This year’s ART RAISE honors the power of art, mentorship, and memory as it invests in the school that helped form one of the country’s boldest art incubators.

Words Gerie Marie Consolacion
Photos courtesy of THE ANNEXT
December 21, 2025

THE ANNEXT, known as The Alternative Nest for the Next Artists, has opened the third edition of its annual charity initiative ART RAISE 2025. Launched in 2023, the program was built on the belief that art can be a transparent and meaningful platform for social good.

After two successful fundraising years with UNICEF, the initiative now directs its efforts toward educational sustainability, with a goal of raising PHP 1,000,000 for Bacolod Trinity Christian School, Inc.

THE ANNEXT continues to champion regional talent, supporting emerging Filipino contemporary artists from different provinces. Nearly ninety percent of the artists it represents come from areas outside Metro Manila, making the incubator a rare space where unrepresented creatives can be mentored, trained, and given genuine opportunities.

A transparent platform

This year’s chosen beneficiary carries deep personal meaning for ANNEXT founder Prim Paypon, who envisioned the creation of a Faculty Endowment Fund that supports the long-term growth and needs of teachers. He shares that such a fund is uncommon in the Visayan region, which makes the initiative even more urgent and necessary.

He recalls being guided by his former school principal, who also served as his Bible teacher, and expresses a desire to help build a model that schools in Bacolod and the wider Western Visayas can follow.

Transparency remains the heart of ART RAISE. Paypon explains that artists are paid in full once the sales are collected, since the incubator does not accept free artworks. Whatever remains, which he describes as the technical profit of the ANNEXT, is donated completely to the chosen cause. The system ensures that artists receive fair compensation while collectors know exactly where their contributions are directed.

An immersive exhibition experience

This year’s edition features eighteen artists. Ten of them are exclusive from THE ANNEXT artists and eight are invited guests. THE ANNEXT and its partners design a multi-immersive experience that integrates exhibition design with stagecraft.

The space takes inspiration from the Christmas season. Mid-century chairs wrapped in silver textiles appear to hover in the air with the help of balloons. A Christmas tree covered in thin silver slices prompts visitors to recall the paper cutouts and trees of childhood, and the ways the season shapes our sense of celebration and ritual.

On ritual, intimacy, and growth

During the opening reception, three artists were present at the event including Julienne Ng, Thirdy Montero, and Zandor Ajoc. The artists share their own narratives behind their works, revealing the depth of personal exploration that ART RAISE continues to inspire.

Julieanne Ng

Artist Julieanne Ng draws from a body of work that began earlier this year in her solo exhibition at Visual Space. Her new pieces extend her ongoing exploration of wax, ritual, and the unseen meanings that accompany spiritual gestures.

She explains that her past works often used incense sticks, which required her to light a candle. The ritual made her curious about the candle itself, which she realized carried an entire universe of cultural and spiritual connotations.

She recalls how candles appear in moments of celebration, mourning, prayer, and hope. This led her to experiment with the softened wax, rolling it into strips that began forming shapes reminiscent of written text.

Ng reflects on the discovery with wonder. She describes the wax strips as a kind of visual prayer, something that attempts to express what the physical world cannot. She observes that people make wishes over candles and that there is always the quiet belief that someone somewhere might be listening. The works become a reminder of the unseen conversations between hope and the divine.

When asked what made her join ART RAISE this year, she speaks of the honesty she witnessed from the team. She admired how funds were handled in previous editions and how consistently transparent the initiative had been.

She also praises the programs that support young artists, recalling how ANNEXT gave a very young emerging artist a head start. She appreciates the kindness she experienced, the smooth coordination, and the sincerity of the cause, which made participation easy to say yes to.

Thirdy Montero

Exclusive THE ANNEXT artist Thirdy Montero presents Together in Blues, a piece shaped by small moments he wishes could last longer. His past works often depicted solitary figures, which makes this new piece a gentle shift in his artistic language because it features a male and female figure together for the first time.

When Art+ Magazine asks Montero the story behind his work, he stares at the piece for a minute. Unable to find the words yet the piece itself radiates and tugs a deep emotion to his artwork.

He shares that he did not want to overexplain the work. He simply wanted it to carry the feeling of a moment that lingers, the kind that stays with a person long after it passes. The piece reflects that quiet desire to hold something precious, even fleeting.

He explains that joining ART RAISE again felt natural. Being part of THE ANNEXT last year allowed him to grow, develop his practice, and feel more artistic. He describes the space as a privilege, a place where he could sharpen his skills in painting and immerse himself in a supportive community.

This year’s edition brings together a dynamic group of eighteen artists whose practices span diverse regions and perspectives. The roster includes Anton Mallari, Bernie Marasigan, Bruno, Christian Dy, Daniel Laybut, Ike Arizalon, John Darrel Evasco, Julie Anne Ng, Julyett, Kevin Grapa, Lou Lim, Lyndon Maglalang, Matina Partosa, Romyo, Shannah Orencio, Thirdy Montero, Valerie Chua, and Zando Rajo C.

Their collective participation reflects the breadth of contemporary Filipino creativity and reinforces the commitment of THE ANNEXT to uplift both emerging and established voices across the country.

To art and impact

ART RAISE 2025 affirms the expanding role of THE ANNEXT as both an incubator for emerging artists and a catalyst for meaningful change.

Each artwork becomes more than a creative output. It becomes an act of generosity, a gesture of belief in the power of education, and a testament to what a transparent and community-driven arts ecosystem can achieve.

As the exhibition unfolds, the initiative strengthens its roots by honoring the very institution that shaped its founder, while also nurturing the next generation of artists who carry their own rituals, stories, and moments into the world.

ART RAISE continues to grow not only as a fundraiser but as a movement built on sincerity, mentorship, and the shared desire to create a future where art and advocacy rise together.

If this momentum continues, ART RAISE will not simply meet its goals. It will set a standard for how art can lift communities, open doors, and keep shaping lives long after the final piece is sold.

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