Gallery:
Mao's Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution ~ Through April 26, 2015
Around half a century ago during the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976), China was in a political "mango-fever." In 1968, after receiving a gift of mangoes from the visiting Pakistani foreign minister, Mao Zedong sent the fruit to the "Worker-Peasant Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Teams." It coincided with a turning point in the Cultural Revolution from student-leading to worker-peasant-leading. Mangoes, an unfamiliar fruit at that time in China, became a temporary political symbol of Chairman Mao's benevolence and love for the people. Illustrations and photos of mangoes appeared in publications, paintings, posters and badges, as well as on everyday objects such as mirrors, quilt covers and enamelware. Wax mango models were displayed in glass boxes to express respect for Mao, along with circumstances of the gift printed in red on the cases. By showcasing over 80 mango-related objects, Mao's Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution will explore the interaction of material culture and politics during this period. This exhibition is organized by the Museum Rietberg Zürich and is curated by Alfreda Murck and Alexandra von Przychowski. The China Institute Gallery showing of the exhibition has been expanded to include loans from the Collection of Judy Manton and from an Anonymous Private Collector.
Art and Chinese New Year Lecture and Festive Reception ~ February 27, 2015
Join us for this special 2nd annual lecture and festive reception in celebration of Chinese New Year. In honor of the Year of the Ram, Dr. Jerome Silbergeld will lecture about this animal's role in Chinese art and history. The Chinese twelve calendrical animals system 生肖dates back at least to the Qin dynasty, complemented by the twenty-eight figures of the lunar "mansions" in Chinese astrology 二十八星宿and the four directional animals 四神. This year's animal, the yang 羊, is unique among the twelve in being not one animal but two: the sheep and the goat, two animals that could hardly be more different from each other. This presentation will look at the calendrical system, particularly the two yang and the various roles that they have placed in Chinese cultural and historical lore.
Education
For PreK-12 Students:
Chinese for Children Spring 2015 ~ Early bird Discount
Learn Chinese in a fun and immersive environment! With classes starting the week of January 26th, Spring 2015 registration is open and we are accepting NEW students! We are introducing new textbooks to further strengthen our curriculum and to help our students achieve high proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Sign up before January 10th, and have the $50 registration fee waived! 5% discount for siblings. To register, please contact Valerie Ong at vong@chinainstitute.org or 212-744-8181, ext. 110.
Open House for Parents & Children ~ January 10, 2015
On January 10th, the Children & Youth Program will be hosting a Spring Open House for parents and students. Please join us at China Institute to learn about our future curriculum and teaching philosophy and to find out about our selection of textbooks and teaching materials. We will also be holding demo language classes and will be showing a classical Chinese short film for children. Please feel free to invite friends to this event. To RSVP, please contact children@chinainstitute.org or 212-744-8181, ext. 110.
Children's Outreach Workshops
China Institute's We All Live in the Forbidden City program offers a series of children's workshops that can be brought to schools, museums, and libraries near you. Led by the program's experienced teachers, students will learn about Chinese culture through creative activities, interactive storytelling, animations, and group discussions. The first two workshops in the series teach children about the life and responsibilities of an emperor, and how nature was the inspiration behind the architecture of the Forbidden City. Please contact us if you are interested in bringing these workshops to your community.
For Adults:
Adult Chinese Language & Studio Classes ~ Winter 2015
Classes start the week of January 12th. Register now to save your spot!
We have added NEW courses to the Adult Language Group Classes. China Institute offers a wide range of Chinese language classes for students at every proficiency level and with different expectations or goals.
We are pleased to announce the following NEW course offerings in Winter 2015:
[NEW] Chinese for Heritage Learners (Intermediate)
[NEW] Reading Chinese Media Texts (Newspaper and Internet)
[NEW] Lunch-Hour Conversation (High Beginner)
We continue to offer our very popular FREE one-on-one tutoring sessions to registered students while group classes are in session. Each tutoring session is a 45-minute one-on-one segment that students sign up for on a first come first served basis. The tutoring office hours are available on Monday through Thursday from 10:30am-12:45pm and 5:30-7:45pm.
In the adult studio program, we continue to offer our long-standing and well-received art and culture courses, including Chinese calligraphy, brush painting and Taijiquan.
Short Course - A Course on the Uniqueness of Chinese (3-Sessions) ~ Starts February 17, 2015
Given by lecturer Ben Wang, this course will explore the musicality of the language and the artistic and ingenious features of the written characters as living images of the Chinese culture. An in-depth understanding of Chinese written characters, their sounds, and the tonal system enables one to grasp the structure of the Chinese language.
Special Events
Chinese New Year Celebration ~ February 20, 2015
Please join us for our annual festive Chinese New Year's celebration on Friday, February 20, 2015 at Cipriani 42nd Street.
Renwen Society
Lecture: The Last Giant in Chinese Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting ~ January 10, 2015
Well cognizant of the inevitability of pain in life, which leads to a melancholy resignation to the all-too-quick passing of life's golden, halcyon days, Pu Ru, whose great-grandfather was Emperor Daoguang, the 6th emperor of the Manchu dynasty, lived through the twilight years of the Qing. This last giant in poetry, calligraphy and painting, a bon-vivant who luxuriated in a privileged early life, eventually settled quietly down to a threadbare existence on the island of Taiwan after 1949. Throughout the tumultuous changes, he persisted in his literary and artistic creations indefatigably and transformed what to others would be unendurable despair into works of lasting beauty. Ben Wang, co-chair of the Renwen Society, will discuss the accomplishments of Pu Ru in Chinese poetry, calligraphy and painting.
Lecture: Liangzhu Writing and the Shennong Society ~ January 25, 2015
Mr. Hing Wan Cheng, an art collector and connoisseur, will discuss in this lecture the discovery of the writing in the Liangzhu period, 5300-4200 BC, and the light it sheds on the existence of a Shennong society in China.
Concert: 2015 Winter Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall ~ February 1, 2015
The Renwen Society is a co-sponsor of the 2015 Winter Piano Competition, which is part of the 2015 International Youth Winter Music Festival. The competition will be held on February 1st at Carnegie Hall. Candidates range in age from 6 and 21. #
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