Makati Art Galleries to Visit Before the End of 2013 – Part 1

If you're just itching to get out of your hotel in Makati City to escape the lull between parties and events this Christmas season, you can consider visiting the art galleries that call the country's financial capital their home.

Alliance Française de Manille
209 Nicanor Garcia Street, Bel-Air II, Makati City, Philippines

Founded in 1920, this nonprofit institution encourages friendly relations between the Filipinos and the French through programs that highlight art and education. If you're in the city between October 30 and November 28, you can visit Alliance Française de Manille and view the exhibit by Fernando Sepe, Jr. called Vanishing Point. The exhibition features black and white photos of ox-pulled carts containing hand-crafted wood and basket-woven wares — a sentimental vision of which that used to travel the streets of Manila in search of costumers.

Altro Mondo · Arte Contemporanea
3rd Level, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City, Philippines

Altro Mondo has served as a venue for contemporary art exhibits. Since is foundation in 2010, the gallery has earnestly promoted young and emerging painters and sculptors. Altro Mondo has also actively participated in furthering the arts through online platforms, forums, projects, and events. It has also hosted local and foreign artists, and partnered with independent curators and artist collectives, as well as fellow galleries and museums, to promote cultural and critical exchange. The gallery closes 2013 and opens 2014 with the following exhibits: The Calling of Saint Matthew from November 7 to 29; PITIK at the Picasso from November 14 to December 20, 2013; and Gines Serran-Pagan from December 5 to January 3, 2014.

Ayala Museum
Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City, Philippines

Envisioned by the late artist Fernando Zobel de Ayala y Montojo in the 1950's, Ayala Museum was realized in 1967 as a project of the Ayala Foundation, Inc. The museum has two permanent collections. The first is the Diorama Experience that depicts events from the prehistoric Philippines to the 1986 People Power Revolution. The other one is the Boat Gallery with its finely crafted ship models. With 4 floors, the museum offers a lot to its guests. You can easily get a detailed list of the museum's current and upcoming exhibits by visiting its website.

If you have time, why not set the whole day as an art and culture escapade? Your trip would be made even easier if you take time to plot out the itinerary of your art-binge day while you're still enjoying the comforts of your hotel accommodation in Makati City, Philippines.