New Partnership Between Pew Fellowships and Artist Residencies

aac — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:06:28 -0500

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is pleased to announce that a group of recent Pew Fellows will take sojourns outside of the Philadelphia area next year for residencies that will push their artistic practice and expand their horizons.

The China Trip: Final Goodbyes

ashort — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:57:16 -0500

The weekend went by in a flash. It was spent catching up on last minute visits and saying final goodbyes before leaving to go back to the US. By the time my departure rolled around, I was sad to be leaving but also excited to return home to see my family and friends. A highlight from the weekend was the stroll Ed and I took in a park near my hotel. The park was beautifully landscaped and filled with people.

The China Trip: 3 Shadows, UCCA, Hua Tie Times Art Museum

ashort — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:51:01 -0500

David and Wayne returned to Beijing on Thursday and we made plans to meet up Friday morning at Three Shadows Photography Art Centre on the outskirts of Beijing. In addition to being a photography gallery and resource, it also operates an artist-in-residence program. The buildings were designed by Ai Wei Wei, who has a studio nearby, and are characterized by their grey brick facades. The exterior walls are studded with small cubbyholes that make convenient spots to place a votive or build a bird's nest.

NEA Awards $1.6 Million to Artist Residency Programs

aac — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:13:14 -0500

The National Endowment for the Arts announced today its most recent round of grants, awarding $22.5 Million to 863 organizations and individual fellows nationwide. More than $1.6 Million will support creative residency programs – artist communities, colonies, and residencies that provide artists of any discipline with dedicated time and space for the development of new work.

The China Trip: Platform China, Galerie Urs Miele, and Photographer Chen Changfen

ashort — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:05:23 -0500

Thursday I met up with Ed and introduced him to my friend Tashi. She was interested in showing him her photography and film projects; and had questions about residency programs in the US. We ate lunch together and then the three of us went on a site visit of Platform China, which runs a gallery and international residency in the Caochangdi Art District in Beijing.

The China Trip: Philip Tinari

ashort — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:33:35 -0500

The following morning, we met with Phil Tinari - the incoming director at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art - for breakfast. He is a critic and curator based in Beijing and has an excellent knowledge of the contemporary art scene in China. It was a great exchange of ideas - one in particular was especially useful in formulating a new approach to our intended project. Instead of a two-way exchange, he suggested bringing a group of young, up-and-coming American artists to China to participate in a residency and exhibition.

The China Trip: Red Gate, Peking University, & the US Embassy

ashort — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:42:14 -0500

Our first meeting was at Red Gate Gallery, which is a gallery and international residency program. Founder/director Brian Wallace has been involved in the Beijing arts scene for a number of years and provided us with an experienced, insiders view. Also attending the meeting was the new residency director Tang Zehui. She had attended the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and spoke excellent English. Both she and Brian were wonderful resources about residency programs in China.

The China Trip: Agenda Planning

ashort — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:56:50 -0500

I said my goodbyes to Songzhuang and my generous hosts Xinxin and Xuewu. For the remainder of my trip, I would be staying in Beijing. I had plans to get together with David Fraher and Wayne Lawson on Sunday night and to review a busy weeklong agenda of meetings and site visits. David had mined his contacts and set up a series of high-level meetings. Over soup bowls filled with fresh vegetables and hand-pulled noodles, we discussed our strategy for the week. There was some shared skepticism about the feasibility of our original exchange idea.

The China Trip: Artist Liu Xuguang

ashort — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:16:56 -0500

Liu Xuguang, an artist, as well as vice-director of the Fine Arts Department and director of the New Media Art Lab at the Beijing Film Academy, agreed to meet with me and show me his studio. We arranged to get together at his office at the Academy. Liu studied in Japan and lived there for a number of years. It was interesting listening to him talk about his art and philosophy. He was greatly influenced by traditional Japanese and Chinese art traditions, but interpreted them in a contemporary and abstract style.

The China Trip: Studio Visits, Calligraphy Lesson

ashort — Wed, 9 Nov 2011 19:45:51 -0500

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.