Sagay City Unveils 30-Meter Mural Honoring Nune Alvarado

Sagay, which sits at the northern tip of Negros Occidental, is a "destination where nature, art, and culture converge—while staying deeply connected to its local roots," as one of Esquire Philippines' contributing travel writers describes it. Evidence of this is Bougainvillea, Old Sagay, where walls are turned into vibrant canvases through the initiative of homegrown master painter Nune Alvarado, along with his team of local volunteer artists. This is just one of the many projects of Maestro Nune, as he is fondly called, to stimulate artists' social involvement in rural communities.

The city, on May 5, unveiled a 30-meter commemorative mural in his honor.

Born in 1950 in a farming community in Sagay City, Nune Alvarado is known for his significant contributions to the art community, particularly in social activism through art. He is a founding member of Pamilya Pintura and the Black Artists of Asia, groups in the '80s that advocated social involvement among artists. He also founded the artist group Pintor Kulapol in 1988.

He has received numerous recognitions for his work, including the Thirteen Artists Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (1992), a Grand Prize Award of the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards (1997 and 1999), the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan sa Larangan ng Pintura by the City of Manila (2004), and Most Outstanding Negrense Visual Artist in 2010. Alvarado finished his bachelor’s degree in Advertising at the La Consolacion College School of Architecture and Fine Arts in Bacolod City in 1968 and went to Manila to pursue Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines the following year as a scholar of Purita Kalaw-Ledesma.

The 30-meter commemorative mural honoring the life and works of Alvarado is located at the Amparo Private Cemetery in Barangay Old Sagay. It also happens to be one of the oldest family cemeteries in Sagay. The unveiling also marks Nune's 76th birth anniversary.

It features the artist's major works, including the Nawong Series, "Kaupdanan sa Kampo," "Lain Buot," "Kaubay,"Siga Mata," and "Hudhud." The mural also reflects the convergence of life on land and sea, as it was designed around the concept of "Diin Tabo Man" (point of convergence). Pintor Kulapol Artists Tom Alvarado (Nune's brother), Burog Alvarado (Nune's son), Gerome Bo-oc, and Ryan Pesa led the creation of the mural.

"When we speak of Sagay, his name always comes up. He is someone we are proud of, not only because he is known, but because of the conviction he expressed through his art," Mayor Leo Rafael “Bebo” M. Cueva said during the unveiling.
"Having a landmark like this makes a difference. It shows our young people that an artist from Sagay can make an impact, and it reminds us to value the work of our artists."

Tom Alvardo said that the mural had been a long-time coming and, through partnerships with private sponsors, it finally came into fruition. It's a collaboration among Syano Artlink, the Alvarado family, Mortabond, Steine Paints, and the Sagay City Government.

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