“We are honored to bring together such a distinguished group of Chinese curators and New York arts leaders in dialogue around shared curatorial experiences” – Michael L. Royce
In partnership with the Academy of Literary and Art, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (ALAC), the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) will lead an intensive 2-month program for 20 Chinese curators for mutual learning between Chinese curators and prominent New York-based arts funders, galleries, and institutions starting in late October. Curators will attend site visits and private panels followed by month-long educational residencies at ten arts organizations, concluding with two weeks of curatorial mentorship to prepare proposals for exhibitions to be shown in China. The program is funded by the China National Arts Fund (CNAF).
“As NYFA’s mission is to support artists and arts professionals, we are honored to bring together such a distinguished group of Chinese curators and New York arts leaders in dialogue around shared curatorial experiences so they can implement lessons learned from the program in their respective institutions and cultural communities,” says NYFA’s Executive Director Michael L. Royce about the program.
“This program has been in preparation for more than one year, and all the 20 curators are selected through four rounds of tests nationwide. We believe it’ll be valuable, as well as a good chance to enhance mutual understandings and art communications between curators in China and New York,” says Executive President Fu Yixuan of ALAC.
The program starts with site visits to 19 institutions including the Rauschenberg Foundation, Guggenheim Museum, Christie’s, the Brooklyn Museum and Pace Gallery. The schedule includes two private panels with lawyers from Entertainment Arts & Sports Law Section (EASL), the New York State Bar Association, and curators from UNTITLED Art Fair Miami Beach, the Lodge Gallery, and El Museo del Barrio.
Ten leading New York City-based organizations including the NARS Foundation, the Queens Museum and the Japan Society will host the participating Chinese curators for month long residencies. The Chinese curators will work closely with each institution’s curatorial staff and engage in creative collaborations.
Director of Exhibitions at hosting organization Independent Curators International (ICI) Alaina Claire Feldman states that “this partnership will strengthen a shared commitment to best practices and deepen an understanding of the nuances of artistic and curatorial work in the contemporary field.”
In the final component of the program, the Chinese curators will work on their individual exhibition proposals with the guidance from two NYC-based curator mentors, Micaela Giovannotti and Nina Horisaki-Christens.
“An exhibition is a window to reflect the innovation and thinking of a society and human beings,” says program participant LIU Zheng, Vice Chairman of Liaoning Provincial Young Photographer Association. She continues to highlight that the program, “provides us with a great opportunity to better communicate with international curators to share and exchange our findings about exhibition curation.”
Chinese Curators List (Ordered Alphabetically by Last Name):
Cai Meng, China Central Academy of Fine Arts
Chu Chu, Guangxi Museum of Nationalities
Deng Yan, Tsinghua University
Feng Shi, Sichuan Art Museum
Gu Chenlin, Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles
Guo Jing, Shangtuf Image & Art Club
He Guiyan, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute
Li Chen, Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles
Liu Libin, China Central Academy of Fine Arts
Liu Yuchi, Hunan Provincial Museum
Liu Zheng, Liaoning Provincial Young Photographer Association
Qiu Wei, Yunnan Provincial Museum
Ren Yue, Renmin University of China
Su Yuezhuo, China Photographers Association
Sun Feng, China Arts and Entertainment Group
Sun Miao, The Palace Museum
Wei Xiangqi, National Art Museum of China
Ye Ying, Sichuan Art Museum
Yu Yini, Ningbo Painting Academy
Zu Yu, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications
Partnering Organizations:
Asia Society
Bronx Museum of the Arts
Brooklyn Arts Council
Brooklyn Museum
Center for Book Arts
Christie’s
Creative Time
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts
Friends of the High Line
Guggenheim Museum
Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center
Independent Curators International
James Cohan Gallery
Japan Society
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museum of Modern Art
NARS Foundation
New Inc.
New Museum
New York Academy of Art
No Longer Empty
Pace Gallery
Public Art Fund
Queens Museum
Rauschenberg Foundation
Residency Unlimited
SculptureCenter
Sean Kelly Gallery
Triangle Arts Association
The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) was founded in 1971 to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Each year we award $650,000 in cash grants to individual artists in all artistic disciplines. Our fiscal sponsorship program is one of the oldest and most reputable in the country and helps artists and organizations raise and manage an average of $4 million annually. Our Learning programs provide thousands of artists with professional development training and support, and our website, NYFA.org, received over 1.2 million visitors last year and has information about more than 12,000 opportunities and resources available to artists in all disciplines.
Academy of Literary and Art, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (ALAC)
Established in 1996 and renamed in late 2011, Academy of Literary and Art, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (ALAC) is a professional organization for artists, training, research, and overseas communications. Up to now, ALAC has built up a training system with unique characteristics, which can be classified into five categories as training for ALAC cadre and national professional art associations, young and middle-aged artists, national artists, artists of national minorities, and international training. (http://rxreviewz.com/)
This program is part of NYFA Learning, which includes professional development for artists, the Immigrant Artist Program and Programs in Asia. Sign up for NYFA’s free bi-weekly newsletter to receive updates on future programs.
Image: Queens Museum, photo credit: Xian Yunqiang, President of Liaoning province Photographers Association, China
