In Loving Memory of Araceli Limcaco-Dans
(December 9, 1929-May 18, 2024)
May 19, 2024
The UP College of Fine Arts deeply condoles with the family and friends of Araceli Limcaco-Dans: an exemplary visual artist, pioneering arts educator, and beloved mentor to generations of artists.
Mentored by Fernando Amorsolo, Dans finished her degree in Painting from the UP College of Fine Arts in 1950. She dedicated nearly eight decades of her life to teaching and painting, sharing her art through more than a hundred group and solo exhibitions.
A trailblazer in the field of art education, she spent the first two decades of her merging painting and pedagogy while raising a family of 10 with Engr. Jose P. Dans. After graduating from UP, she founded the Department of Fine Arts of the Philippine Women’s University in 1950 and reorganized the art program of the Ateneo Grade School department in 1963. She introduced innovations to the teaching of art through her work as a studio teacher with the Ateneo Educational Television in 1964-1968 and co-founded with Brenda Fajardo the Philippine Art Educators Association in 1968.
An artist who worked across different media, from oil to watercolor, she is most celebrated for realistic still life paintings produced since the 1980s. Her series of works re-configuring calado (intricate and heavy embroidery) and local flora arrangements now has its place in the remarkable history of Philippine modern painting.
We are grateful for her leadership and love for the art community, remembering her years serving as a very dedicated President of the UP College of Fine Arts Alumni Association. For her achievements as both a painter and art educator, she was recognized with the Cultural Center of the Philippines Centennial Honors for the Arts, the UP Alumni Association Award, and many more distinctions.
Farewell, Cheloy Dans. Your lifelong commitment to art and your remarkable example of strength, care, and love continues to inspire and comfort us all.
Source: UP College of Fine Arts Facebook
