The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA), a non-profit organization, partnered with Bayanihang Marikenyo at Marikenya (BM+M) of the Philippines to bring Project Hulmahan to Los Angeles. This was made possible through the Memorandum of Understanding signed by UPAAGLA President Eric Panuncialman and BM+M President and Executive Director Zena Bernardo.
Project Hulmahan is an art-driven, mutual aid fundraising initiative in support of community-based food sovereignty, livelihood, and art programs. It was a response to the pandemic when most of the Philippines was under lockdown. Old shoe lasts were used as firewood for communities which used to thrive in the shoe industry. BM+M came up with the idea of giving these old shoe lasts to artists who transformed these into art pieces. The art pieces were sold, and proceeds went to the project’s beneficiaries. International artist Dolly de Leon of Triangle of Sadness fame, the first Filipino actor to be nominated for BAFTAs and Golden Globe Awards, was part of the original convenors of Project Hulmahan. Some of the noted artists who lent their talents to the project include multi-media artist Toym Imao, sculptor Ram Mallari, mixed media artist Salvador “Buds” Convocar, animator and pop culture favorite Kevin Raymundo aka Tarantadong Kalbo.
The Los Angeles leg of Project Hulmahan is dubbed “Hope LAsts. Project Hulmahan in Los Angeles.” Local artists will be invited to participate with the same mechanics. Artists will be given shoe lasts to transform into artworks in exchange for artists’ fees. The artworks will be sold during the project’s launch on November 11 at the FACLA Hall in Los Angeles. Unsold artworks will continue to be available for purchase in an online catalog up to December 31, 2024. All proceeds will go to the beneficiaries of BM+M and the UPAAGLA endowment fund. n
