Nunelucio Alvarado“Hi, Joe!”
Even then, he was strikingly white – fair skinned, chiseled features. Every bit a foreigner. He had long hair. A cool strut. He could easily pass for a Joe. Only thing was, he wasn’t Joe. And so, he’d reply, “I’m not Joe. I’m Nune.” Said in Hiligaynon, it never failed to draw a smile.
Nunelucio Alvarado is The Maestro of Margaha. The renowned painter has done enormously to put Margaha Beach on the map, with his colorful atelier sunbathed on a stretch of black sand. Nune’s use of bold tropical colors has redefined this seaside village into a “tourism property”, transforming homes, roadside structures, even trisikads that bring visitors in and out of the beach.
Here in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, Nune is addressed by locals as “maestro” for good reason. He is passionate about teaching art. He never passes up a chance to share and inspire. He provides art materials to those who can’t afford to buy, creates spaces for artists to come together, works with government to craft projects that support art. To this lifelong mission he has proven himself pure and consistent, so much so that in his home city, Nune is revered as “Amay sang Taliambong”, Father of the Arts. It is rare to find a city that bears the influence of one dominant artist, so it is truly amazing to realize that the artistic DNA of Nunelucio Alvarado is widespread in Sagay.
Buoyed by the artistry and sense of community of Nunelucio Alvarado, as well as the goodwill of other artists who have followed in his footsteps to teach art, the Negros Season of Culture celebrates the National Arts Month this February. Nune’s desire to teach art speaks loudly about the essence of heritage. If heritage is the pathway cleared for us by those who have come before, then undoubtedly the mission-work of Nunelucio Alvarado secures art’s place in the heritage of Negrenses for generations to come.
Text by: Alan S. Gensoli
Photo by: Bem Cortez
