As part of the National Arts Month celebration and Xavier Arts Festival 2020, a renowned performing arts professor shared his extensive knowledge in an Arts Appreciation Talk Thursday at Xavier University (XU) Little Theater. The majority of its participants were Senior High School students from XU and Lourdes College. Steven Patrick C. Fernandez is a retired professor and founding director of the Culture and Art Study Center of the Iligan Institute of Technology of Mindanao State University (MSU-IIT). He is also the artistic director-founder of the Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG). Fernandez opened his talk on how one artwork has a different engagement or reaction from different groups of people, such as ethnicity. “Not all art materials you’ll have the same effect,” he said.

During his lecture, Fernandez simplified the definitions of Humanities and Culture and cited how art is “an expression of one’s culture.” Moreover, he answered a couple of questions from the audience during the question and answer portion—giving out bits of advice and even introducing several career paths in the creative industry students might consider taking in the future. Fernandez received several awards, including Palanca Award first prize, CCP Gantimpala, UP Likhaan, CCP Pilak, Fr. Francisco Demetrio, and the SM Global Pinoy, to name a few.   — For the last week of the one-month long celebration, the Xavier Stage will be performing Nick Joaquin’s Tatarin at the Little Theater starting February 26 until 29. Admission is Free.