April 2014

General Highlights:

Education
Adult Language & Studio Classes ~ Spring Classes Start April 14, 2014

China Institute offers a wide range of Language and Studio Classes. In the language program, we offer well-designed and student-centered Mandarin classes to adult learners at every proficiency level, from beginner to advanced. Students can choose a course from a wide variety of scheduling options, including mornings, during lunch-hours, or evenings, as well as on weekdays and weekends.

We would like to take this opportunity to announce the launch of a new advanced class, Advanced Comprehensive, on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm. This course is designed for those who have achieved an overall high intermediate level of proficiency and seek advanced and guided training in all skills of the Chinese language. This course will provide a well-designed and balanced curriculum to help learners become fluent in speaking, listening, and reading. Composition, two-way（Chinese-English）translation, and language practicum will be incorporated into this course for more advanced learning. Students can also expect to watch video clips to fully engage in creative and fluent production in the use of the target language. Themes to be covered in this course include the latest news and hot topics in China and worldwide.

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.

In the calligraphy class, students learn and practice brush strokes in a meditative, relaxed atmosphere. They are also introduced to the artistic and etymological tradition of Chinese character writing, which is an important key to understanding and appreciating Chinese art, history, and culture. Brush painting classes provide training in the fundamentals of this traditional genre of painting, its principles, techniques, subject matters, and styles on different themes of landscapes, bird-and-flower paintings, insects and fish, etc. Participants in the Taijiquan class will learn the philosophy and movements of the Yang-style taijiquan：a short form of sixty postures developed by Grandmaster William C.C. Chen. Advanced students will learn the long form of the Yang style, which develops core strength.

2014 Children's Summer Program ~ Registration OPEN!

Make your child's summer a fun-filled experience by enrolling in the Children's Summer Program at China Institute. Designed for children ages 3 to 9, the Children's Summer Program offers instruction of Chinese language and culture in an exciting and interactive environment. Language instruction is led by experienced Chinese language teachers. Additionally, children will participate in various cultural activities, such as Chinese folk dance, theatrical performances, arts and crafts, storytelling, and cooking. Friday field trips to many New York City child-friendly institutions will give your child a chance to enjoy the summer sun. More...

Music and Dance Workshop for Kids：Let's Sing and Dance in Chinese Together! ~ Starts May 4, 2014

Sing and dance with classical Chinese children's songs with modern electronic beats! In this four-session music workshop series, kids will learn five famous Chinese children's songs from the album Little Dragon Tail. Produced by the electronic music group the Shanghai Restoration Project in 2011, Little Dragon Tail adds modern electronic beats to the classical Chinese children's songs. Singing and dancing with the songs together, kids will learn Chinese and have fun with music! For further details, please contact Tracie Xiong at 212.744.8181, ext. 143 or txiong@chinainstitute.org.

Summer Study in China 2014 ~ Apply Today!

Are you interested in studying abroad in China with China Institute this summer? Are you interested in a program that has the perfect balance of language instruction as well as cultural experiences? China Institute's Summer Study in China（SSC）program offers high school students the opportunity to receive intensive language training within an immersed cultural environment. Through rigorous small group daily language classes, various kinds of cultural workshops, living with host families, and traveling around different cities, students will not only improve their Chinese fluency and pronunciation, but also understand every aspect of the country more deeply. More...

Mandarin for Future Mandarin Teachers（MFMT）~ Registration OPEN!

Mandarin for Future Mandarin Teachers（MFMT）was established in 2006 through Confucius Institute at China Institute（CI@CI）, a partnership between China Institute and East China Normal University（ECNU）, located in Shanghai. This summer program provides scholarships for a select group of pre-service and in-service Chinese language teachers to take professional development courses taught by distinguished ECNU professors who are leading scholars in their respective fields. More...

Gallery
Inspired by Dunhuang：Re-creation in Contemporary Chinese Art ~ Through June 8, 2014

Like the old masters before them, modern and contemporary luminaries, such as Zhang Daqian, Zhang Hongtu, Liu Jude, Liu Dan, and Yu Hong, have sought inspiration from Dunhuang's ancient sculptures and murals. Inspired by Dunhuang presents the breathtaking results of their painstaking and creative efforts, which capture the experience of Dunhuang in ways that are powerfully transformative. With its carefully curated group of paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, photographs, and mixed media installations that encompass a variety of themes and forms, this exhibition is a pioneering exploration of the historical, literary, artistic, and conceptual nature of the inspiration and influence exerted by Dunhuang's thousand-year-old tradition on contemporary artistic creation. Organized by China Institute Gallery, this exhibition is curated by Willow Weilan Hai, Director of China Institute Gallery, and Jerome Silbergeld, the P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Professor of Chinese Art History, the Chair of the Department of Art & Archaeology at Princeton University, and the Director of Princeton's Tang Center for East Asian Art. More...

Family Gallery Guides ~ Available Now Through June 8, 2014

Did you know that China Institute's Gallery is a great place for families to learn about China through art? Please enjoy our new "art cards," designed specifically for families and complimentary with admission. Each of the 3 guides focuses on 1 object in our current exhibition, Inspired by Dunhuang. In the guides, you will find：fun facts for you to share with your child, question prompts to help your family discuss the artwork, and hands-on activities to extend your child's learning. Remember, members and children under 12 are always free! Questions? Please contact Alison Jean at ajean@chinainstitute.org.

Exhibition Catalogues

To purchase catalogues for current and past exhibitions, please contact Eva Wen at ewen@chinainstitute.org or 212.744.8181, ext. 121. More...

Programs & Events
Lecture – Nushu：The Secret Language with Yajun Qu and Dr. Congming Ma ~ April 11, 2014

Nushu is a written script that was invented and is used exclusively by women in a region of Hunan province. Because women did not have access to formal education in the feudal era, this script was developed as a means of secret communication and passed down between generations. It was little known outside the area until scholars "discovered" it in the 20th century.

In this lecture Yajun Qu, Director of Xi'an's Women's Culture Museum, and Dr. Congming Ma, professor of Journalism and Communication at Shaanxi Teachers' University, will reveal some of the fascinating stories of how and why the only known language used solely by women was developed in China hundreds of years ago. They will discuss the history of Nushu and illustrate how its unique calligraphy was used on fans and embroidered handkerchiefs, as seen in objects from the Women's Culture Museum.

Join us as these esteemed scholars illuminate this captivating piece of China's cultural history. More...

"Line：From Brush to Rope" with Artist Ross Lewis ~ April 22, 2014

Years of studying Chinese culture have led artist Ross Lewis to develop a distinct visual language by incorporating aesthetic and philosophical sensibilities of Chinese artistic traditions into a new context. In his recent "Rope Paintings," the artist departs from his training in Chinese brush painting to forge a new artistic expression using rope and string saturated with ink and juxtaposed with collage. This art underscores the creativity that derives from cross-cultural influences. More...

Special Events
China Institute Gala 2014 ~ May 30, 2014

China Institute is pleased to announce that I. M. Pei, Founder of I. M. Pei & Associates, and Chien Chung Pei, Chairman of China Institute and Co-Founder of Pei Partnership Architects; Michelle Kwan, Advisor and Public Diplomacy Envoy at the U.S. Department of State and two-time Olympic figure skating medalist; Shen Wei, a director, choreographer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic ceremony, and Founder of Shen Wei Dance Arts, have been chosen as Blue Cloud Award recipients for the 2014 China Institute Gala. We look forward to an especially festive evening celebrating these four outstanding individuals, as well as the 88th Anniversary of the founding of China Institute.

The Gala will be held at Gotham Hall in New York City on May 30, 2014. For further details, please contact Leslie A. McDonald at 212.744.8181, ext. 139 or lmcdonald@chinainstitute.org.

Renwen Society
Lecture：The Core of Traditional Chinese Culture ~ April 19, 2014

Mr. Fo Tao, a renowned scholar of cultural issues and calligrapher from Beijing, will outline major strands in traditional Chinese culture and relate the development in present-day Chinese culture to globalization. More...

Lecture：The Art of the Chinese Seal ~ April 27, 2014

Chinese painting, calligraphy and the art of seal carving are inextricably linked. Chinese seals can be traced back over 4,000 years and have evolved over time from an object of everyday use to a unique form of art. Mr. Su Donghe, an accomplished calligrapher and seal maker from Shandong, China, will introduce the audience to the fascinating world of Chinese seal carving. He will not only explain different techniques and intricacies of seal carving, but also display a selection of valuable and exquisite seals he created. More...