Exhibition Program, which has welcomed 38,919 visitors since its launch in 2024. The program leverages Clark’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) infrastructure to regularly feature local artists.

Diorama artist Aprille Gagui, owner of Bale Manika Arts and Crafts Manufacturing, encouraged visitors to engage with the works.

“Sana’y maramdaman ninyo ang liwanag ng Pasko sa bawat diorama na makikita ninyo. At ‘wag po kayong magsawang magtanong sa mga artist kung paano nila ginawa… Kaya yung utak namin at yung pagod ng mga kamay namin, binubuhos namin sa bawat diorama,” she said.

Featured artists include Burt Santiago of Angeles City; Aprille Gagui and Elsed Moreno of Lubao; Fernando Yumul of San Fernando; Tetu Lozano of Porac; Dodjie Aguinaldo of Mabalacat City; Marco Pulusan, Edie Marl Escobar, and Gian Salazar of Mexico; Edon Tuazon Fabreo of Quezon City; Jericho Palmos of Bulacan; and Julius Paladin of Nueva Vizcaya.

The exhibit runs until 19 January at the Clark Museum.