The exhibit “Beyond the Barrelman,” which opens September 5 at Chicago’s Mercury Cafe Gallery, features 66 different works by 40 contemporary Filipino artists chosen by a five-man jury.

Coined after the barrelman figure, a popular wooden memento in the Philippines, “Beyond the Barrelman” aims to overcome stereotypes and sets out to prove that Filipino craftsmanship, indeed, goes beyond the barrelman, the oversized carved wooden spoons, seashell vases, and holiday parols. Filipinos have come a long way–we’re a race with world-class talent.

The second “Beyond the Barrelman” is organized by the CIRCA/Pintig, the Filipino American Network, and the Tahanan Cultural Group.

View complete list of featured artists here.

Beyond the Barrelman
September 5, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Where:Mercury Cafe Gallery
1505 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago