“The Heart Of The Season”: Art Exhibit at Sentro Rizal, Toronto

From left: Consul General to Toronto Orontes V. Castro introduced Grupo Cinco Mr. Frank Tonido, Mrs. Nelia Tonido, Ms. Michelle Chermaine Ramos, Mr. Genaro Lopos and Mr. Frank Cruzet. (Toronto PCG photo)

TORONTO 10 December 2019 –– The Philippine Consulate General’s Sentro Rizal-Toronto officially launched the art exhibit of Grupo Cinco’s “The HeART of the Season” on 06 December 2019 at the Consulate General.

Grupo Cinco is composed of five 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 Takako Ito, and Turkish Consul General Sinem Mingan and her spouse, as well as Canada-Vietnam Society Dr. Julie Nguyen.  The United States Vice Consul Owen Fletcher and spouse Mrs. Chen Zhang, and University of Toronto Professor Nhung Tran 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 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 09 December 2019 to 06 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 through Fridays, except on holidays observed by the Consulate. END

Consul General to Toronto Orontes V. Castro welcoms the guests to the formal opening of the painting exhibition “The HeART of the Season” at the Sentro Rizal-Toronto on 06 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. (Toronto PCG photo)

(From left) During the Ribbon-Cutting CeremonyJapanese Consul General Takako Ito, Justice Steve Coroza, Consul General to Toronto Orontes V. Castro, Turkish Consul General Sinem Mingan, Councillor Josh Matlow, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Dr. Julie Nguyen. (Toronto PCG photo)

The Grupo Cinco artists. (Toronto PCG photo)

Members of the Filipino community posed with Consul General Castro and Mr. Cruzet of Grupo Cinco. (Toronto PCG photo)

Consul Edwin Mendoza (second from left) with members of the Filipino community and another famous artist, Mr. Romi Mananquil (rightmost) also a Toronto-based artist and founder of the Philippine Artists Group, of which the Grupo Cinco are members of. (Toronto PCG 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. (Toronto PCG photo)

Consul General Castro and his officers and staff pose with Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow. (Toronto PCG photo)

Top photo: Art demonstration conducted by Mr. Frank Tonido. Bottom photo: 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. (Toronto PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philcongen-toronto.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto/.