A new art exhibit, The Halo Halo Project, opened October 2 in honor of Filipino Heritage Month at Harold Washington Library Center. Curated by Oliver Aguilar of DesignDrop Studios, The HaloHalo Project features work by contemporary Filipino artists from Chicagoland and beyond, spanning genres to include video art, sculpture, paintings, archival photographs and artifacts.
Halo Halo Installation Photograph IHalo Halo Installation I – Chicken of the Sea by Lawrence Leopoldo; Lola by Michael Delvalle, Lola’s Sunday Walk by Megan Jedrysiak; Facing Our Demons: The Great Dragon Bakunawa by James R. Wilke; and Untitled by Myra Kalaw.
Halo Halo Installation Photo IIHalo Halo Installation II
Halo-Halo — meaning “mixed-mixed” in Tagalog — draws inspiration from the beloved Filipino dessert and symbolizes the vibrant blending of Filipino heritage with American culture. This project is a celebration of the Filipino American experience, its traditions, its evolution in the diaspora, and its contributions to the cultural fabric of Chicago. Weaving together past and present, the modern and historical, The Halo Halo Projects showcases the foodways, labor history, and visual culture of the Filipino diaspora in the Midwest.
Halo Halo Installation Photo IIIHalo Halo Installation III – dresses from the collection of Collection from Almira Astudillo Gilles, PhD.; Nurse Ka (Are you a nurse?) #1 and Nurse Ka (Are you a nurse?) #2 by Magdalena Arguelles
Halo Halo Installation IVHalo Halo Installation IV – installation on the history of Filipina nurses by Angel Abcede
The Halo Halo Project will be on display in the first-floor Ida B. Wells corridor of Harold Washington Library Center from October 2, 2025 to January 15, 2026.
Halo Halo Installation VHalo Halo Installation V – Inaugural Dance of the Philippine Women’s Club of Chicago, 1937 by Ashley Ashley Dequilla
Halo Halo Installation VHalo Halo Installation IV – Handumanan by Viola Comadizo Mayol; Barong Tagalog with Knife by Neal Oshima; Grief, Promise, Rebirth by Aireen Arellano; and Untitled (Orange Tower) by Gabriel Aguilar
