Local Filipino artist illustrates depictions for a WWII documentary that tells the stories of Filipino veterans

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

“I was not a fan of moving,” said Cruzado, who felt he was established in his career as an advertising executive.

His wife convinced him to try the US for two years, then if it didn’t work, they would move back. “We were struggling for about five to six years,” shared Cruzado. “I was moving from one job to another because I wanted to get back into the creative industry.”

His first job in the US was working in a visual effects studio, but it only last five months, after it closed and relocated to Canada. Then, he dabbled in retail, selling print ad space for churches. That job lasted about five years, but didn’t appeal to his creative side. During that time, Cruzado freelanced for art galleries in the San Diego area, including: La Bodega Gallery, Hive Gallery, Thumbprint Gallery, and Art Hatch.

Filipino illustrator Nonie Cruzado, 40, created about 20 illustrations to make the film, A Long March, seamless.

“Nonie is a consummate professional and creatively, he is like a twin brain for me,” said TS Botkin, producer and director of A Long March. “He intuitively gets where I am going and when we need to tweak things, he is always accommodating. I cannot imagine a better person to work with.”

Cruzado created 11 scenes for plates in A Long March. The scenes filled in the Filipino perspective of WWII that were not found in old photos and reels. His work also represented one of the veterans, who was added to the film posthumously.

“His art became seamless as it tied stories together with recovered WWII art and black and white footage,” Botkin said.

Joining the Team | Film producer and director T. S. Botkin reached out to her colleague Benito Bautista, an independent Filipino filmmaker, for an artist to help with illustrations for her documentary. Bautista, who had previously met Cruzado through their work at the San Diego Filipino Cinema, introduced the Colorado artist to Botkin for the collaboration.

Cruzado expressed his delight in meeting Botkin. After reviewing Botkin’s direction, his sketching felt easy and familiar. Cruzado said: “I felt like I had known her for a while, because we connected right away.”

Immigration Story | Born and raised in the Philippines, Cruzado moved to California in 2014, settling in San Diego for nine years. His wife’s parents petitioned his family of four to pursue the American Dream.

Colorado Bound | A career opportunity opened for Cruzado, and he moved his family to Erie, Colo. He noted that moving teenagers was a struggle, especially since San Diego and Erie are worlds apart. But his sons have been slowly adapting. “It’s a struggle because they feel alone and don’t feel connected,” said Cruzado, admitting the boys are probably the only students of color in their high school.

His day job is working for a motion graphics company called Gaia, a streaming movie platform. The Louisville based company focuses on spirituality and yoga.

Future Projects | Because of his boys’ isolation, he is hoping to embark on projects to make a difference. “I want to make ourselves visible, so the next generation, and hopefully my children won’t feel so different,” he said.

Cruzado worked with Denver’s Office of Storytelling on the Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown documentary. He worked on the graphics, poster design and animation of the introduction.

Other projects include a graphics novel partnership with Botkin. Botkin drafted and outlined a story, exploring imperialism and its impacts.

Cruzado is converting the initial script into a graphic novel, like comic books. The graphic novel is set in the 16th century, at the collision of the Old and New Worlds, told through the perspective of a Lenape boy (Eastern Woodland Indian).

“Because the Philippines was met with the same form of imperialist domination at the hands of Magellan on the other side of the world, Nonie read my script and immediately connected,” Botkin said. “The story of the ravages of these stories is universal for people of color, so it felt natural to work with Nonie on this project.”

Artist style | Cruzado creates the main base with sketches in pencil or ink on paper. He works on oil and acrylics but enjoys line work. While graphic design and animation were his entry to an art career, he wants to build his fine art expertise.

“I like the boldness and try to incorporate into my digital work through drawing, scanning and applying the effects,” he said. “The art is big sketch drawing, so it feels like ‘unfinished’ work but that’s my intention.”

His inspiration and influential artists include: René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Albrecht Dürer, Jean Rustin, Cj Tanedo, James Jean, and Kent William.

“I love the whimsy of his work, juxtaposed against the darkness we all feel internally,” Botkin said. “I don’t get a sense of dread, but I do feel the clash of our light and darkness in his work, and the struggle it is to be human.”

Hobbies | Cruzado loves nature, and it shows in his art. He and his family have taken up hiking to explore Colorado. As a father of two boys (16 and 13 years old), he spends time with them through martial arts. He also still dabbles in painting and enjoys reading.

Curious about his work? Follow him Nonie Cruzado on Instagram @artof_cruzado. Learn more about the documentary A Long March by visiting lfffilm.com.

Community vigil honors the victims of California shootings

On Feb. 8, community members gathered at the Denver Botanic Gardens for a vigil in honor of the lives lost during the mass shootings at Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay in California (at the start of Lunar New Year).

Strings trio, led by Joy Yamaguchi, played classical music throughout the event. Organizers Sara Moore and Joie Ha welcomed guests and said aloud the names of the victims and held a moment of silence. Attendees added white carnation flowers and LED candle lights to the memorial and noted the importance of holding this shared space for collective healing.

Mr. Jia An Zhu and Ms. He Fang Zong performed Jiao Ji Wu, a Chinese Blues Ballroom Dance, in memory of the Asian seniors at Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park. Afterward, attendees were invited to learn the ballroom dance as they provided simple instructions on how to do the four-step dance.

Organizers included Colorado Dragon Boat, CORE, Asian Pacific Development Center, Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Sakura Foundation, and many more!

Nathan Yip Foundation celebrates 21 years at their annual Chinese New Year Party

On Feb. 4, the Nathan Yip Foundation hosted their annual Chinese New Year Celebration at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver. The organization celebrated its 21st anniversary by introducing its incoming Board President Alan Frosh, and thanking Jon Olafson for his service and contributions as outgoing President.

Guests enjoyed Chinese traditions including a colorful lion dance, a family style salad toss, and a night market that featured Chinese calligrapher Harber Chang and palm reader Jason Chen. The evening was infused with Cuban and Latino flavor and flair, including live music by the Colorado Mambo Orchestra. This year’s event chairs were Dr. Raul Murciano and Vivian Murciano, and the event was emceed again by long-time friend of the foundation, Denver7’s Anne Trujillo.

Proceeds from the fundraising gala helps the Nathan Yip Foundation to support rural Colorado schools. Learn more at: nathanyipfoundation.org.