How are you? Have you had a good week and weekend?

My travel in America has past for more than a half. It seems like the God is looking after me so that there are some good news for you:

Since Oct 26, I have gotten 3 offers and signed 1 contract. Three organizations would like to hold art exhibitions for me in Springfield, MO, USA in 2014 and in 2015; one art shop has decided to sell my art works. Meanwhile in China, I got an order from Beijing Nov 2, 2013: to paint a big size (200cm x 280cm – 78.74 inches x 136.31 inches) Chinese Gongbi painting for a building.

These mean: After re-studying ( I learned painting from my childhood, but stopped for years) painting for 11 years ( as a part time student for 8 years and a full time student for 3 years), my art work is starting to go into the market and commercial running.
Plus writing books and create DVD with music, translation and paintings, I will have a busy and fulfilling latter part of my life.

Even though now, I am not sure whether I can meet the balance between my work and the benefit, I will not care for the immediate interests, but cherish my luck, try to do my best to offer something best for my target users.

With a grateful heart, I would really like to thank my first art teachers in America and in China, my first sponsors of art exhibition in Springfield, MO, USA, all my 45 professors, tutors in China Centre Academy of Fine Arts and in Chinese National Academy of Arts in Beijing, more than 10 doctors in 5 hospitals in Shenzhen , my work partners, former bosses, friends, family members and more than 11,000 registered readers on my web site. If there were no their good education, directions, help and support, there would not be my today. :-)

With so many appreciations, on the First Friday Art Walk of Springfield, MO, Nov 1, 2013, by the good help and driving of my former classmate of Missouri State University, Mr. Zhu Bin (he is on the 8th photo), whom I met casually in a church since Oct 19, I went to Springfield Regional Art Council that was my first sponsor of art exhibition in 2009, to see Ms. Stephanie Cramer(she is on the second and third photos), the Director of Programs and Exhibitions, who had checked and chose my paintings, arranged all of things before and during the art exhibition, included demonstrations and workshops in the local public schools and at their art center. Then in 2010, with Ms. Leah Hamilton (the Executive Director of Springfield Regional Art Council) together, she arranged me to take part in the Artfest in May, then I had an opportunity to meet more than 200 American Artists and offered 14 Chinese art demonstrations for the local teenagers. Excitedly, we had a good talking together. As a so lucky person, I would get the good help from Ms. Stephanie Cramer again.

With the same appreciations, I will go to Springfield Area Camber of Commerce that was another first sponsor of my art exhibition in 2009, to interview Mr. Brad Bodenhausen, the Executive Vice President of the C of C and to say Thank You to him face to face next week.

Also, I will go to visit Ms. Leah Hamilton, the Director of Arts Administration of Duruy University, and the former Executive Director of the Springfield Regional Art Council and the sponsor of my first art exhibition in USA. She had not only given me the first opportunity to display my art works in the US, but also, she chaired the opening ceremony of my art exhibition in person. Since then, my long-term art dream was true and since there, I started my cross-culture and comprehensive art road.

Except the old friends, I would also like to thank my new friends:

-- Mrs. Kat Allie (she is on the 1st and 7th photo), the Department Chair of Fine Arts and Humanities, and the Manager of Fine Art Gallery at Ozarks Technical Community College, with so kind personality, she agreed to meet me in her office after I called her gallery to find the leader of it; then she decided to hold an art exhibition for me in their beautiful art gallery in the Downtown of Springfield in 2014 and she would like to connect the Springfield Regional Art Council to do something together during my art exhibition; with a resolute and prompt work style, she has started to choose a space and to think of how to hang up my paintings. Also, by her good directions, I have seen one of the best art galleries in the city. What a lucky student I am! To be able to have an opportunity to meet a so nice professional artist, art educator and a manager who has so good-sight on Chinese arts and can understand my art works so much…

- Ms. Kim Flores(she is on the 4th photo, in the middle), the Manager of Brentwood Branch Library and Ms. Peggy (she is on the 4th photo) who is in charge of the First Friday Art Walk of their library. With the heart to try, I wrote to Ms. Kim Flores on Oct 24, within for about 10 minutes, I got her responding. She had delivered my letter to Miss Peggy and Miss Cassie, let them make a judgment whether they can have a cooperation with me. Her so efficiency work style did give me so much confidence, so, carrying my new book and DVD and a part of my painting works, I went to their library to have a visit Oct 26, 2013. Ms. Peggy checked my works, and Ms. Kim Flores met me. Then on Sunday, I got a quite positive responding from Ms. Kim Flores: “ I'm sure we can work something out so that we can display your beautiful art at the Park Central Branch Library and perhaps do a class... ” What a lucky person I am to meet so nice people who know the values in my art creation with their far-insight.

-- Ms. Meganne Rosen O’neal and Laura Provance (she is on the 5th photo)who are the owners of Arts and Letter in Downtown, they were the first artists I met and the first art shop I entered in since I started my marketing work in person, they were quite interested in my painting and they asked me to give them 2 paintings to sell in their shop in soon, except they would like to hold an art exhibition for me in 2015, they welcomed me to join them to teach Chinese language with my music, poetry and paintings since they are teaching French, Italian and Latin now.

You can see all the photos with the big size via the link

Especially, I would like to thank Dr. Jessica Gerard , the Lead Instructor for History of Ozarks Technical Community College for she recommended me to Mr. Kat Allie, to thank Mrs. Hing Wah Hatch, for she introduced me to know Dr. Jessica Gerard in 2010.

Also, I would like to thank my former and current 2,300 American Students and their teachers, their passion on Chinese poems, paintings and music, really encouraged me to study, think and create while to fight with the sickness.

An interesting thing was: knowing I will go back Chinese soon, 4 Chinese students of Missouri State University did not satisfy to have one Chinese painting class each week, but they wanted me to offer them two classes one week. My answer was: Yes, as long as you wanted, I would be happy to help you free... :- )

When I wrote here, I could not help thinking of the direction of Professor Man Weiqi, the Executive Vice Dean of Chinese Painting School of Chinese National Academy of Arts and my Art Advisor of the series books: “ You should find a place as your own base, this place should be able to give you passion and inspiration, lets you want to paint and work as soon as you reach there, then you go there to paint and to work at least once one year, to develop yourself and your create job from there...” I am thinking, since every day, as soon as I go out of the door, I am very delighted, for I feel that I am just going in a beautiful picture with the clear blue sky; white, blue or gray houses; green, yellow and red trees; especially the friendly and polite people in Springfield, so that I cannot help taking out of my camera to take photos ( here, I do not think I need not go to the park, whole of the city is just a big park), and I often feel this small city is just like a wonderland that is covered by the sunshine of the God, which is also one of the few places that has still kept the pure and original American culture...

Maybe here is just the place that my professor mentioned " Base "of mine? :- )

So, after coming to the US 5 times, going to 30 education or art organizations, touching thousands of students and hundreds of artists, when my friends advised me to go to the Western or Eastern Coast, to go to the big cities there are million Chinese there to develop my project, I said NO.

My idea is: If I can develop my project in Springfield Area, Missouri State, I will do it here; if I cannot develop it here, I will go to Sydney, to have a reunion with my family member in Australia. I will not go to any the other place to re-start again. After all, here, in Springfield Area, I have had more than 100 friends, and there is a good work foundation here already. Via the First Friday Art Walks and my own experience in person, I do feel, there is a potential group of target users on Chinese Culture, Arts and Language.

There is no a ready Chinese art market here is a bad thing and a good thing, the good hand is: it has given me a big room to create, and to open a new Chinese art market. Why should I just be a market follower, instead a market exploiter?

So, now, my dream is to create the first Studio (or the other name) of Chinese Arts in Springfield, become the first Chinese Artist with professional training of Springfield, with what I have been studying, researching, exploring and creating under the good help and support of the local people, to return and to service the kind people of Springfield and Missouri State, then to work among America, Australia and China.

Anyway, I know, any dream can not be true with empty talk, but relies on the work down to earth, so, this week, at the same time to fight with the stomach-ache very often, I have painted two small size paintings on the small table of my bath room in its bright light, taught my students to paint Chinese paintings, to read and sing their second Chinese poem, interviewed Prof. Pace (he is on the 6th photo) in Missouri State University, visited art galleries, attended Sunday Service and Since Oct 5, I have read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans and 1 Corinthians of Bible...

The future will be bright, the road will be certainly winding, I will try to do my best...

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?


Shirley Yiping Zhang
Nov 4, 2013