Bulletin Vol. 8 No. 7 Feb 1972

Prof. Chiang Yee, Visiting Professor of Fine Arts Prof. Chiang Yee, Professor of Chinese at Columbia University, arrived to assume duty in January 1972. He is teaching theory and practice of Chinese art at New Asia College. Prof. Chiang graduated with a B.Sc. degree from the National South-Eastern University, and taught Chemistry at National Chi-nan University. He was Lecturer in Chinese at the School of Oriental Studies, London University, from 1935 to 1938 and was i n charge of the Chinese Section at Wellcome Historical Medical Museum fro m 1938 to 1940. He was invited in 1942 to design the decor and costumes for the Sadler's Wells Ballet, “The Birds” . He has been Curator of Chinese Ethnology of Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, since 1956 and has served as Ralph Waldo Emerson Fellow in Poetr y at Harvard University, Member of the Sub-committee on the New Art Centre for the University of Virginia and Senior Specialist of the East-West Center. Prof. Chiang is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Prof. Chiang's publications are many, including a dozen travel books and the following: Chinese Calligraphy, Chinpao and the Giant Panda, Chinese Painting, The Chinese Eye, The Story of Ming, The Men of the Burma Road and Chinese Ch'an Poetry. During Prof. Chiang's stay in Hong Kong, he will give the following three public lectures: • The Chinese Eye (18th April, University o f Hong Kong) • The Principle and Technique of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting (16th May, The Roya l Asiatic Society) • The Future Development of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting (20th May, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) An exhibition of Prof. Chiang's calligraphy and painting will be hel d in the City Hall from 29th to 31st May. Besides giving public lectures and holding exhibitions, Professor Chiang is actively involved in the work of the Institute of Chinese Studies. VICE-CHANCELLOR OPENS EXHIBITION OF THE HONG KONG ARTS CENTRE The Hong Kong Arts Centre held a ceremony to commemorate its first Publi c Exhibition on 10th January in the Bank of America, St. George's Building, Hong Kong. Dr. Choh-Ming Li, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Honorary Patron of the Centre, officiated at the ceremony. The Exhibition, held from 10th January to 11th February , featured a selection of landscape paintings by Mr. Huang Chu-su, a Chinese classical landscape painter. Attending the opening ceremon y were H.E. the Governor Sir Murray MacLehose and Lady MacLehose, a number of Consuls-General and government officials, members of the Hong Kong Arts Centre and many prominent leaders of the community. Dr. Choh-Ming Li's Speech When I first heard that a serious attempt was being made t o establish an Arts Centre in Hong Kong it was through a small booklet distributed in 1969. One short paragraph in it caught my attention. It read: “Hong Kong is therefore overwhelmingly Chinese: and it has, and wil l have for some years to come, a very large member of youn g people. There are probably few places in the world where a strong effort to set better cultural standards and ways would seem to offer the possibility of such a major return. At the moment that strong effort does not appear to be present.” My first comment tonight is that, despite all the difficulties, that strong effort is now clearly being made and is producing results. And on behalf of all of us I want to thank the promoters and supporters of the Hong Kong Arts Centre for persisting in their efforts and getting the project this far. When I read the booklet in 1969 however my first reaction was to say "Well, thank goodness there are people who can see Hong Kong for what it really is.” Hong Kong is a large, very lively, quite remarkably cosmopolitan city whic h is also overwhelmingly Chinese. And the promoters made it clear that it is therefore — there is nothing coincidental about it — it is therefore a 授敎彝蔣 Prof. Chiang Yee - 3 -