ART IN THE RIGHT PLACE

Shanghai Tang and The Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations Foundation unveilled an exhibition of drawings from a children's art competition to raise funds for children who cannot afford to attend school in China.

The art competition was hosted by Imibala which is a charity trying to raise sponsorship for upwards of 7,000 disadvantaged primary school children in its Somerset west area of the Cape, South Africa. It sponsors primary school children, paying any school fees, and buying uniforms and stationery etc. It also operates a restaurant from which any profits go to pay for the admin costs of the Sponsor-a-Child program so that 100% of the sponsor's money is spent on their chosen child. Behind the restaurant there is an art school in which many disadvantaged children are taught by volunteers in art, drama, dance, and computer lessons.

The original idea of organizing the art competition was to build on the exhibition and form a world archive of children's art, which would have been stored by Imibala. Actually the idea of art competition is initiated by Dr Harold Riley, the Founder Patron of the Lowry Gallery. Dr. Riley supports Imibala and is deeply connected to All Hallow's Roman Catholic School in Salford, Manchester, UK from which teachers came to work at Somerset West Methodist Primary School, and began to raise money in order to improve the quality of the school.

The subject chosen by Dr. Riley for this year is ‘Dogs'. Individual countries including China, UK and the US are invited to participate in the touring of the exhibition of the art pieces. The Rush Foundation of New York have been invited to send in drawings done by disadvantaged pupils taught by Meredith McNeal, in New York and the final exhibition will be at the Salford CityArt Gallery in Manchester.

As for Hong Kong and Beijing, China, the Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations Foundation which supports underprivileged children through assisting education has also been invited to participate. Two schools, the Lianshan Foshan Hope School and the Lianshan Jitian School are participating and 25 paintings from the students thereof were awarded prizes by Imibala. To promote creative minds in China and support the charity, Shanghai Tang very kindly sponsored an exhibition of some of the children's art in its Hong Kong and Beijing stores.

 

ART EXHIBITION IN HONG KONG
Images of China's creative future

From June 14 to 27, 2008, Shanghai Tang and The Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations Foundation unveilled an exhibition of drawings from a children's art competition to raise funds for children who cannot afford to attend school in China. A limited-edition notebook has been created for the occasion with proceeds going towards the education programme. The exhibition was at Shanghai Tang, Pedder Building, Pedder Street, Central.

Shanghai Tang Pedder Street flag­ship store displayed this artwork ­by nine- to 12-year-olds from the Lianshan Jiatian School and Lianshan Foshan Hope School – until June 27.

On June 14, one of the artist, Yi Yan Cui attended the opening ceremony in Hong Kong. Shanghai Tang put her art on the cover of the notebook featuring 21 of the drawings.

“My drawing refers to a folk tale from the Yau and Zhuang ethnic groups,” said Yi Yancui, 11, of Lianshan Foshan Hope School. “When I heard that the theme was dog, I thought of this story immediately.”

Yancui rendered her dog blue and the landscape purple-pink, and even included Chang'e, the Chinese folk tale princess who flew to the moon after swallowing an immortality pill.

 

ART EXHIBITION IN BEIJING

From June 5 to 7, 2008, an exhibition of some of the paintings from children of the Lianshan Foshan Hope School and Lianshan Jitian School was held at the Shanghai Tang store at the Beijing Grand Hyatt as well as at the Cao Yong International Art Gallery.