Ayala Museum offers free entry on July 25 to those joining kindness campaign

Kindness: Roald Dahl says that it’s the number one attribute in a human being. Kurt Vonnegut said that goddamnit, you’ve got to be it. Mark Twain said that it’s a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. The Dalai Lama said that it is his religion.

On July 25th, visitors of Ayala Museum might be able to think of new ways to describe kindness, too.

On that day, a Saturday, visitors can enter the museum for free. There will be free access to the museum’s exhibitions, as well as pocket events featuring some of the country’s best creatives.

There is only one thing asked of them in return: to be kind.

To be precise, they are asked to give back by signing up and joining volunteer opportunities offered by the Ayala Foundation, such as storytelling or coaching duties for its public school, or photographing or filming the foundation's events and community activations.

This is the museum's Inspire Every Day campaign, which brought in more than 3,300 visitors on its launch last year.

“It was the first time we had a queue encircling the museum premises, which was unprecendented and amazing considering people only found out through Facebook, Twitter, and word of mouth,” says Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI) senior director for arts and culture Mariles Gustilo.

For those joining the campaign, the museum offers free viewings of its permanent exhibits as well as its changing exhibitions: the traveling exhibition "Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan", which showcases traditional crafts of areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami; "From Citadel to City: Juan Luna paintings and 19th century prints from the BPI Collection", which displays the development of the Spoliarium painter’s art to social realism; and "Felix Laureano: First Filipino Photographer", which exhibits the work of the photography pioneer.

Visitors will also be able to interact with painter/illustrator Valerie Chua, artist Leeroy New, and Armi Millare of Up Dharma Down, as well as join hands-on activities conducted by local apparel brand Team Manila, artist collective Ang Illustrador ng Kabataan, and arts and crafts retailer Craft Carrot.

Filipino creatives also shared their talents in the days leading to the event, with Chua, New and Rags2Riches entrepreneur Reese Fernandez giving talks on creativity and kindness last Saturday.

Wedding/events videographer Jason Magbanua will also have something special in store for the museum visitors on the 25th—a short film composed of crowdsourced video clips showing acts of kindness—solicited through his Instagram account.

Be part of Jason Magbanua's #InspireEveryDay movie! Tara! pic.twitter.com/Jy7xoUlUk4

— Ayala Museum (@ayalamuseum) July 20, 2015
 
 
 

In exchange for signing up for the volunteer activities, museum visitors will receive "kindness currency" that can be used for entry, participation in the activities, and discounts at the MuseumShop. — BM, GMA News

Ayala Museum (759-8288) on Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street in Greenbelt Park, Makati City is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Its library facility, Filipinas Heritage Library, is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.