Learn about St. Malo and the Art Nelson Left Behind in 2026!

BELONGINGS

A Collection of Things Nelson Left Behind

Welcome to an exhibit that explores an immigrant's life and the things he treasured.

What stories do they tell of their owner and his sense of identity?

Let's start with portmanteau of the word

BELONGINGS

Belong - Things

Ownership of items that define one's identity

Be - Longing

An intense, prolonged yearning

Be - Long - Things

Possessions that take up space and/or last a long time

Opening night will include Filipino food, Filipino American Association of Greater Columbia dancers and musicians, short speeches by Nelson's neighbor Maria, Heather Potter Assistant Director of the South Caroliniana Library on preserving family history, and the curator and assistant curator on creating the exhibit.

Introduction

Nelson Baldemor

Nelson Baldemor of Danville, Virginia, was a Filipino American whose life was tragically cut short in a hit-and-run accident in 2021. While few public details about his personal or professional life are known, his legacy endures through the belongings he left behind. Collected by his neighbor, Maria Lourdes Pérez Muñiz, these items he treasured include a mother’s autobiography, letters, a dress, a photograph album, early 20th-century photographs of the Philippines by a news photographer, and works by his cousin, the renowned Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor.

Nelson carefully maintained these pieces as symbols of family pride and as tangible connections to the Philippines, his country of origin. Together, they offer a deeply personal narrative that extends into the broader Filipino diasporic experience. Through these intimate traces of one life, the BELONGINGS exhibition explores memory, heritage, and the enduring power of art to convey stories beyond absence.

You are invited to reflect on what endures, what is remembered, and how personal and cultural histories intersect through the objects we leave behind.

Part I. Bayanihan: The Spirit of the Good Neighbor

Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity—helping a neighbor carry their burden without expecting a reward.

Rooted in the Filipino words bayan (community) and bayani (hero), this value is traditionally symbolized by neighbors volunteering to lift a family's nipa hut and move it to a new location. It teaches that no load is too heavy when carried by the many. In this exhibit, we celebrate the Bayanihan spirit found in the USA, where a neighbor stepped in to carry the weight of a legacy that was nearly lost.

Maria Lourdes Pérez Muñiz

Following Nelson Baldemor’s sudden passing in 2021, there were no next of kin to claim his belongings. The police found a phone number on the desk of his house and called Maria Lourdes Pérez Muñiz, Nelson’s Puerto Rican neighbor. Maria embodied the Bayanihan spirit by salvaging boxes of photos, letters, and art, hoping they would find meaning beyond loss. Just as villagers carry a physical house to safety, Maria carried the "house" of Nelson’s memory to someone she thought could make good use of the items.

Belongings as a Vessel of Memory

After a Filipino cultural event in Columbia, South Carolina in May 2025, Chiara Cox was approached by Muñiz, carrying a small bundle of artwork once belonging to Baldemor. Muñiz, now a resident of South Carolina, hoped Nelson's belongings would one day find meaning beyond loss. Months later, Cox felt compelled to organize, frame, and photograph the works in that bundle. She shared some of her progress with Muñiz whose quick reply was “Today is Nelson’s birthday.”

What started as a simple act of preservation transformed into something deeper.

Today, these belongings pay homage to Nelson's Filipino American story and the exhibit explores an immigrant's memory, identity, and connection. We are all invited to consider how stories continue to unfold long after their subjects have passed and how, through belongings, we remain linked across cultures, generations, and time.

Visitor Activity: Building the Bahay Kubo Station

Bayanihan is traditionally symbolized by an entire village volunteering to lift and carry a neighbor's house to safety. In this exhibition, we celebrate how Nelson's neighbor, Maria, carried the "house" of his memory to ensure his story was not lost to time.

The Prompt:

"Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity—helping a neighbor carry their burden without expecting a reward."

1. Take a bamboo slat (or piece of paper).

2. Write down a short note answering one of these prompts:

A time a neighbor or stranger helped you carry a heavy burden.
An act of quiet service you recently performed for someone else without expecting anything in return.

3. Pin your slat (or paper) into the empty frame of our community bahay kubo.

4. Watch as our collective acts of care slowly weave together to build a strong, completed home.

5. Help us watch our own community tapestry of Bayanihan grow by posting on social media using #BayanihanBelongingsProject

Belongings is an exhibit rooted in this Bayanihan spirit.

Part II. Kapwa: The Shared Inner Self

Kapwa means 'I am who I am connected to.' It is the recognition that we are not separate from one another.

In Filipino psychology, Kapwa is the core value of "shared identity." It bridges the gap between Ibang-tao (outsider) and Hindi ibang-tao (one of us). It asks us to treat others not as strangers, but as extensions of ourselves. In this gallery, we explore how two people —separated by background and profession—found their Kapwa through the memory of a distant land.

Dr. Anita Baldemor

Nelson's mother was a well-known community leader and psychiatrist based in Danville, VA. Together with her family, she moved to the USA from the Philippines.

Robert Dempsey DeHart

Once an American news photographer based in the Philippines, he later worked as a security guard at Dr. Baldemor's workplace in Danville, Virginia.

The DeHart-Baldemor Connection

A centerpiece of the collection is a series of untitled, black-and-white photographs from the first half of the 20th century. These images were gifted to Nelson’s mother in 1978 by DeHart. These photographs represent a cross-cultural appreciation of the Philippines and serves as a tangible connection to Baldemor's country of origin.

The Photographs

Once a private family treasure, these photographs are now a public resource showing a specific time and place in Philippine history.

Visual Timeline: A Century of Connection

• Early 1900s (The Philippines): Robert Dempsey DeHart documents the Philippines as a news photographer, capturing images of "Church/Mass," "Markets," and daily rituals.

• 1921 (Manila): Anita Baldemor is born in Santa Ana, Manila.

• 1978 (Danville, VA): The Intersection. DeHart, now a security guard, gifts his photographs and a personal letter to Dr. Anita Baldemor.

• 1978–2021 (The Home): Nelson Baldemor carefully maintains the photos as "tangible connections" to his heritage and family pride.

• 2025 (The Rescue): Maria Lourdes Pérez Muñiz (a neighbor) recognizes the value of the collection, extending the chain of Kapwa to a new generation.

Visitor Activity: The Connection Board

Interactive Prompt: Kapwa teaches us that we find ourselves in others. Robert DeHart connected with Dr. Baldemor through photographs of her home country. How have you connected with someone unexpectedly? Think about a time you found a surprising connection with a stranger or someone from a different background.

Instructions:

1. Take or share a photo of an object that reminds you of this special person.

2. Upload the photo on your social media pages with a brief note about a time you found a surprising connection with a stranger or someone from a different background.

3. Help us weave our own community tapestry of Kapwa by using #KapwaBelongingsProject

Belongings is an exhibit rooted in the Kapwa spirit.

Autobiography by Dr. Anita Baldemor (Nelson's Mother)Filipino, born in Sta. Ana, Manila, Philippines, b. 1921-?document8.5" x 11"
Letter by Robert Dempsey DeHart to Dr. Anita Baldemor (Nelson's Mother)American, Danville, Virginia, 1919-1992document8.5" x 11"

The Photographer Dempsey DeHart's letter to Dr. Anita Baldemor, Nelson's Mother

The Guard and the Doctor In 1978, at a workplace in Danville, Virginia.

• The Guard: Robert Dempsey DeHart (1919–1992), an American who worked as a security guard.

• The Doctor: Dr. Anita Baldemor (b. 1921), a Filipino immigrant and practicing physician.

Though their roles were different, DeHart recognized a shared history with Nelson's mother, Dr. Baldemor. He had previously been a news photographer in the Philippines during the first half of the 20th century. By gifting her his personal archive of 8" x 10" black-and-white photographs, he shared a glimpse into his own world, recognizing that his past was part of her identity. This act was Kapwa in motion—a recognition that despite their differences, they were connected by a shared love of the Philippines.

These images allowed Dr. Baldemor and her son, Nelson, to see the Philippines and their culture through DeHart’s eyes.

Robert Dempsey DeHart

American, Danville, Virginia, 1919-1992

Untitled, first half of the 20th century

Black and white photographs of the Philippines

8" x 10"

Given by the photographer to Dr. Anita Baldemor in 1978.

Part III. Pasalubong: Homecoming Gifts

Pasalubong is a tradition where a traveler brings gifts to family and friends

to strengthen bonds and share the experience of their journey.

Pasalubong is a way to say 'I was away, but I remembered you.'

In Filipino culture, no traveler returns empty-handed. The tradition of pasalubong, a homecoming gift, is more than a souvenir; it is a tangible sign of thoughtfulness that says, "I was away, but I remembered you." While typical pasalubong might include sweets, the gifts Manuel Baldemor gave to his family in Virginia were far more enduring: he brought them the "rhythms and textures" of the homeland itself.

For Nelson and Dr. Anita Baldemor, living in the quiet of Danville, Virginia, these artworks served as the ultimate pasalubong, a way to bridge the distance between the immigrant life and their heritage. By viewing these works as gifts of home, we understand why Nelson treasured and carefully maintained them. They were not just decorations or a reflection on cultural memory or an expression of family pride; they were most importantly the embrace of a cousin who returned to them, again and again, through his art.

Manuel Baldemor

Manuel Baldemor (b. 1947) is a celebrated Filipino painter, sculptor, printmaker, writer, and book illustrator whose work has become emblematic of Filipino artistic identity. Known for his distinctive stylized forms, vibrant colors, and geometric compositions, Baldemor often draws on the rhythms and textures of rural Philippine life, capturing scenes of everyday work, festivals, landscapes, and community gatherings. His art celebrates the Filipino people, their resilience, warmth, and deep connections to family, tradition, and homeland, while also addressing universal themes of memory, belonging, and human experience. Over decades, his work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, earning recognition for its unique ability to blend personal narrative with collective cultural memory.

Baldemor has been a contributing artist for UNICEF Cards for almost 20 years, introducing the world to the beauty of the Philippines and the colors of its people. Here are some of the cards from Manuel's own correspondences to his family that Nelson collected.

Visitor Activity: The "Pasalubong" Postcard Station

Just as Manuel Baldemor used his art to bring the "rhythms and textures" of the Philippines to his family in Virginia, you are welcome to select an image from the gallery to "bring home" metaphorically to someone you love.

The Prompt:

"Pasalubong is a way to say 'I was away, but I remembered you.'"

Manuel Baldemor gave these artworks to his family as pasalubong—gifts to bridge the distance between them.

Take a screenshot or photo of an image in the collection that reminds you of someone you love.
Upload to your social media platforms, tag a friend(s) and write a note to tell them why this image was important to you and why it reminded you of home and/or your friendships.
Help us weave our own community tapestry of Pasalubong by using #PasalubongBelongingsProject

Belongings is an exhibit rooted in the spirit of Pasalubong.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

colored photograph

3.5" x 5"

This photograph of the celebrated Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor was cherished by his cousin.

Manuel Baldemor Exhibit Poster, Books and UNICEF Cards

Baldemor has had numerous shows at the Philippine Center in New York City. Here is a link to his most recent show in 2015.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

UNICEF Cards

different measurements

Used as personal Christmas correspondences through the years by the artist and his wife to their Baldemor cousins.

A Christmas card that Nelson drew himself in 1997 included a bahay kubo, a traditional Filipino hut, set on a beach as the centerpiece. Despite years in the USA, Christmas seemed to have evoked memories of the Philippines for Nelson.

Manuel Baldemor Prints

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Cañao Dance, 1983

handsigned and dated

artist proof etching in original frame by artist

10" x 10"

The Cañao, or Kanyaw, is a traditional festival of the Igorot peoples of Benguet in the Cordillera Mountains of Northern Luzon. It is a thanksgiving ritual offering pigs, chickens, cows, or carabaos to their deity, Kabunyan. Music, dance, and communal feasting mark the celebration. In this etching, a couple dances at the center, wrapped in handwoven textiles, as gong players and onlookers gather against the backdrop of the mountains—a vivid portrayal of unity, rhythm, and reverence.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Food on the Roof, 1983

handsigned and dated

artist proof etching in original frame by artist

10" x 10"

This etching depicts families gathered inside their bahay kubo, traditional houses made of bamboo and palm leaves. In the center, an array of dishes and clay pots is spread across the rooftops, forming a grand communal meal. The scene celebrates the Filipino tradition of shared meals, a symbol of family connection, abundance, and gratitude.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Jeepney, 1983

handsigned and dated

artist proof etching in original frame by artist

10" x 10"

A symbol of Filipino ingenuity and identity, the Jeepney was born from surplus U.S. military jeeps left after World War II. Transformed into brightly decorated vehicles with parallel benches for passengers, they became both practical and expressive works of art. Today, Jeepneys remain the most popular, and iconic, form of public transportation in the Philippines.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Good Harvest, 1983

handsigned and dated

artist proof etching in original frame by artist

10" x 10"

In this print, women in the foreground hull rice, while a kerosene lamp illuminates a dish of fish beside them. Behind, a mother and child gaze from the window of their bahay kubo, a traditional home made of bamboo and palm leaves. The scene celebrates the abundance of daily life, reflecting the deep cultural importance of rice and fish, essential sustenance and enduring symbols of Filipino resilience and community.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Harvestime, 1983

handsigned and dated

etching 26/32

14 3/4" x 17"

This print depicts families in their bahay kubo, traditional houses made of bamboo and palm leaves, engaged in various stages of planting and harvesting. At the center stands a fruit-bearing tree surrounded by villagers gathering its bounty. The scene symbolizes the communal effort of nourishing a barangay, or village, reflecting the spirit of cooperation that sustains Filipino life.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Lambingan Bridge, 1983

handsigned and dated

etching 25/32

14 3/4" x 17"

In Tagalog, lambing means the act of showing affection or tenderness, while lambingan refers to the warmth shared between two people. At the center of this print is the Lambingan Bridge, connecting two sides of a lakeside village. Around it, families fish, cook, share meals, and rest together, simple gestures of love woven into daily life. The bridge becomes a symbol of connection and affection, reflecting the central place of love and togetherness in Filipino culture.

Manuel Baldemor Paintings

Note a brass band painting similar to the one in this exhibit in the photograph behind Manuel Baldemor, his wife, and grandchild.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Untitled, 1986

mixed media in original frame by artist

18.5" x 16"

This painting depicts a Filipino brass band, with musicians dressed in colorful shirts, sombreros, and handkerchiefs. Brass bands became a beloved feature of Philippine towns, evolving from Spanish colonial military ensembles into vibrant local traditions. Originally trained by Spanish military musicians, Filipino performers later formed their own community groups that played European, American, and local music. By the early 20th century, these bands had become the heartbeat of civic life, performing at religious festivals and parade. The scene celebrates music as a unifying force in Filipino culture, blending colonial influences with local creativity and joy.

Manuel Baldemor

Filipino, born in Paete, Laguna, Philippines, b. 1947

Untitled, 1986

mixed media in original frame by artist

18.5" x 16"

The carabao, or domestic water buffalo, is a national symbol of the Philippines, representing strength, perseverance, and the hardworking spirit of its people. The carabao is vital in rural life, providing farmer's with power, milk, and meat. In this painting, however, the animals are shown at rest, swimming and grazing peacefully in fields, offering a rare, tender glimpse of tranquility. This signed work was a birthday gift from the artist to Dr. Anita Baldemor, the mother of Nelson.

Activities

The objects we choose to keep reflect what we hold dear.

Resources

Exhibit Statement

Belongings

Premiering Fall 2026 | Richland Library Main, Assembly Street, Columbia, South Carolina
In Celebration of Filipino American History Month

What do we leave behind when we are gone, and what stories do our belongings tell in our absence?

Belongings is a humanistic exhibition that explores the immigrant life of Nelson Baldemor, a Filipino-American resident of Danville, Virginia, whose life was suddenly cut short in 2021. Having no next of kin, Nelson’s things were saved by a caring neighbor, Maria Lourdes Pérez Muñiz. Now a resident of Columbia, South Carolina, Muñiz passed these to Chiara Cox, a local Filipino American cultural advocate who transformed Baldemor’s treasured personal belongings into this exhibit of an immigrant’s memory.

The exhibition's title plays with the portmanteau of the word Belongings:

Belong-Things: ownership of items that define one’s identity.
Be-Longing: an intense, prolonged yearning.
Be-Long-Things: possessions that take up space and/or last a long time.

Through primary documents, photographs, and original artwork, Belongings invites us to look closely at the remnants of a single life. In doing so, we discover the universal principles of community, resilience, and care that Filipino Americans weave into the local fabric of the neighborhoods they call home.

The exhibit invites you to reflect: What is remembered, what endures, and how do our own stories intersect through the objects we choose to keep?

Historical and Sociological Significance

The collection provides rare primary source material for the study of 20th-century Filipino-American life:

• The DeHart Archive: Includes 8" x 10" black-and-white photographs of the Philippines from the early 1900s and personal correspondence from photographer Robert Dempsey DeHart.

• Biographical Records: An 8.5" x 11" autobiography by Dr. Anita Baldemor (b. 1921), offering a firsthand account of a Filipino professional's life in the United States.

• Artistic Merit: Original works by Manuel Baldemor, providing a connection to significant contemporary Philippine art.

Provenance and Preservation

The collection's provenance is fully documented, originating from the home of Nelson Baldemor in Danville, Virginia, and preserved by Maria Lourdes Pérez Muñiz. This transition from "left behind" items to a curated exhibit explores themes of absence, heritage, and what endures through the objects we treasure.

The artist Manuel Baldemor also approved of the exhibit and text on this website.

Technical Specifications

• Primary Documents: Autobiography (8.5" x 11"), Correspondence (8.5" x 11").

• Photographic Media: 8" x 10" silver gelatin or news-print style photographs.

• Curatorial History: Proven public interest with premiering exhibit in 2026.

Lead curator: Chiara Cox

Chiara Cox a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural leader who serves as the curator and organizer of the "Belongings Project" exhibition. Guided by her Filipino heritage, she dedicates her career to amplifying Filipino voices, producing events and managing curated collections that travel throughout the Southeastern United States to educate audiences on cultural pride and the preservation of indigenous craftsmanship. As the curator for this specific collection, Cox decided to transform an unexpected encounter with salvaged belongings into an homage to the Filipino diasporic experience and explore how art endures as a "vessel for memory, identity, and connection" specifically in regards to the immigrant experience. To elevate the exhibit beyond a simple display of artifacts, she chose to highlight the humanistic Filipino values of Bayanihan (communal unity), Kapwa (shared identity) and Pasalubong (homecoming gift). Visitors are then invited to reflect on what is remembered and how our personal and cultural histories intersect through the objects we leave behind.

Assistant Curator: Car Aldana

Car Aldana is an art historian and multidisciplinary artist from Florida committed to inspiring and connecting people through creativity, visibility, and education. His art historical interests include contemporary and Asian art, especially through lenses of decoloniality and ecocriticism. His writing can be found on the mapping website Baroque Without Boundaries where he highlighted the Philippines’s role in the global transculturation of the early modern era. His artwork, which has been exhibited in Florida and Ohio and published in Fruitslice, explores themes of gender, ecology, and time.

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