ART in the Park 2021 returns for a special second edition that starts on July 25, as part of the fair's 15th anniversary celebration.

Following the event's original 2021 run held in February, "Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition" will be another eight-day online fair featuring over 10,000 artworks from 62 galleries, with no price tag going over P70,000.

The virtual event will run until August 1 at http://www.artinthepark.ph.

Art in the Park is branded as the country's "affordable art fair," which began in 2006 as a companion event to the Salcedo Saturday Market. The concept instantly took a life of its own and evolved into a fund-raising event for the benefit of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines. Approximately P20 million have been raised since the fair's first edition and donated to the organization's projects designed to expand awareness for the National Museum and its network. Art in the Park also grew to become an annual event where a diverse group of galleries, art schools, independent art spaces, and collectives would gather at the Jaime Velasquez Park of Salcedo Village in Makati City for a day of celebrating—quite literally—art in the park.

Last March, however, when the country's first lockdown orders were imposed just days away from the original schedule of Art in the Park 2020, the fair went digital. The fair's first online edition was 2020's rescheduled event in August, followed by 2021's first run in February.

For the upcoming special edition this weekend, Art in the Park will also be presenting four exhibitions and a variety of online activities.

One of the featured artists in Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition is Antipas Delotavo. In Gridlock, the noted social realist will showcase his new paintings on canvas that come to life in rich visual detail.

Another artist in the Art in the Park spotlight is multihyphenate Leeroy New, who has lined up multiple projects for the event. Among these is the fair's first foray into augmented reality via Aliens of Manila, wherein New's celebrated headpieces originally fabricated from colorful plastic containers make its debut as an Instagram filter.

The artist will also star in a solo show, titled Iris. New describes the exhibition as a "series of magic mirror sculptures conjured while in lockdown. Mirrors as portals, as windows to the soul and other worlds. Eyes with mascara melting the way reality dissolves."

Meanwhile, young visual artist Anna Bautista will offer her new show, titled Time Capsules, with Globe Platinum Hour. The exhibition centers on how Bautista deals with the concept of time, culture and philosophy, and how these elements are all interlinked and constantly respond to each other.

Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition will also showcase Globe Platinum Hour for Kids, featuring teacher Robert Alejandro, on July 31 at 10 am. Rounding out this edition's exhibition lineup is Adrift, presented by BPI Art Clips. The show features the pioneering techniques of Eugenia Alcaide in layered threadwork.

The lineup of participating galleries for Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition include Altro Mondo Gallery, Ang I.n.K., Archivo 1984, Arnold Art Collection, ArtBeat Collective, Artepintura Gallery, Artery Art Space, ART for Space Gallery, ART LAB: Atelier Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco, ArtPAPER, Art Toys PH, Art Underground, Art Verite Gallery, Association of Pinoyprintmakers, Authenticity Zero Collective, Avellana Art Gallery, Boston Art Gallery, Cevio Art Haus, Cornerstone Pottery-EJ Espiritu, District Gallery, FA Gallery, Far Eastern University, Galeria de las Islas, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Stephanie, Good on Paper, ILCP Art Space, Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn and J Studio.

Also featured are KASIBULAN—Kababaihan sa Sining at Bagong Sibol na Kamalayan, Kulay Art Group, Limbo, Los Nuevos Conquistadores, MAG, Manila Collage Collective, Modeka Art, MONO8 Gallery, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Nineveh Artspace, Neal Oshima Photography, Orange Project, Parokyano ng Malabon, Qube Gallery, Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery, Sagada Pottery, Sheerjoy, Shelter Fund, Sierra Madre Gallery, Space Encounters, TUP-CAFA Fine Arts Department, The Mighty Bhutens, The Photography Zone, The Thursday Group, Tin- Aw, UP College of Fine Arts, Village Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery, Ysobel Art Gallery, and White Walls Gallery.

More information can be found at http://www.artinthepark.ph or http://www.facebook/artinthepark.

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