When it rains, we get arty. Braving the storm that ravaged the Metro that weekend, Team MJ trooped to Shangri-La Edsa Plaza on Saturday, July 21 for the Art at Shang event, featuring the 44th Anniversary of the Saturday Group and the launch of the children’s book Blue Bananas, written by late Palanca Award-winning author Mae Astrid Tobias.

As the event name suggests, the arts – specifically painting and children’s literature – were the focus of the celebration, as visual artists and writers mingled together between paintings from the Saturday Group and hardcover copies of Blue Bananas. As the event was staged by the top-flight Crucible Gallery, which also published Blue Bananas in cooperation with the Crucible Workshop, Team MJ turned to Crucible Managing Director Sari Ortiga to ask why they decided to launch a children’s book at the same time as the 44th anniversary of the Saturday Group.

Turns out it’s not as incongrous a partnership as it seems on the surface. “Blue Bananas is in fact very much connected to the Saturday Group, as it features, as a character and in its art, Mauro “Malang” Santos, a longtime leader, friend and mentor to the Saturday Group,” Mr. Ortiga states. “We actually staged a children’s book-writing contest a few years ago, which was won by Astrid Tobias.”

In welcoming participants to Art at Shang, Mr. Ortiga acknowledged the presence of Ms. Tobias’ mother and brother, Mrs. Hedy and Adrian Tobias, members of KUTING, a non-profit organization Ms. Tobias was a member of that was instrumental in the publication of Blue Bananas, and members of the Saturday Group. All three groups received copies of the book, but Mr. Ortiga also notes that the evening’s festivities for the book were just a preview, not an actual launch.

“We’re still reserving the launch for when Malang can come with us to celebrate,” he said.

We’re keeping our schedule free, Mr. Ortiga.

Purchase Blue Bananas at Crucible Gallery, 4F SM Megamall Building A. And visit Crucible Gallery online at http://thecruciblegallery.com/. Visit Kuting (Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting) at kuting.org.