As part of the week-long celebration of the 75th Founding Anniversary of UST-Legazpi, the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Fine Arts (CEAFA) launched an exhibit entitled “Fra Angelico: Diamond Jubilee Exhibit” at the St. Dominic De Guzman Building Hallway on February 1, 2023.
The said exhibit showcased photos of the university as it transitioned from the year 1948 as Legazpi Colleges to Aquinas University of Legazpi, up until it became UST-Legazpi. It also highlighted the history, important artifacts and items that are precious to the university.
Prior to being shown to the public, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held with the presence of Rev. Fr. Ramiro M. De Belen, OP, Vice President for Religious Affairs and the Chairman of the 2023 U-Week; Engr. Javier R. Vicera, MBA, Dean of CEAFA together with his faculty members; Ar. Rino D. Fernandez, Alumnus and Former Dean of the said college, who also designed the existing building of UST-Legazpi Hospital. Present in the said event also are the Administrators of the University.
In his opening statement, Fr. Ram put the spotlight on the alumni and students of the university and their artworks that contributed to the success of the university. He also shared some morals as viewers also take a trip down the memory lane through the Fra Angelico exhibit.
“This exhibit mirrors the 75 fruitful years of God’s love and providence to us, the Legazpi Thomasian Community,” he said.
Leading the said exhibit is a special team built from CEAFA through the leadership of Ar. Aeron Ona, an instructor from the said college. Ar. Aeron thoroughly explained how the Fra Angelico exhibit was conceptualized until it materialized as an actual display.
“We thought of it as something grand, magnificent, exciting, and at the same time luxurious in line with the 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of the University,” Ona told the university’s media team.
Consisting of members from the Architecture and Fine Arts Program, the team saw to it that they are adaptive enough to changes as the project progressed before its launching.
“What we did is to reuse old exhibit boards and the materials existing in our department,” he added.
Giving a memorable vibe, the team made sure that exhibit goers should feel like they are inside a diamond embellished with a different spectrum of colors.
“Some would say that the displays look plain, however, once the lights properly saturate the boards, they will see the real beauty of the exhibit,” Ar. Aeron continued.
Ä light installation was also incorporated on the high rise ceiling of the St. Dominic De Guzman hallway as if diamonds were cascading down from above.
“The light that sparkles symbolizes hope. It’s like when we look up, we hope for something (to happen) or (wish for) something to look forward to,” he continued.
“Same with UST-Legazpi, as we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we still hope for something good to happen to our institution being the Premier Dominican University of Bicol.”