Anita Tortorici Exhibit

Anita Tortorici Exhibit

excerpted from
Without Batting An Eyelash
A glittering gem of an evening
By Maurice Arcache
Inquirer
First Posted 00:18:00 05/08/2007

Filed Under: Lifestyle & Leisure

Cosmo Manille’s smartest and chicest set were all très visible for the grand opening of “The Art of Tai Chi,” by San Francisco-based and internationally acclaimed watercolorist Anita Tortorici. Proceeds of the monthlong exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila will benefit the Met’s children’s programs, palanggas.


The gracious Anita, who has exhibited in Europe, America and Hong Kong, is the wife of Edward Tortorici, better known as Manny V. Pangilinan’s consiglieri! The whole officialdom of First Pacific, PLDT, Smart and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) were there for the opening. Heavyweights included MVP himself; PLDT/Smart president Polly Nazareno; close pal, business magnate Butch Campos; Nonoy Colayco; Doris Magsaysay Ho; and Mara Pardo de Tavera.

Popular architect and interior designer Anton Mendoza, an art collector himself, checked the works, dahlings. Also enjoying the show were Smart’s dynamic events head, Julie Carceller, and Metro Pacific’s good-looking, articulate man-about-town, David Nugent, no less, palanggas.

On behalf of MPIC, David Nugent said in his short speech: “We hope this to be the start of a long-term relationship with the Met, enabling and empowering it so that it can fulfill its longstanding mandate: to be a provider of art to people, in Manila and across the nation.”
Hot personalities who attended the opening included Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Armando Tetangco; popular British Ambassador Peter Beckingham and his adorable wife, Jill; Sri Lankan Ambassador W.M. Senevirathana; Alvaro Pertierra and Marivic Vazquez; former Ambassador to Washington, dashing Albert del Rosario, and his effervescent wife, Gretchen; and the Presidential Merit Medal recipient, artist Juvenal Sansó.

The best part about the fantastic exhibit is that more than a million pesos were raised from the sold-out show! That will definitely go a long way for the Met’s children’s program, palanggas. Not bad, huh!

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20070508-64635/A_glittering_gem_of_an_evening