The Movement

ArteFino is a movement that celebrates the Filipino artisan by creating an environment that treasures creativity and inspired passion. Part of the vision is to become the leading movement that promotes a proudly Filipino lifestyle, where everyone finds a sense of purpose in valuing and preserving our heritage.

Founded in 2017 by Cedie Vargas, Marimel Francisco, Maritess Pineda, Mita Rufino, and Susie Quiros - ArteFino has evolved from its roots as an artisan fair into a movement which seeks to uplift our cultural heritage and put Filipino style on the map. This dynamic group of individuals believed in the potential of local crafts to become world-class and drew from their shared experiences of organizing various artisanal craft fairs in the country to create a new community that focuses on creating awareness for Filipino artisans and their craft.

The Ecosystem

The movement supports Filipino artisans by serving as a launch pad for proudly Filipino products, with a mission to create a new ecosystem that inspires and encourages artisans and promotes sustainable livelihood for communities — uplifting Filipino craftsmanship as a whole.

More importantly, it promises to provide an avenue that inspires connection and collaboration between consumers and artist-entrepreneurs from various industries in order to discover modern applications of Philippine indigenous materials, ensuring that Filipino traditions continue to flourish and endure.

At the heart of ArteFino is an interdependent relationship between artist-entrepreneurs and consumers where, through connection and collaboration, everyone is inspired to continue to reimagine, innovate, and elevate Filipino craftsmanship. Each individual in the community — from the makers, designers, the ArteFino team, to the conscious consumers play an important role in the success of the movement.

 

Our Purpose and Promise

We are guided by our vision of becoming an impact-driven community which celebrates what it means to be proudly Filipino.

Our core purpose is to provide a platform that re-imagines, innovates and elevates Filipino craftsmanship. We promise to cultivate an environment wherein Filipino artist-entrepreneurs and artisans alike can showcase our rich culture through sharing the stories behind their craftsmanship and traditions to a community of socially conscious consumers.

Our commitment is to assist in the betterment of the country, the artisan, the entrepreneur, and every Filipino by showcasing Filipino artisans at their finest as they work with living traditions and put Filipino life and style on the global map.

Our impact is grounded in the awe-inspiring stories behind the materials, methods, traditions and artisans who create products characterized by their unique and ingenious craftsmanship.

Our success lies in promoting a proudly Filipino lifestyle to our fellow countrymen and the world through continuously pushing to broaden the horizons of Filipino culture and style.

The heart of ArteFino is in its mission to give back through the HeArteFino Development Program.

 

The Platform

The ArteFino Fair, the flagship event, is a prestigious annual artisan fair which was  first launched on August 25-27, 2017 at the Penthouse of 8 Rockwell. Aside from the main fair held in August, ArteFino brings together a well thought out curation of “gifts that give back” through its Holiday Pop Up called Presente.

The perspective of the founders of ArteFino is to provide a nexus of craft and heart – keeping Filipino consciousness alive in every item created for the fair. It is the platform for artist-entrepreneurs and communities to not only showcase and sell their products but also to tell their story through their crafts. 

The platform offers a unique shopping experience by highlighting a product’s aesthetic, craft, and story. Buyers can immerse not only in beautiful everyday objects, but also in living Filipino traditions through a space wherein vendors can give prominence to their product’s history, materials, and processes. The intention is to cultivate a lasting kinship in a community gathering where buyers and vendors alike are able to connect and build relationships through a shared passion for Filipino culture. Each purchase is sure to feel special and one-of-a-kind because ArteFino aspires to go beyond just showcasing local artisanal products — ArteFino champions the pride, integrity, and dignity of Filipino creativity. 

Year after year, ArteFino delightedly welcomes applications from an assortment of promising local brands. It challenges the community of artist-entrepreneurs and designers to create, innovate, and improve their products and collections as a requirement to take part in the fair.

ArteFino then carefully assesses the pool of prospects through a comprehensive selection process wherein each brand is reviewed by their shared vision, new collections, product concepts, and how much their principles are guided by beautiful aesthetics, refined craftsmanship, and a rich story. All brands featured in the fair should carry the “Stilo ArteFino” characteristic that lets consumers know that the brand/product is guaranteed to be of fine quality, innovative, and evocative of the Filipino life and style. This ensures that the showcased brands, who have met the exacting standards of the thorough curation and selection process, are second to none.

At the end of each fair, every member of the ArteFino community, from the organizers, artist-entrepreneurs, to the buyers is immersed in a sense of kinship to take pride in their crafts, journeys, and accomplishments which spurs a steadfast determination to support all that we value as Modern Filipinos—things that are meaningful, beautifully-handmade and proudly FILIPINO.

 

The Advocacy

At the forefront of our advocacy to promote sustainability is the HeArteFino Development Program, the heart and soul of ArteFino.  It is a shared-value program that equips Filipino artist-entrepreneurs and their partner artisan communities with a variety of aid through customized livelihood and developmental programs to address the needs of the community in establishing a sustainable livelihood. HeArteFino is an exchange of knowledge, stories, and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Filipino artisans’ artistry and craftsmanship.

By elevating living traditions as a source of livelihood, ArteFino hopes to encourage younger generations of artisans to take up traditional Filipino handicrafts—preserving our cultural heritage in the process. Through HeArteFino, ArteFino not only showcases Filipino artisans at their finest, but also helps develop Filipino artisans to become their finest. Read more about the program though the website http://www.artefinoph.com/about-the-program/