The next day, Xuewu offered to take me around to meet some of the local artists in Songzhuang. Our first stop was at the home of a well-known calligrapher and brush artist.The three of us had tea together in his studio and the conversation ranged from craft, to Steve Jobs, to Kandinsky, to cartoons. He even offered to let me try my hand at his ancient art. He copied several characters with a fluid ease and when my turn came, I was surprised by how much strength was needed to move the brush. After the demonstration, he took us to dinner with his wife and Xinxin accompanying us. We ate at a restaurant owned by a Chinese/North Korean couple. The proprietress had a pretty voice and I caught snippets of it from the kitchen as she sang to herself. The food was flavorful and I recognized several of the dishes from Korean restaurants back in states.

When we returned to the Studio, Xuewu took me upstairs to meet with several contemporary artists that rent space in his building. We sat down with them for tea to discuss the domestic market for Chinese contemporary art. I was hoping to use the conversation as a way to gain some insight into how artists - particularly those that practice contemporary art - are able to support themselves. It is a relatively new market, but one that seems to be gaining in popularity especially among the new rich. The artists I met, like many in Songzhuang, came from hometowns in the interior of the country. They rented studio space in the village for part of the season, taking advantage of its proximity to Beijing and its bustling arts scene, and then returned to their homes when the weather turned cold.

Xuewu updated his blog with photos from our travels together. You can visit it at blog.artintern.net.