｜ Introduction｜ Staff｜ Visiting Information ｜
From the start:
The main objective of the establishment of the National Central University Art Center aims to promote the overall art cultivation on campus and around the community, and to guide the university faculties and students as well as the residents of the neighborhood to engage in any cultural activity. Therefore, the center usually works closely with other cultural institutions and groups to build up cooperation channels and invite well-known art workers and art groups domestic and overseas for exhibition and performance.
The Team of Art Affairs was established at the end of 1995 and was subordinated to the General Education System. The construction of the Exhibition Center of Chung-Cheng Library (the former Main Library) directed by the Office of Student Affairs was finished in 1996 with the assistance of Professor Wu Fang-Cheng who mapped out the site. In December 1999, School Administration Council made the final decision to name it as a secondary unit of the university. In 2002, the Ministry of Education approved the registration, and the “National Central University Art Center” was set up officially. Directors throughout the history of the center are: Professor Cheng Ti-Ching (1995-1999), Professor Cheng Wen-Yi (1999-2000), Professor Chiu Tzu-Kuan (2000-Jan. 2009.)
The Organization:
The Art Center is now under the General Teaching Center Committee, and includes one director and three assistants, who are responsible for planning and propagating cultural and art related activities and affairs. In order to put into practice such activities and affairs, the Consulting Committee of the Art Center is set up to invite art lovers and professionals on and off campus to give valuable suggestions. The propagation of cultural and art activities at the National Central University has largely connected to resources of the related units such as the Graduate Institute of Art Studies, the Center for General Education, the Division of Extracurricular Activities, the Center for the Study of Chinese Opera, the Center for the Study of Sexualities, and clubs formed by students. The university also teams up with art workers and educators, for example, Mr. Lai Chuan-Chien, Li Hsien-Wen, Ho Huai-Shuo, and Ms. Chang Yuan-Chien, for envisioning a more fruitful prospect.
For higher growth and development and to promote communication among organizations and institutions, the National Central University Art Center works toward local art and culture resource sharing. These organizations and institutions include Taoyuan County Government Cultural Affairs Bureau, Jungli Arts Hall, Chung Yuan Christian University, Yuan Ze University. Further, the University System of Taiwan, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the National Museum of History, American Institute in Taiwan, Taiwan-France Foundation for Education and Culture, and other specialized galleries are also included.
Art Exhibitions:
The National Central University Art Center hosts six exhibitions annually. Each exhibition lasts three to four weeks with approximate three thousand viewers. They are mostly faculties and students of the National Central University and people of the neighboring community, schools, and the whole Taoyuan County. The exhibitions can be divided into “curatorial exhibition” and “application / proposed exhibition.”
1.Curatorial Exhibition:
The center is responsible for the proposal of the main theme for the exhibition, or does advanced research on the exhibited artist for further arrangement and execution, hoping that all audiences be enlightened through the process of appreciating of art works. The center has been connected to the specialized resources of the Graduate Institute of Art Studies and utilizes them to provide excellent academic research and guidance information. Ukiyo-e Exhibition and Hsi Te-Chin Exhibition are successful examples.
The exhibitions cover a variety of media including oil painting, water color, acrylic, ink painting, print, eastern gouache, photography, etc. Moreover, they also cover multi-media, sculpture, pottery, design, aboriginal art, folk art. This gives viewers a chance to recognize the different facets of art.
2.Application / Proposed Exhibition:
In order to avert any possible risk that “curatorial exhibitions” directed by the center may overlook some new artists full of potential with no works exhibited in museums or private galleries yet, each academic year we make an open opportunity of one “application / proposed exhibition” to all innovative artists and provide them with assistance in application for subsidies of funds from the Council for Cultural Affairs, the National Culture and Arts Foundation, or other public and private foundations.
Performing Art:
The Art Center holds four programs of performing art annually at the auditorium and the assembly hall of the campus. These programs include performance of music, drama, dance, Chinese Opera, and Chinese Comic Dialogue with target audience of faculties and students of the National Central University and residents of the whole Taoyuan County. Art Center also introduces the Cloud Gate Dance as artists-in-residence for the general curriculum to provide students with real-life experience of dance creation, performance, and appreciation.
Symposiums and Seminars:
With every exhibition, the center puts up related lectures and seminars for?? discovering artists’ creative process and in-depth appreciation of art works. In 2000, the center hosted “The Conference on the Roles and Development of University Art Centers in Taiwan,” and invited the colleagues nationwide to discuss the roles and functions of university art centers.
Artists in Residence:
The center and the National Culture and Arts Foundation work together to invite winners of the National Award for Arts to be “artists in residence” and encourage faculties and students of the National Central University and the neighboring community to share the artists’ creative concepts, process, and achievements. The center also invites other outstanding artists for residence. Recent years, we had the painter Chang Hang-Ming and the photographer Yeh Wei-Li as artists in residence for lectures and exhibitions. The main purpose of the artist-in-residence program is to create a free learning environment. With diversified curricula, forums, exhibitions and performances, we enhance the learning and interaction between students and artists and put into practice the idea of “art taking root on campus.”
Public Art:
The Art Center initiates activities related to the public art and encourages people to participate in filling questionnaires, book exhibitions and lectures on the subject of public art. In addition to promoting the savoring of the public art pieces on campus, it as well assists with the campus landscape renovation project and the installment of the public art works.
The Acquisition Project:
Throughout the history of the Art Center, we have received generous donations of artworks from museums, private collectors, and artists. The collection includes 100 prints of ukiyo-e and several works of artists Wu Cheng-Yen, Shan Shu-Tzu, Chang Han-Ming. They are all carefully preserved in the President’s office and the storage of the Art Center with well-controlled temperature and humidity.
The Art Center is planning on setting up an acquisition appraisal commission in the future. The commissioners will be composed of professors of The Graduate Institute of Art Studies of the NCU, outstanding artists, critics, scholars and professionals. They are to provide professional advice on the purchase of the collection. The project will be able to promote the education of art and culture. Through this, the artists also feel a sense of honor. In addition, the pieces in the collection can also be viewed as the cultural property of the NCU and be utilized for the promotion of art and culture hereafter.
Publication:
We publish catalogues of the “curatorial exhibitions” to present research results of the exhibitions. These catalogues guide the viewers to experience the features and qualities of artworks. They also serve as reference materials for research and teaching in the future. In addition to the publishing of the catalogues, the center also prints free guide folders for the viewers and construct a website with abundant pictures and texts to propagate the information about the contents of the exhibitions and the performances.
Facilities:
The exhibition area is located at the first floor of Chung-Cheng Library (the former Main Library.) The building was designed by the honorable alumnus architect Cheng Chih-Kuan The exhibition room has 2664 square feet, a rectangular space with 21.22 meters in length, 9.45 meters in width, and 3.20 meters in height. It is equipped with cement walls coated with lily white lacquer, a wood fiber cement floor, chessboard track lights, central air-conditioning, security systems etc. Moreover, beside the exhibition area, there are the offices, storage, art classroom, and the reading room. We also set up a pottery studio in the Student Activity Center.
Extended Art Education:
Catering to the need of the faculties and students in the NCU and the residents of the neighboring community for a better art learning environment, the center provides excellent short-term studio classes, such as “Oil Painting Techniques” and “Chinese Color Ink Painting from Life and Nature.” This is designed to maximize the educational function of the center.
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