Aside from its cool temperature and fresh fruits, Baguio is always a top roadtrip destination because of its vibrant art scene–with its many galleries, workshops, art centers, and museums that showcase the talent of local artists. We recently discovered that a hotel's second level features all things art, housing a collection of National Artist paintings and regular art exhibits by local artists. And you can view all these for free.
Sierra Pines Hotel is known as a 'green' hotel: it built itself around the trees of the property instead of cutting them down, and the hotel gets to re-use rainwater by installing a rain catcher system. The hotel itself has a very open feeling that makes you close to nature–it has many wide open areas to let you sink into the scenery, their open spaces are filled with greenery, and the garden is lush and spacious for different activities for its guests like a morning exercise or a bonfire evening. One of their thrusts, too, is to advocate Philippine art — from regional, indigenous, and even dedicating a room especially for paintings of National Artists of the Philippines.
You get to view their collection of National Artist paintings at Adkos Gallery–for absolutely free. Adkos is 'decoration' in the Ibaloi dialect, and the gallery currently dispays different artworks by National Artists such as Arturo R. Luz, Hernando Ruiz-Ocampo, Carlos 'Botong' V. Francisco, and Vicente Manansala. You can be up close and experience the art in their intimate, quiet space at no extra cost, and the gallery is open to everyone (no need to be hotel guests!) every day.
Adkos Gallery is located at the second level of Sierra Pines Baguio, South Outlook corner C. Arellano Street, Baguio, Benguet. The gallery is open daily from 7am to 7pm, and guests may enter by requesting assistance at the hotel's front office. For more information, visit www.sierrapinesbaguio.com, like Sierra Pines on Facebook (/sierrapinesbaguio) and follow on Instagram (@sierrapinesbaguio).
