More than twenty years after the printing of the first edition, the second edition of the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art comes with updated and expanded information on Filipino artists, artworks, history, and aesthetics. Available on both online and print formats, the encyclopedia promises to be a vital record of the invaluable contribution of the arts sector to the cultural heritage of the nation.
An important compendium of data on Philippine art and culture for all generations, this online edition enters the new millennium cognizant of a generation of content consumers that are quick to adopt the latest trends in technology, have great access to information, and are globally connected, thus possessing the potential for a deep sense of empathy and an aspiration to reform the world.
As the most comprehensive and authoritative source of knowledge about Philippine art and cultural heritage from the precolonial past to the era of our present republic, the online edition serves as a record of creators, an inventory of gifts, and a guide for the next generation of thought leaders, educators, and managers.
The work on this encyclopedia began in 2005, when then CCP President Nestor O. Jardin asked the editor-in-chief of the first edition, Dr Nicanor G. Tiongson, to convene a team of scholars and artists to evaluate that edition in preparation for a planned revision. The evaluation was completed but the actual work of updating and revising the 1994 edition started only in 2013. The work took four years of painstaking research, writing, design, and production. Dr Tiongson, who was also appointed editor-in-chief of the second edition, headed a team of respected scholars from leading institutions such as University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, UP Manila, UP Clark, UP Los Baños, UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP Tacloban, UP Mindanao, Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Zamboanga, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Holy Angel University, St. Louis University, University of Santo Tomas, Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi, and the Cebuano Studies Center. These scholars and writers served as volume editors, associate editors, and/or writers of new as well as revised articles.
In presenting the online edition of the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, the Board of Trustees and the Management of the CCP are confident that this encyclopedia will continue to be a relevant resource responsive to the needs of its target audiences—the youth, education, and culture sectors. The new edition hopes to shape generations of culture-sensitive Filipinos, whose creativity will be based on a firm grasp of Philippine art history and aesthetics as well as the distinct values and traditions that make up Philippine life and society.