TRAVEL | Pinto Art Museum: For art, food, OOTDs, and selfies

The roof deck of one of Pinto Art Museum's several buildings.

Everyone's probably been to Pinto Art Museum already, or heard of it at least. But because I'm such a lazy driver and I dread the traffic going to Antipolo, it took me forever to finally decide on making that trip.

Pinto, (pronounced pin-TÔ, as in door) of course, is primarily intended to be a venue for showcasing art. But its idyllic setting along an expansive, tree-covered, hilly terrain, coupled with its white arched buildings, landscaping, and layout in general, has made it more than just about art. It has now become a destination for the Instagram and selfie-loving lot.

Marker by the entrance to the museum grounds.

The museum grounds
I can't blame them because it really is a nice place. I myself had several photos of me taken, clad in a blousy checkered shirt. I used them for an outfit post on this blog. But whatever people's reasons for coming are--art or not--they're bringing in good business to Pinto.

What's funny, though, is the museum's long list of rules. For instance, no backpacks are allowed on the museum grounds, so you have to deposit them at a station by the entrance. Also, no changing of clothes. I think they don't want people sneaking in multiple outfits and doing guerrilla photo shoots because, of course, they charge separately for that.

Doesn't look like a museum at all, does it?

Art lies behind those white walls.

Honestly I'm confused if this is a chapel or not.

Arches everywhere.

The museum has plenty of spots for your #ootd posts.

Thirsty?

Lovely arches everywhere.

Nice plants, too.

Picturesque spots abound at Pinto.

A brain? A bunch of isaw? I don't know.

Yes, they have a pool but I don't know who gets to swim here given that changing of clothes is not allowed. 😜

The art
Lest we forget that this is a museum, Pinto has several interconnected galleries housing all forms of contemporary art: paintings, sculptures, mixed media, and installations. Some works are familiar to me because I've come across other works from the artists concerned at art fairs. There's also a dedicated area for indigenous art, along with a shop. [I'll write about the artworks in a separate post soon.]

Check out: ART | Appreciating contemporary art at Pinto Art Museum

FYI, none of the galleries are air-conditioned, so pace yourself when you're here. And bring water. I just wonder, though, how the heat and humidity will impact the artwork, particularly the paintings.

They come in all sorts of sizes, these paintings.

I was impressed by a couple of pieces here.

Yeah, everyone's having their photos taken. Zoom in and you'll get a good glimpse of what I mean.

The Pinto Academy of Arts & Sciences
In a gated section of the compound stands The Pinto Academy of Arts & Sciences for Healing & Wholeness. Having opened only in February 2016, it's a fairly new addition to the complex. I've read that it's a center that aims to promote wholeness of mind, body, and spirit in an emerging discipline called neuroaesthetics. It supposedly has an indoor theater, an ampitheater, a library, and more although I don't know how to get in and really, what to expect.

A glimpse of The Pinto Academy of Arts & Sciences from the other side of the fence.

Dining
Walking around the expansive compound can make you hungry and thirsty. Good thing they have a restaurant called Café Rizal. Characterized by white walls and arches, the ambiance is consistent with the rest of the buildings there. There's also no air conditioning.

There are two sites actually: one that's close to the museum entrance and another smaller one nestled between the galleries down the hill.

Arches and white walls.

A bar sits by one of the restaurant's entry points.

I haven't had the chance to take photos of the menu but I remember it being several pages, which can be overwhelming, especially for a first-timer. The menu is a mishmash of different cuisines. There's soup, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and mains like baked salmon, chicken curry, pork humba, bagnet, ribs, and steak. They even have a variety of sushi, cocktails, and beers.

We ordered their wild mushroom bisque (Php 165), which was just okay. I thought the shrimp was way too weak here. 

We also had the Da Vinci Pizza (Php 395), an oval-shaped thin crust pizza topped sparingly with shrimp, spinach cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke. Even though they weren't quite generous with the toppings, I must say that it was still a pretty good pizza.

Another dish where they scrimped on the ingredients but which still turned out fairly okay was their Mediterranean pasta (Php 395). It had a slight heat to it that I liked.

I also enjoyed their tamarind shake (Php 115), which had just the right balance of sweet and sour. Coffee was also good, and so was the chocolate cake thingy that I had (forgot the name).

In terms of service, however, they weren't the most efficient. Our food took too long to arrive and the waiters weren't very attentive at all.

This place was really packed during lunch time.

Café Rizal's Da Vinci pizza and Mediterranean pasta.

Forgot what this cake was called. It was good but the presentation was hideous. It looked like a kid squirted catsup on the plate.

Café Rizal's annex, which sits in between the galleries down the hill.

In hindsight
Art lover or not, I think Pinto Art Museum is worth your while. It's a pretty place to begin with, a destination where one can either check artworks out, take a gazillion photos and selfies, or simply take a leisurely stroll and admire the surrounding beauty. And though there's much left to be desired of the cafe, at least you can take comfort in the fact that you have a place to eat or enjoy some drinks if ever.

There are quite a few of these beds scattered throughout the museum grounds. This kitty has laid claim to one, and he can't be bothered.

GETTING THERE

There are jeepneys and UV Express vehicles near Farmer's Market in Cubao and in Shaw Boulevard (across Shangri-La Plaza, I think) that ply the Antipolo route. Take one that's going to Antipolo-Simbahan (church). 

Once there, get a tricycle and tell the driver to drop you off at Pinto Art Museum at Grand Heights Subdivision. Pinto is near the village entrance. Make a right on the first corner.

If driving, just use Google Maps like we did.

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Pinto Art Museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9am to 6pm (10:30am to 6pm for the cafe).

Entrance fee is at Php 200, Php 180 for senior citizens and PWDs, and Php 100 for students. Packages for photo shoots are also available. Just call +6326871015 and look for Jenny Villanueva.

facebook.com/Pinto-Art-Museum-281376918562097/

The moon rises over Antipolo.

Now caption this:

👀