Calligraphy Exhibition—Fun and Games

Calligraphy Exhibition—Fun and Games

Several weeks ago on April 6, 2019, PCDC held an art exhibition to showcase the beautiful Chinese calligraphy done by Chinatown residents. In addition to showcasing the artwork, there were games to be played, cookies to be eaten, and fun to be had.

This is all thanks to the support from grants by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) and Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) Project Stream to bring workshops to Chinatown, to create culturally-sensitive visual art. Economically under-served minority residents in Chinatown gained exposure to the arts, and found a voice for their immigrant experiences. These types of programming are a great chance for Chinatown’s residents to come together and express themselves in creative ways.

Renowned artist Josephine Tsai lead and taught multilingual, intergenerational art and calligraphy classes to engage low-income immigrant youth, adults, and seniors to develop visual art that tells their stories of arrival and life in the city. Workshops drew an average of 10-15 students, both new and experienced artists. This was the culminating event displaying everyone’s hard work. Even if you don’t know Chinese, you can still practice Calligraphy. Calligraphy is a great way to learn Chinese and the meaning behind the characters. Every brush stroke is meaningful.