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 Hello, my name is Shirley Yiping Zhang. I am a full time Chinese painting graduate student of Chinese National Academy of Arts, a graduate of China Central Academy of Fine Arts.
I was born in Beijing, but I became a middle school art teacher and an elementary school teacher when I was 15 - 19 years old on the frontier between China and Russia in the end times of Culture Revolution of China. Then I worked as a College Chinese assistant and an instructor for 9 years after I graduated from the university, and then an editor and a manager in Chinese Securities Industry for 18 years.
I had my education in 8 universities for 17 years. I was a full time student to be major in Chinese language and literature for 5 years; Chinese painting for 3.5 years and business management for 1 year; a part time student, to be major in world economics for 3 years; journalism (news) for 1 year, international business management for 2.5 years and English for 1 year; got my master degree in the USA.
Before I entered China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010 and Chinese National Academy of Arts in 2011, I had learned Chinese painting from a professor from Xian Academy of Fine Arts for 8 years, learned vocal music from 3 teachers from Northwest Normal University, Shanghai Music Conservatory and Central Conservatory of Music for 9 years.
Since I my career dream in the Chinese securities industry was true in 2000, I have been working on my childhood and lifetime dream: to study, research and create my own E-bridge cross-culture and comprehensive art system.
Here are what I have understood, studied and done until now:
Definition of the Current E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art
It is an art series that is based on Chinese painting, focused on Chinese poetry, combining music and singing, multi-languages (right now, it includes Chinese and English), Chinese Characters and calligraphy, essays and culture background together. The purpose of it is to help non-Chinese speakers and anyone who are interested in Chinese culture, arts and language naturally, easily and artistically.
Its transmission style is to be: 鈥� face to face + multi 鈥� media ( Internet + Mass media ) 鈥�
The Main Content of the Current E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art
Includes 5 series:
1. Vocal,Bilingual Poetry & Painting Series : Learn
Chinese Culture & Language by Enjoying Painting, Music
& Poetry
2. Stories behind Chinese Painting Series
3. Traditional Chinese Painting Series, includes:
Chinese Baimiao Paintings
Chinese Gongbi--Realistic Paintings
Chinese Xieyi--Freehand Brushworks
Mixed Gongbi & Xieyi Paintings
Chinese Mogu Painting
4. Shirley Created Music for Chinese Poems
5. Bilingual Chinese Songs
The Target Users of E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art
1. Chinese language learners and teachers
2. Chinese art learners
3. Anyone who are interested in Chinese culture, art and language
4. Researchers of cross-culture and interdisciplinary training.
The Theoretical Basis of E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art:
-- Art is, in essence, a tool. Artists express their thoughts and feelings in different artistic languages, governments use the ideas in arts to help them to manage their countries and ordinary people choose arts to please themselves. Just like the different tableware on a dining table can substitute for, complement and support each other to help the diner to enjoy his food more comfortably. Sister arts can also interact to affect audiences naturally. Combining the process of learning a culture or a language with the process of enjoying other, various art forms, makes the whole process more interesting and enjoyable, and helps learners to grasp knowledge and skills more easily.
-- Traditional Chinese arts are essentially comprehensive. Chinese painting is made up of poetry, calligraphy, painting and stamps of Chops; Chinese classical poems were sung in ancient times; Chinese calligraphy and painting came from the same rootstock; Chinese traditional art theory emphasizes that a good painting should include the artistic conception of a poem and a good poem should include artistic conception of a painting. By enjoying the comprehensive arts (including paintings, music, poems and articles), people will be able to learn Chinese culture and language naturally.
-- Chinese classical poems are mainly made of Chinese primary words. Chinese primary words are universal (they are used by all Chinese speakers), stable (they have been used since they were created) and have prolificacy (they are the roots of new words). Learning Chinese classical poetry is the best way to encounter Chinese primary words and to open the door of Chinese language and culture. Therefore, almost all Chinese children start their Chinese learning by reciting classical poems.
Based on the above understanding, I have chosen Chinese painting as one of my comprehensive art works鈥� media, focused on the core of Chinese paintings 鈥� poetry; adding music, languages (Chinese and English), literature (poetry comments), historical background (about the poets and the stories behind their poems), to create a new and unique comprehensive art, to help non-Chinese speakers to learn about Chinese culture and language artistically, easily and naturally.
The Transmission Mode of E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art
The transmission mode and channels of this project should be multi-media style, Internet, paper media, DVD, TV, mobile phone and face to face by teaching, exhibition, events and so on.
The transmission frequency should be daily, weekly, monthly, quality and yearly
The Work Result of E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art 2000 to 2013
Base on the basic jobs that painted/created more than 850 paintings; translated 162 Chinese poems and 130 Chinese folk songs into English; Sang 162 Chinese poems in Chinese and about 80 in Chinese and in English; Sang 130 Chinese folk songs in Chinese and about 50 in Chinese and in English; Wrote more than 3000 articles (62 comments on poetry ) in English to introduce Chinese culture and Made more than 160 records to teach people to read in Chinese,
E-bridge cross and comprehensive art project has made some results:
-- Two Publications were published formally by Jinan University Press:
1. Volume one of E-bridge series books and DVD II: 鈥淭ogether with Me, Learn
Chinese Culture and Language by Enjoying Paintings, Music and Poetry鈥� was published May, 2013
2. Volume 1- 4 of E-bridge series books and DVDs I: Together with Mr. Learn Real American English (Mastermind and translator, 0.93 million words )was published Oct, 2002
-- One web site: www.ebridge.cn has been alive for 8 years since 2005;
-- 3 individual Chinese comprehensive art exhibitions were held in the USA 2009 鈥� 2013;
-- 100 free teachings in 31 schools, art organizations and my temporary domicile in the USA;
-- 2300 American students attended my classes face to face;
-- 11,000 register users online from more than 30 countries.
Meaning of E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art
1. Creates a new subject names combined artistic Chinese in Chinese as a foreign language field
2. Gives Chinese painting a new function of delivering Chinese culture to other cultures.
3. Explores and develops a new business chains and business models .
4. Offer a research sample on how to deliver one culture to the other cultures and the interdisciplinary interaction.
5. Directly help non-Chinese speakers and Chinese Fans to learn Chinese culture, art and language.
Problems Facing E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art Project
1. Work far away from the target market, the long distance and short time travel limit the value of my long-term hard work maximized; cannot satisfy the needs of the target users.
2. Work as an Individual limits the level of the research and creation, work speed and size.
3. Finance support by myself as an individual, limits the work speed, size and quality of the work produced.
4. The development between the online and offline is not in balance.
The Options to Develop E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art Project:
1.Via a merger, make E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art become a part of a big organization, to work on a bigger platform, create a win-win project.
2.Via a hire, to join in and to work for a big education or an art organization, to carry a part of the E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art into this organization and develop it on a bigger platform.
3.Via a project cooperation with some middle or small organizations.
4.Via a private E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art studio, to continue this project.
5.To sell all of the former work results, to finish this project.
For me, as long as I can stand up, I will not choose the No. 5, but I will work on the other options.
No matter what will happen in the future, I will continue to work on the project. The difference is just the size and speed.
The Main Work of E-bridge Cross-culture and Comprehensive Art in the future 3 to 5 years:
-- Teaching Chinese painting and language
1. Teach Chinese culture and language by enjoying Painting, Music and Poetry, focus on poems
2. Teach Traditional Chinese Paintings, focus on painting techniques
Chinese Baimiao Painting;
Chinese Gongbi Paitning;
Chinese Xieyi Painting;
Mixed Chinese Xieyi and Gongbi Painting;
Chinese Mogu Painting
-- Research culture and information deliver styles:
1. Research and explore a unique method to deliver one culture to the other culture via the interaction among different arts.
2. Research and find a most suitable style to deliver the teaching and display content via a multi-media + face to face.
3. Research and create a best business model.
The Research Result should be multi-media publications offline and online.
-- Creation:
1. Combined art work (paintings+ music+ songs + poetry) + (translation+ recite + and others)
Books (general reading)
2: Single art works:
3. Business Model.
Since I am just a student no matter whether of English or painting, music, writing and everything. I do hope to improve and develop this project and myself every day, to create a meaningful, helpful and beautiful career, to be of service to all the people who are interested in Chinese culture, art and language.
I do hope to get your good advice, help, direction and support.
 If you or your organization is interested in my idea and wish to have a cooperation with me, you are welcome to connect me, I am looking forward to meeting you. If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn ; you are welcome to publish your opinions in Message Board as well.
Shirley Yiping Zhang
Jan 1, 2014
Written in Springfield, MO, USA
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