ccc newsletter january 2014

8/13/2019 CCC Newsletter January 2014

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You are invited to

2.15| ENJOY DANCE AND

ART AT THE SPRING FESTIV

2.15| CELEBRATE THEOPENI NG OF THE EXHIBITOF FONG CHUNG-RAY

5.3VISIT NAPA INSEARCH OF ROOTS

Napa

FOLLOW THE WOMEN EXHIBITION FROM

SHANGHAI TO RIO

WOMEN

SPR

20VOL.

etail from mosaic by Alan Shepp at The Hatt Mill Building in downtown Napa.


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53NapaNapa

215

112

2014

Dear Friends and Members,

Happy New Year! Please come along for an exciting intercultural and interactjourney in the Year of the Horse.

On May 3, the Him Mark Lai Learning Center invites you to join a trip to discovthe hidden history of Chinese contributions to the Napa Valley. One highlight is

mosaic that is the first public art in the country to visualize the anti-Chinese moment in the late 1800s. You can see part of the mosaic on the front cover of thnewsletter.

2014 brings exhibitions in the gallery by two pioneering artists whose work chalenges stereotypes, Fong Chung-Ray and Summer Lee. By visiting during ourSpring Festival on February 15, you can enjoy dance, performances and martiaarts performances in the auditorium, and then the Opening Reception for the FChung-Ray exhibition in the Gallery.

This summer, your children can enroll in CCC s first Mandarin Summer Camp elementary school students, produced in partnership with Language Alive. In th

camp, your kids will enjoy learning Mandarin througharts & crafts, drama, and magic.

We welcome you on a journey of intercultural discov-ery and engagement. Art and culture create conver-sations that dissolve racial and gender preconcep-tions, and help us to envision a multi-cultural and justsociety. Thank you for your support, and we hope tosee you soon.

Mabel S. Teng

The Chinese Culture Founda-tion is pleased to announcethe election of Sherman Tangas 2014 President of our Board

of Directors. Sherman is awell-known community leader,having recently advised the 1882Project that successfully securedpassage of two resolutions inthe 112th Congress expressingregret for the Chinese ExclusionLaws. He joined the Board morethan 4 years ago, and has aprofound interest in Chinese artsand cultural activities.

2014 is an exciting year for theFoundation, with the Him MarkLai Learning Center expandingits educational activities and ourart exhibitions making interna-tional impact. I feel privileged tobe part of the Foundation.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS MESSAGE

President of the Board of Directors

Sherman Tang


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We would like to convey our deepest gratitude for your contributions. Our mostsincere appreciation for outgoing President Gin Y. Ho and Co-chairs Helen Y.H. Hui and Minna Tao for their steadfast leadership. Special thanks are dueto Susan C. Tom and Esther Li for their generosity and momentous efforts inorganizing Harmony & Bliss for the last three years. To Shannon Yip, thank youfor organizing the Spring Dance. To Vice Presidents Thomas J. Klitgaard, JonasB. Miller, Dennis A. Lee and Shannon Yip, the Foundation couldnt achieve our

success without your wise counsel.

Praise is due to both Tatwina Lee and Mei Lam for their exceptional effort withC-cubed, Friends of the Foundation.

The Chinese Culture Foundation is dedicated to sparking intercultural discoverythrough art, education and engagement. We greatly appreciate all your effortand guidance. You are true champions for the Community!

A SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO THE LEADERSH IP

2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gin Y. Ho, Co-chair

Minna Tao, Co-chair

Sherman Tang, President

Shannon Yip, Executive VPThomas J. Klitgaard, Esq., VP

Dennis A. Lee, Esq., VP

Jonas B. Miller, VP

Warren Seeto, VP

Susan C. Tom, Secretary

Esther Li, Treasurer

Ben Choi

Helen Y. H. Hui, Esq.

Ryan Lee

Maggie MuiColin C. Wong

Garry Wong

Cecilia Sze

Mabel S. Teng, Executive Dire

Abby Chen, Artistic Director &Curator

Darin Ow-Wing, Director ofEducation and Engagement

Francis Wong, Special ProjectManager

Jenny Leung, Program &Exhibition Manager

Gharrity McNett, ExecutiveAssistant & Facility Manager

Colin Chan, Program & OutreAssociate

Yu Sheng, Design Associate

Shudao Zhang, Program &Administrative Assistant

Yun Yuan Zhou, Contractor

INTRODUCING THE 2

BOARD OF DIRECTO

STAFF

DONATION FORM

Be a Cultural Ambassador! Join CCC and donate today!

Make Checks Payable to the Chinese Culture Foundation. Mail to: 750 Kearny St. 3rd Floor,

San Francisco, CA 94108

Name :

Address :

City / State / Zip: / /

Email : Phone :

For credit card options, please call Gharrity McNett, 415-986-1822, x31.

Your contribution is tax-deductible and will go toward community programs.

I would like my donation to go toward:

Him Mark Lai Learning Center-to encourage learning and youth engagement

Art- to spark intercultural discovery and support the most innovative artists

Community events-to benefit Chinatown

All of the above

Join as a Member. 3-year support $105, 2 year support $70, 1 year support $40.


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Chinatown Tours

DYNASTY TO

DEMOCRACY OR

TALE OF TWO CITIES

We offer two tours to choose from:

Democracy focuses on history;Two Cities focuses on culture. Weguarantee that both tours providefascinating new insights into the life,art, history, and contributions of Chi-natown to America. Over 4,000 stu-dents and visitors participate everyyear. Private groups and schools areboth welcome. Scholarships avail-able. Please contact us to schedulea tour.

4000

Roots California Educational Tour

DISCOVER CHINESE

HISTORY IN NAPA

VALLEY!

Napa Valley produces some of the

best wines in the world, yet very fewpeople are aware that Chinese builtmuch of Napas original agriculturalinfrastructure.

Tour and wine tasting at BeringerVineyards

View artwork about the history ofNapa Valley

Visit the Old Bale Mill

MAY 3

Depart 9:00 am from CCC.Return 6:30 pm$99 per person includestransportation, wine tasting & tour.Cost of lunch separate

:

Beringer150

19

19

539

630

$99

DOORWAYS TO EXPERIENCECHINESE AMERICAN HISTORY

HIM MARK LAI LEARNING CENTER PRESENTS

THE HIM MARK LAI LEARNING CENTER was founded at the Chinese Culture

Foundation by Mrs. Laura Lai and Dr. Rolland and Kathryn Lowe, with support

from Tatwina and Richard Lee. Him Mark pioneered the study of Chinese Ameri-

can history and served on the Board of Directors for the Chinese Culture Foun-

dation. Along with his wife Laura, he documented not only what happened to

Chinese Americans, but also gave voice to their experiences and what they did to

resist, thrive, and contribute to America.

The Old Bale Mill in Napa


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Abby has been on staff since 2006 with more than 10 years of experience curating visual arts, film, and performing arts programs. Sheleads the Foundations artistic vision and planning, including exhibitpublic art, collection, publication, and strategic partnerships. Duringher 7-year tenure, Abby helped to shape the CCFs unique curato-rial positioning, which highlights the art making process, and providechannels to emerging and mid-career artists of Chinese descent livin the U.S. Under her leadership, the organizations visual art progra

have expanded in scope and breadth into an open yet focused plat-form that encourages imagination and risk-taking.

30

2010

2006

CCF

Im excited and honored to facilitate the development of the new HMark Lai Learning Center, and hope to continue Him Marks legacy giving voice to the Chinese American community.

Darin Ow-Wing has 30 years of experience in youth development aeducation in Chinatown. He joined the Board of Directors of CCF in2010, assisting in program development. He transitioned to staff in2012 in order to help establish the Him Mark Lai Learning Center.

TEAM FOCUS

20

Manni Liu has over 20 years experience curating Asian Art. A formeexecutive director at the Chinese Culture Foundation, Manni bringswealth of history and understanding about the Foundations directio

and vision.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Ecuador, Liu speaks Cantonese,English, and Spanish. She received her B.A. in Art History from theUniversity of California at Los Angeles and her M.A. in Art History aMuseum Studies from University of Southern California.

Become a cultural ambassador! Please contact [email protected] to voluntee

Abby ChenArtistic Director and Curator

Darin Ow-WingDirector of Education

and Engagement

Manni LiuGuest Curator


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WOMEN :INTRODUCING FEMINIST ART WORKS FROMSHANGHAI TO MIAMI WO MEN

CCC ARTS GO GLOBAL

MOTHGOES MADRID AND

RIO DE JANEIRO

WOMEN

MANDARIN

SUMMER CAMP

...instead of suggesting that Chinese feminist art is out there we hope to underscore that it isover here too; and thereby encourage viewers to have an active relationship with the works as

deeply connected to a range of geographiesincluding the ones in which they reside.

Alpesh Kantilal Patel (Curator: Miami Beach Urban Studios)

The WOMEN, exhibition curated by the CCF beganas the first-ever gathering of feminist and LGBT art-work in China. Bringing much needed attention to LGBT

issues and activism in China, it was first presented inShanghai in 2011. In 2012, WOMENtraveled to SanFrancisco, where artists from diverse communities wereincorporated into the exhibition, signifying the breadth ofthe movement across multiple cultures. The success andgrowth of this exhibition from art to movement contin-ues in Miami, where more artists have joined the exhibi-tion. The CCF is proud to lead this international traveling

exhibition in support of global feminist and LGBT com-munities, and to bring greater awareness across borders

WOMEN20112013

Miami Beach Urban Studio WOMEN

Moth will appear at the Diversity in Animation Festival inRio de Janeiro in February 2014. Moth is a film animationabout gender by the artist Muxi that was first shown in theWOMENexhibition in Shanghai and the CCC Gallery in2012. Shortly thereafter, it was selected to show at Frameline

in San Francisco, the longest running LGBT film festival in theworld. After a tremendously positive reception at Frameline,the LesGaiCineMad Festival selected Moth for showing inMadrid in October 2013. CCF is proud to have been a conduitfor sharing WOMENand the LGBT experience in Chinawith friends across the world.

WOMENWOMEN FramelineLGBT

Diversity in Animation

Enjoy learning Mandarinby acting in skits, creatingart, and learning magic.Our play-based curriculumallows kids to have funlearning Mandarin.

CCC MANDARINSUMMER CAMP

July 14-25

9:00am-3:00pmExtended care availableAges 6 to 10$235 / wk

At the Chinese Culture Center750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor

San Francisco

INFORMATION REGISTRATION

www.c-c-c.org/[email protected]

415-986-1822. x32

Moth by Muxi, 2011


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Recently some colleagues from the Chinese CultureCenter and I visited Fong Chung-ray in Walnut Creek,California. While the sweltering outdoor temperature read101 degrees Fahrenheit, Fong entertained us in the cool-ness of his studio with stories of his life as an artist andthe trajectory his art took that made him one of the most

prominent figures of modern Chinese art. In spite of thehot weather that day, Fong at 79 years of age, exudedharmony and serenity as he spoke -- temperament thatcan found reflected in many of his paintings. His studiohoused many paintings that were created within the lastfew years. This vast number of new artwork is a testi-mony of Fongs ceaseless need to create art and of hisconstant search for artistic expressions that bring satis-faction to his creativity. His long career began in Taiwanand continued when he immigrated with his family to SanFrancisco in 1975.

Born in 1934 in Henan, China, Fong Chung-Ray spenthis childhood years in periods of turmoil marked firstby the Japanese invasion of China and later by the warbetween the Nationalists and the Communists. In 1949,Fong joined the Nationalist Army as a cadet and leftChina for Taiwan with a group of young friends. In 1952,

he enrolled in the Art Department of the Political StaffCollege in Taipei (renamed Political Warfare College in1970) and began studying art and painting from nature.However, Fong soon found that painting realistic depic-tions from nature was not satisfying; he felt the need tocreate something from within rather than from without.This belief further developed after he became acquaintedwith Western abstract art from books and magazines heencountered at the library, and from reproductions hesaw at the U.S. Information Services Center in Taipei.

Fong Chung-Rays importance in the history of Chinesemodernism lies in his relentless pursuit of a new visuallanguage that combines Chinese and Western sensibili-ties in abstract forms. Unlike many other Chinese artistsin the 1950s and 1960s who continued the traditional ink-and-brush renditions of landscapes and birds-and-flow-ers imbued with personal variations, Fong together withmembers of the Four Seas Art Association and later theFifth Moon Painting Society, sought to introduce a newvisual vocabulary that focused on revelation rather thanrepresentation. In Fongs paintings, thoughts and feelings

FONG CHUNG-RAA MASTER WITHIN THE

CONTINUUM OF CON-

TEMPORARY CHINESE A

byManni Liu, Guest CuratorSAN FRANCISC O, JU LY 2013

Fong Chung-Rays importance in the

history of Chinese modernism lies in

his relentless pursuit of a new visual

language that combines Chinese andWestern sensibilities in abstract forms.

ROCKEFELLER RECIPIENT

COMES TO SAN FRANCIS


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are abstracted and expressed through layers of paints,shapes and lines. Not content with what he saw at thetime in Taiwan, Fong abandoned realistic depictions ofthe material world and embraced abstract art to conveyhis inner world.

The paintings in this exhibition are recent works createdby the artist in the last two to three years. We can safely

say that this body of work embodies Fongs mature style.Chinese ink, acrylic, and collage are now combined toproduce a rich textured effect.

Never afraid of borrowing from tradition but freely keep-ing the spirit of abstraction, Fong frequently uses Chinesecalligraphy in his paintings. It has been pointed out re-peatedly by scholars and artists that Chinese calligraphyin itself is a high form of abstract art. Who can refute thisstatement when looking at the crazy draft script (kuangcaoshu) of countless Chinese calligraphers throughoutthe long history of Chinese art? Fongs calligraphy canbe at times fluid and elegant when drawn with a brush,and at times blunt and pictographical when etched witha sharp tool. The calligraphy can be poems from ancient

times or excerpts from Buddhist sutras. Combined withcolor gradations and textured layers, Fong successfullyblends a much beloved traditional Chinese art form, thatof calligraphy, with the spirit of Western abstraction.

His later paintings also feature a technique Fong startedusing in the 1990s. He would apply acrylic onto thinsheets of plastic, these sheets would be crumbled to cre-

ate unpredictable patterns, and these patterns in turn aretransferred onto the paper or canvas. The patterns oftenproduce a rhythmic vitality in its purest abstract form.From a distance, the subtle hues of brown, blue, greenand violet juxtaposes serenity with energy.

In the grand context of Chinese modernist art, FongChung-ray undeniably has an essential role in shaping itsdirection. One can find in many younger Chinese artists,who dabble in combining traditional Chinese art formswith Western techniques, noticeable influence from Fongwhether they like to admit it or not. Having made his marin the continuum of contemporary Chinese painting, FongChung-rays spirit of experimentation continues to flour-ish. We look forward to his next body of creative work.

79

1934

19491952

(1970)

90

Open from Feb 15 to May 31 @ the CCC Gallery | Tues - Sat 10am to 4pm at 750 Kearny, 3F | Free Admissio

215531 104 7503


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@CCCSANFRANCISCO

. . / WWW.CCC.ORG

KEARNY STREET, RD FLOOR

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

OUR MISSION The Chinese CultureFoundation (CCF) was founded in1965 with

the mission to spark intercultural discoverythrough art, education and engagement.

S P R I N G F E S T I V A L

. 11AM-3PM

EXHIBITION OPENING

Pioneering Artist

PERFORMERS

Chinese Dance

Martial Arts

Ballet

Modern Dance

and more

FREE

ADMISSION

:

750 Kearny St, 3F, San Francisco

SATURDAY

The Chinese Culture Center invites you and your familyto celebrate the Year of the Horse

FONG CHUNG-RAY:BETWEEN MODERN

& CONTEMPORARY

......

215, 113 750,

hina Dance Theatre

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PAID

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ccc newsletter january 2014

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