China’s Celebrated Sculptor, Master Ye Yushan

You are invited to attend the historic Dedication Ceremonies for the sculpture titled "Lantern Light" by celebrated Chinese sculptor Ye Yushan. The ceremony is Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at 11:00 a.m., on the Washburn University campus, northwest corner of Henderson Learning Center, in the 1900 block of Jewel. This formal dedication ceremony will be attended by representatives of the U.S. and Chinese Consulates as well as leaders of the Topeka community and the State of Kansas. We hope you will honor Topeka with your presence at this very special event for our city and the arts.
 

"Lantern Light", created by Master Ye Yushan, is one of four sculptures given as a gift to the United States celebrating 30 years of peace and friendship between China and the U.S. Other sculptures were placed in Washington D.C., Atlanta, GA and Newark, NJ.

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Master Ye was born in June 1935 in Deyang City, Sichuan Province. For his undergraduate degree he attended the Sculpture Department of Sischuan Institute of Fine Arts. In 1962, Ye completed his first major work—the seated white marble statue of Chairman Mao in Tiananmen Square. This piece led to commissions for public monuments throughout China.

To further his studies, he obtained his Master’s degree from the Sculpture Department of Central Institute of Fine Arts in 1963. During the 40 years that followed, a total of more than 100 prestigious sculptures have been completed and displayed in Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangzhou, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Xinjiang, Changchun, Heilongjiang and many other provinces and cities. The size of those works range from life size to more than 100 feet tall.

In 1965, Ye directed the creation of “The Rent Collection Courtyard.” (pictured left) A timeless piece, studied in art history books today, this six panel display reveals the misery and political strife of human oppression.  With over one hundred clay figures depicting the fierce class struggle between the Chinese peasants and the ruling feudal landlords prior to the socialist revolution.  The work was a milestone for peasant representation throughout China, giving the people a unique voice caught in time and never forgotten.

In 1978, he returned to the Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts to be appointed as a professor and vice president of the academy. In 1983, he served as the president and dean. Ye left his job at the Academy of Fine Arts of the Sichuan in 1994 and built a studio on Mount Muma, in the southern suburbs of Chengdu.  This forest covered mountain, encircled by the Baishui River proved to be an art inspiring Eden for Ye. Eventually, the Gallery of Art Ye Yushan was founded which was the first private gallery of sculpture in China. The gallery promotes international artistic exchanges which is aided by Ye’s appointments of several government posts including the Department of culture Arts Commission Director, Sichuan Assistant Chairman of U.S. relations, the National Arts Council Executive Director of Urban Sculpture, and the Eighth National People’s Congressional Representative.

World Sculpture Park in Changchun, capital of Jilin province, opened in 2004 and contains both traditional landscape gardens and modern sculptures. The theme of the park is “Friendship, Spring and Peace”, (pictured right) reflected in a 23.5-m high monument designed by famed sculptors Ye Yushan, Pan He, Cheng Yunxian, Wang Keqing and Cao Chunsheng. The centerpiece sculpture won the award of “Outstanding Sculpture” at the 3rd National Exhibition of Urban Sculpture Construction. The park and the museum now have a collection of 439 pieces of sculptures made by 395 well-known sculptors from 212 countries around the world.

On the national level in China, Ye’s additional outstanding contributions include monumental sculpture “Ge Le Mountain Soldier’s Memorial” (collaborated project, pictured right), “The Vast Land”, “Four Seasons”, “Independence – Freedom”, “Liberation – Construction”, and “Du Fu”. These sculptures have all received honorary national awards. Several published literary works include “Ye Yushan Sculpture Collections”, “Ge Le Mountain Soldier’s Memorial”, “Ye Yushan’s New Sculpture Projects”, and “Ye Yushan’s Greatest Sulptures”. Ye has repeatedly traveled to Germany, India, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, United States, Italy, France and Russia for foreign study and learning exchanges.

Internationally his works include “Friendly Ocean”, placed in Toronto City Hall in Canada and “A Toast to the Moon—a statue depicting of Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai”, displayed in Seattle Washington’s Chinese Garden and “Chinese Lantern Light” (pictured left) to be dedicated at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas on June 15, 2010.


Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

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Offer Ends August 15, 2010 _________________________________________________

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100. 

"Gates of Peace" by Kwan WuChina-United States 30 Year Anniversary Relationship

On May 16, Kwan Wu's 15 ft sculpture "The Gate of Peace" unveiled in Guangzhou of China along with "Kwan Wu Sculpture Exhibition Hall" had an opening ceremony where 70 pieces of Kwan's work is permanently on display in the10 thousand square foot hall. This was another dedication in the "China-United States 30 Year Anniversary Relationship Art and Culture Exchange Campaign" project and Topeka is one of four U.S. Cities to be honored with a gift of sculpture. Kwan played an important role in bringing the sculpture "Lantern Light" by celebrated Chinese sculptor Ye Yeshan to Topeka.


SouthWind Gallery has enjoyed many years of bringing Kwan's work to our patrons in Northeast Kansas. We have hosted several one man shows of his work and regularly carry his work. Many of the pieces permanently on display in the new Exhibition Hall has also graced the walls here at SouthWind Gallery. We are truely excited about Kwan's recognition as a worldwide artist as well as our involvement in being able to bring one of the pieces to Topeka.

One of his most unique abilities is to produce a life size bust of a sitting model in about an hour. Pictured left, Charles Haude, Executive Director of the Johnson Atelier Sculpture Foundation poses after he sat for his own bust. Kwan has displayed this talent several times at SouthWind Gallery even creating a bust of Washburn University's Dr. Farley in 2007 and most recently in late 2009 he did a private commission here at the gallery during a First Friday Art Walk. (See a short video featuring this unique talent on our Facebook Page.) Among his other achievements are "The Bill of Rights", a 14-foot bronze monument at the Federal Courthouse in Kansas City was one of his first. Since then, many commissions have followed including the twelve life-sized bronze baseball players for the National Negro League Baseball Museum; the nine-foot statue of Phog Allen at the University of Kansas; a life-sized sculpture of George Brett at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City; and the Children of the Trails memorial in the Johnson County Courthouse Square in Olathe, Kansas.

The" Gate of Peace" (unveiling pictured above)  is one of the eight sculptures created for the "China-United States 30 Year Anniversary Relationship Art and Culture Exchange Campaign" project. It was unveiled in Kwan's home town Nanhai, of Guangdong, China.  The project includes four master sculptors from the US; and four from China. Seven of eight pieces sculpture have been installed in the cities of Washington D.C.; Newark, NJ; Atlanta, GA, and Beijing; Shanghai; Changchun; Guangzhou in China. The last sculpture "Lantern Light" by Master Ye Yushan of China will be installed in Topeka Kansas in June 15.
Also pictured right are a few photos of the other sculptures from the "China-United States 30 Year Anniversary Relationship Art and Culture Exchange Campaign"
The ceremony at Atlanta (pictured right) had a wonderful article about the events. Click Here to go to that article.

The Topeka dedication ceremony for "Lantern Light" by Ye Yushan is Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at 11:00 a.m., on the Washburn University campus, northwest corner of Henderson Learning Center in the 1900 block of Jewel. This formal dedication ceremony will be attended by representatives of the U.S. and Chinese Consulates as well as leaders of the Topeka community and the State of Kansas. We hope you also will honor Topeka with your presence at this very special event for our city and the arts.

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

How it all got Started! Chinese Lantern Sculputure to be dedicated!

On Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. the Dedication Ceremonies for the sculpture titled "Lantern Light" by celebrated sculptor Ye Yushan, which was given to the City of Topeka by the Peoples Republic of China takes place on the Washburn University campus. The public is invited to attend, and we suggest you do all in your power to attend this historic event for our city!

Learn more about the Artist >>

You may be interested in knowing how Topeka was chosen to receive this wonderful gift; so let me give you a little background. It was part luck, part artist/gallery relationship, and part hard work by a committee of people and city officials. It started with a casual conversation between Kansas City artist Kwan Wu and Gary Blitsch, owner of Topeka’s SouthWind Gallery.

Kwan and Gary first became friends several years ago when SouthWind represented his work Kwan is an internationally-known sculptor and painter. SouthWind was happy to act as the exclusive U.S. representative of this exceptionally talented artist. Kwan’s work has been shown at SouthWind in several one-man exhibits as well as group shows. Gary also has managed a number of sculpture commissions for Kwan in Topeka, including a bronze bust of Washburn University president, Jerry Farley, and a large outdoor sculpture (pictured below left) for CoreFirst Bank and Trust (at the bank’s 37th and Wanamaker branch.)

Okay, so here’s the story behind the story-making Topeka-Chinese sculpture connection: Somewhile ago Gary and Kwan were discussing the monumental work that Kwan was commissioned to do for the Chinese government, when Kwan mentioned the U.S.- Chinese Friendship Sculpture Exchange program, three sculptures created in the United states were being sent to China and the three sculptures from Chinese artists were being given to the U.S. The Exchange program was undertaken to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Friendship and Trade pact completed during the Carter Administration. we should mention here that Kwan was born and educated in China, but became an American citizen in the 1980s.

During their conversation, Kwan told Gary that sculptures were being given to Washington D.C, New York City, and San Francisco. Gary suggested that he thought Topeka would also be a good candidate also since Kwan was a Kansas artist and Topeka being the Capital city whose work is represented by a Topeka gallery, and there that he has publicly displayed art here.

A few days later, fate stepped in when for unknown reasons San Francisco didn’t complete the paperwork needed to receive the gift of the Chinese sculpture. Kwan was in China at the time working with the U.S. – Chinese Friendship Sculpture Exchange committee, and said he knew of a U.S. city that wanted the sculpture. With Kwan’s recommendation, the Chinese government agreed to give Topeka a shot at getting the sculpture. Kwan emailed Gary and explained the situation. Gary was a bit shocked about the turn of events, but excited and confident that Topeka could do what was needed to be chosen as the recipient of this fabulous piece of art. Gary went to work contacting city officials and putting together a topnotch committee that could handle the myriad details involved in obtaining the necessary approvals, paperwork and funding for transporting and installing the sculpture. The rest, as they say, is history.

The committee members are: Co-chairs Gary Blitsch and John Fager, Core First Bank & Trust; April Chaing, Kansas Dept. of Commerce; Cheryl Logan, Downtown Topeka Inc.; C J Wei, Kansas City Chinese American Association; Garry Cushinberry, Core First Bank & Trust; C.T. (Fred )Hsia, Retired; Greg Inkman, Washburn University, Campus Beautification Committee; Gary Jones, Jake Huyett, Alissa Sheley, and Tracey Stratton, Jones Huyett Partners; Jim Ogle, WIBW TV; Olivia Simmons and Tamra Scheid, Visit Topeka Inc.; Kathy Smith, ARTSConnect; Curtis Sneden, Collective Brands Inc.; Glenda Taylor, Baili Zhang, Dena Anson, Rugena Hall and Kraig Stahl, Washburn University; Larry Wolgast, City of Topeka; Mike Morse, KS Commercial Real Estate Services; and Scott Gales, Architect One.

The full funding for the sculpture and transportation was provided in the gift from the Chinese government. Funds needed for installation of the sculpture, landscaping and for the Dedication events was provided by grants Collective Brands, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. and Core First Bank & Trust.

See the progress on our Facebook Fan Page!

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Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

Dan Stouffer: Featured Artist Paint the Parks100

REGION II AWARD WINNER
"Last Light"
White Sands National Monument
Dan Stouffer
Watercolor, 27" x 18"
$3,000

Born in Ohio and educated at the Ohio State University, Stouffer's early professional career was in book design and production management. His first years in NM were spent at the University of New Mexico Press. During that time, lured by the mystique and beauty of the land, he began painting. He eventually turned his part-time painting into successes in local and regional art events, and in 1979, he left the Press and became a full-time artist.

Since that time, Stouffer has built an impressive list of credentials. His work has been shown in several museums and is in corporate collections throughout the country. He has won 60 national and regional awards along the way, some in such prominent competitions as Watercolor U.S.A., Rocky Mountain National and Arts for the Parks.

In addition to exhibiting in most of the top art events in the Southwest, Stouffer has been a board member and juror for several shows. He is currently a member of Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society and Watercolor USA Honor Society, and is listed in Who's Who in American Art and Who's Who in the West. His work has also been featured in various newspapers and magazine articles, including Watercolor Quarterly, Southwest Art, and Watercolor Magic.

Dan Stouffer currently resides in Bosque Farms, NM, with his wife Jean and their two canine buddies, Julie and Angel P. Stouffer.



Paint the Parks100 national touring exhibit is at SouthWind Gallery until July 15, 2010.
Paint the Parks is a national touring exhibition of contemporary representative paintings depicting America’s National Parks. The exhibit is organized by PaintAmerica, a Topeka-based, national non-profit organization, created  to support and promote the visual arts. As one of the leading traveling art exhibitions in America, it features the works of many of the country’s most recognized contemporary artists, as well as several talented emerging artists. The exhibit is created annually from an international juried artists’ competition, and includes the highest juror-scored pieces from nearly a thousand total submissions. The show can also be viewed online at www.paintamerica.org


Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

_________________________________________________

FREE Framing From Framewoods! It's Easy and it's FUN for everyone!
Click Here for Details!

Offer Ends August 15, 2010 _________________________________________________

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100. 

Mel Grunau: Featured Artist Paint the Parks100

REGION I AWARD WINNER
"Rock Ledges"
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Mel Grunau
Oil, 31.75 " x 13"

What Mel says about his work. "My work in general reflects my personality. My family and friends tell me that I am usually reserved and prefer to listen rather than talk. My paintings do not shout. My palette is infused with subdued colors. I paint realistic as well as abstract images. When I portray realistic images I hope to convey not only the image itself but also the subtleties of light, sound and smell surrounding the image. The colors I choose are often soft shades of gray, blue and green.

Work I hope to draw the viewer into the painting. In the case of realism there is less left to the imagination but the sense of the viewer experiencing the painting is the goal. In abstract works my hope is that the viewer will find elements as they relate to his or her own interpretation. There is great satisfaction when a viewer will indicate that each time a painting is viewed, new elements reveal themselves. This is certainly a tribute to the actual involvement of the viewer with the work and is most rewarding to me as an artist."
 
Paint the Parks100 national touring exhibit is at SouthWind Gallery until July 15, 2010.
Paint the Parks is a national touring exhibition of contemporary representative paintings depicting America’s National Parks. The exhibit is organized by PaintAmerica, a Topeka-based, national non-profit organization, created  to support and promote the visual arts. As one of the leading traveling art exhibitions in America, it features the works of many of the country’s most recognized contemporary artists, as well as several talented emerging artists. The exhibit is created annually from an international juried artists’ competition, and includes the highest juror-scored pieces from nearly a thousand total submissions. The show can also be viewed online at www.paintamerica.org


Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

_________________________________________________

FREE Framing From Framewoods! It's Easy and it's FUN for everyone!
Click Here for Details!

Offer Ends August 15, 2010 _________________________________________________

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100. 

Pat McManus: Featured Artist Paint the Parks100

$10,000 GRAND PRIZE
PURCHASE AWARD WINNER
"Trail Watchers"
Glacier National Park
Patrick McManus
Oil, 20" x 30"

Pat McManus is a wildlife and landscape artist who resides with his family in southeast Michigan. He has been painting since the 1980's and his work has found it's way into many private collections as well as on the cover of magazines and in calendars. Pat's most recent awards include the Grand Prize in the 2009 Paint the Parks Competition hosted by Paint America, and being selected as one of the "Mini 50" winners in this year's Paint America competition also hosted by Paint America.



Paint the Parks100 national touring exhibit is at SouthWind Gallery until July 15, 2010.
Paint the Parks is a national touring exhibition of contemporary representative paintings depicting America’s National Parks. The exhibit is organized by PaintAmerica, a Topeka-based, national non-profit organization, created  to support and promote the visual arts. As one of the leading traveling art exhibitions in America, it features the works of many of the country’s most recognized contemporary artists, as well as several talented emerging artists. The exhibit is created annually from an international juried artists’ competition, and includes the highest juror-scored pieces from nearly a thousand total submissions. The show can also be viewed online at www.paintamerica.org


Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

_________________________________________________

FREE Framing From Framewoods! It's Easy and it's FUN for everyone!
Click Here for Details!

Offer Ends August 15, 2010 _________________________________________________

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100. 

Paint the Parks 100

SouthWind Art Gallery in Topeka Is Pleased to Present…

Paint the Parks 100

A National Touring Exhibition

Exhibit runs May 15, 2010 – July 15, 2010
Opening Reception: 

Friday, June 4, 2010, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Paint the Parks is a national touring exhibition of contemporary representative paintings depicting America’s National Parks. The exhibit is organized by PaintAmerica, a Topeka-based, national non-profit organization, created to support and promote the visual arts. As one of the leading traveling art exhibitions in America, it features the works of many of the country’s most recognized contemporary artists, as well as several talented emerging artists. The exhibit is created annually from an international juried artists’ competition, and includes the highest juror-scored pieces from nearly a thousand total submissions. The show can be viewed online at www.paintamerica.org.

The exhibit at SouthWind Gallery will include the Grand Prize Purchase Award painting “Trail Watchers” by Patrick McManus. The oil painting by McManus depicts bighorn sheep on a cliff ledge. Gardner, KS artist Elaine Lierly-Jones’ was named the Grand Prize Winner in the Mini50 portion of the competition for her painting “Arches National Park”

The competition for all painting media was judged by a juror panel of nationally recognized artists Susan Blackwood, Kim Casebeer, and Howard Friedland. Winning paintings were chosen from hundreds of entries submitted internationally, with the winners comprising the traveling exhibition. Other major awards were:

The Region I Award – “Rock Ledges” by Mel Grunau
The Region II Award – “Last Light” by Dan Stouffer
The Region III Award – “Jackson Lake Serenity” by Keri VanderLaan
The Susan Blackwood Juror’s Choice Award – “Birth of a Nation” by Barbara Summers Edwards
The Kim Casebeer Juror’s Choice Award – “Sappharine Cove” by Steven Hileman
The Howard Friedland Juror’s Choice Award – “12 February, 2009” by Lynn Boggess
The Susan Blackwood Juror’s Choice Award (Mini) – “Cactus Flower” by Eileen Nistler
The Howard Friedland Juror’s Choice Award (Mini) – “Morning Mist” by Jonathan Linton

The Paint The Parks exhibit features many different mediums and illustrates a variety of regional painting styles. The SouthWind Gallery showing represents the final stop on the 2009 national tour. The show began at the Kolb Studio, Grand Canyon, AZ; and has toured St. Louis, MO; West Palm Beach, FL; and to the Chicago area before coming to SouthWind Gallery.

See other available work on our online art gallery>>

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery

Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.