Cultural and Educational Insights
2023: We Meet for the First Time
Planning how to grow the relationship between SJSU and NCUE
Meeting the International Studies Department at NCUE
Taiwan is Unique
Taiwan’s uniqueness is due to its diverse and multicultural heritage, which includes influences from China, Japan, European countries, and its own indigenous cultural history. This rich history allows Taiwan to teach visual art from both Eastern and European perspectives. Taiwan is committed to maintaining the values of its cultural heritage alongside global integration and has a vibrant and thriving culture that blends the old and the new, with a variety of schools, museums, and festivals. These events highlighted for me the differences in attitudes towards art and its cultural value between Taiwan and the USA.
Student Public Artwork Transforming Land Previously Occupied by Japan (1895-1945)
National Center for Traditional Arts, Taiwan
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
Reconstructing the History of Art in Taiwan: an exhibit on the restoration of old art.
New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum
The permanent exhibitions at the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum document the history of ceramics in Taiwan. Hands-on and immersive exhibits involve the visitor in the unique and rich ceramics culture of Taiwan.
Let’s Art
I participate in an art workshop with no English.
I spent a day without translation. A local artist who spoke no English, picked me up at the hotel and took me to lunch. No one at the restaurant spoke English, so we used Google Translate to figure out the menu and to communicate. After lunch the artist drove me to Taichung (a half hour away) where we were meeting other former students of Li Yan to make gel plate monotypes. It was a new thing for all of us, plus, all directions were in Mandarin, so the demonstration was essential for me. It was a relevant experience as I was put in a similar place as students in Taiwan who have been tasked with learning English during bilingual lessons.
What I noticed about my understanding of the content was that it required me to really observe and pay attention. I picked also up cues from the other participants in the workshop. As the directions were simple, the demonstration was clear, and the project allowed for creativity I was able to manage. This workshop provided me with important information about my original theory.
