The opening ceremony of the Printmaking Tour Exhibition of the Belt and Road - Western New Blood for Printmaking was held at the lobby of the Library of Yunnan Arts University at 9:00 a.m. on May 28, 2019. This exhibition aims to develop the Belt and Road-themed culture and art, improve the creativity and research ability of young print-makers, pool the important new forces of art, and promote the exchanges and development of ethnic culture in the western region. The attendees at the site include printmaking experts from all over the country, representatives of teachers and students from colleges and universities in Yunnan Province and representatives of exhibitors.
In recent years, Yunnan Arts University has actively participated in the application and implementation of China National Arts Fund projects, with many good results. The number and fund of approved projects in Yunnan Arts University account for one-third of the total in Yunnan. It is the well-deserved backbone of Yunnan Province in applying for China National Arts Fund projects. Ma Yunhua, head of Yunnan Provincial Research Institute for Ethnic Arts and director of Yunnan Management Leading Group of China National Arts Fund, mentioned the above in his opening speech.
Hao Ping, deputy director of Print Art Committee of China Artists Association, extended warm congratulations on the opening. The Print Art Committee of China Artists Association will continue to play a professional and leading role in academic guidance, evaluation and selection of works and talent recommendation, and it will continue to cooperate with the regions and colleges and universities in serving the public, studying, and professional training to jointly create a bright future for Chinese printmaking, he stressed.
Zhang Ming, project leader and professor of Yunnan Arts University, introduced the exhibition. Culture is a major driver in the development of the Belt and Road. This event stimulates the creative enthusiasm of young print-makers, promotes exchanges and cooperation among the western regions involving in printmaking, and establishes ties with the "Western High-end Printmaking Talent Training" project. In addition, it integrates the human resources from the past printmaking talent training projects, demonstrating a cultural spirit featuring "mutual cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes".
The Printmaking Tour Exhibition of the Belt and Road·Western New Blood for Printmaking is a communication and promotion project applied by Yunnan Arts University and approved by China National Arts Fund in 2019. This tour exhibition has four stops. The first stop is Yunnan Arts University where the opening ceremony was held on May 28, followed by MOCA Yinchuan, Qinghai Art Museum and Art Museum of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Academic seminars will also be held.
The exhibition has received more than 600 pieces of works, and 176 pieces of works have been shortlisted after two rounds of evaluation by domestic experts. The exhibition works feature the distinct themes, abundant content, various forms and time-honored atmosphere. They also have the distinctive features of culture in the western region, reflecting the keen observation and rich emotion of the young print-makers in the western region.
