The semi-residents of the Cordillera model-village of Tam-Awan are composed mostly of artists, particularly the Baguio Arts Guild. So it’s really no wonder that countless pieces of art are scattered throughout its hills; paintings, sculptures, normal ones, weird ones, and even on-the-spot ones.
 
The first type we noticed were the indigenous bulol wood sculptures; Cordillera rice gods which brings prosperity during harvest seasons. From there, multitudes of stone and even concrete sculptures abound throughout the winding pathways.

Entering the village’s main gallery, which is housed in a huge Ifugao hut, we were surrounded by paintings depicting the culture of the Cordillera people; from the urban tourist boats of Burnham Park to abstract indigenous symbolisms to depictions of the region’s colorful past.

Enter another hut and we were greeted with portraits, not of the traditional Ifugao ones, but of this village’s visitors. Here one can opt to have a portrait done by the resident artists for Php100.00 to Php300.00, which you can bring with you afterwards.
 
And if you really want to take home a piece of Tam-Awan’s artistry, then visit their gift shop. Paintings, sketches, hand-painted shirts, sculptures, trinkets, and even music are available for purchase; almost complete if not for the missing ref magnets that I collect, haha.

Hike further and things get quirkier, a giant tomato and a gargantuan dreamcatcher are placed almost inconspicuously along the trail. The dreamcatcher, I can almost grasp the significance; the huge red tomato, I, for the life of me, cannot.

Like a gem hidden among rubbles, it is a bit hard to locate Tam-Awan Village especially on first visit, but once found, it’s all worth the trouble of finding it. This is one artist haven you’d better not miss when visiting Baguio City’s tourist spots.

   

Tam-awan Village
Address: 366-C Pinsao Proper, Baguio City
Entrance Fee: Adult Php50.00 | Kids Php20.00    Open Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Contact Number: (074) 446-2949 | (074) 442-5553   Email: tamawanvillage@gmail.com