Interaction

Temporary File 1: My Cross-cultural and Comprehensivee Art Study and Practice

Hello, this is Shirley Yiping Zhang, a student from Graduated School and Chinese Painting School at Chinese National Academy of Arts,and a former student of China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Thank you for opening this album which is the painting part of my cross-cultural and comprehensive art dream.

I. About My E-bridge Cross-cultural and Comprehensive Art Dream

As a full time student majored in Chinese painting for 5 years and Chinese literature and language for another 5 years and was a former classical Chinese literature and language instructor of college for 9 years; majored in world economy, journalism (news) and international business administration for 3, 1, and 2.5 years as a part time student and a full time student on business administration for 1 year in 8 universities in China and in the USA; worked as an instructor, editor and manager for the first half of my life, my current dream is to make use of Chinese poetry as the medium to combine both of traditional Chinese painting and modern Chinese language together, to create a new subject named "Poetry, Painting, Music: Comprehensive and Artistic Chinese" in the field of Chinese as a foreign language; while creating new and special comprehensive art form in the field of pure arts; plus "Traditional Chinese Painting" and the " Stories of My Chinese paintings"; work together, to constitute my dreamed E-bridge Cross-cultural and Comprehensive Art Project / Dream.   

It is based on traditional Chinese painting, focused on poetry and be assisted by music and bilingual languages and working with creating and drawing, composing and singing, translating and writing.

The purpose I do these is to help non- Chinese speakers to learn two both of “ Traditional Chinese Painting” and “Comprehensive and Artistic Chinese” – to learn Chinese language and Chinese cultures by enjoying and drawing Chinese paintings; enjoying and singing Chinese poem songs, enjoying and reciting Chinese poetry, enjoying and studying Chinese culture; in the process to learn multi-arts and to learn Chinese as a foreign language while trying to make their study more naturally, easily and artistically; to help the progress of human being and development of the world in the course of service the others while improving myself and to realize my own value of life.

At the time that condition allows in the future, I will try to work on the similar jobs for non-English speakers.

I have given my little cross-cultural and comprehensive art project a brand E-bridge for I expect what I have done, what I would like to do and I myself become a bridge among different cultures, between the Oceans; to work online and offline via internet, face to face and multi-media.

II. The main work methods of E-bridge cross-cultural and comprehensive art project:

1. Study and Researching
1) General publication as textbook and teaching content online and offline;
2) Academic paper or book: to find and found theoretic support my art dream.

2. Creating
1) To create cross-cultural and comprehensive art works: mainly work on
  -- “ Vocal Bilingual Poetry and Painting Series with creating of painting, music, calligraphy; translation; article writing and so on.
-- Stories behind my Chinese paintings.
-- My American Stories.
2) To create new Chinese painting with traditional methods.

3. Teaching

1) To teach traditional Chinese Painting on 5 or 6 kinds of paintings:
Chinese Baimiao Painting
Chinese Gondbi Painting (Colored and Chinese Ink Painting )
Chinese Xiyi Painting (Colored and Chinese Ink Painting )
Chinese Mogu Painting

2) To teach Poetry, Painting, Music – Comprehensive and Artistic Chinese . Focus on classical poetry as a special part of modern Chinese language with a new style with the help of music and painting together in Chinese as a foreign language field.

III. Development and Work Result in the Past 15 Years

In the past 15 years, I have worked on the cross-cultural and comprehensive art dream in my free time for 10 years and worked in the full time while fighting with the sicknesses for 5 years. Mainly I did something below:

1. On Study and Researching Aspect: Two series of general publications include 5 books, 4 CD and 1 DVD more than one million words were published by Jinan University Press.

1) The first series with 4 books and 4 CDs Together With Me, Learned True American English was published in Oct, 2002; a group of American friends wrote the contents and recorded the CDs, a Canadian Chinese friend and 2 American Chinese friends checked the Chinese translation; I myself designed the series books and translated all of the 0.93 million English words into Chinese and organized the book edition jobs between the Ocean.

2) The volume 1 of the second books and DVDs Poetry, Painting, Music: Comprehensive and Artistic Chinese ( Together With Me, Learn Chinese Culture and Language by English Painting, Music and Poetry ) was published in May, 2013. I was the writer, composer, singer and originator of in the creating and editing process. A group of friends from Britain, America and China took part in the job.   

3) Based on the study on the Chinese Painting Creating Graduate Course in Chinese National Academy of Arts for 4 years and in China Central Academy of Fine Arts for 1 years, I have had the qualification to apply a Master degree of Fine Arts by passing the national English examination of China and then to write a dissertation and pass the oral defense. Now I have taken part in the national English examination already and I am waiting for the result. My study in Chinese National Academy of Arts has given me the qualification to take part in the English Examination another 10 times in case I failed in the past examination.   

2. On Teaching: Since Sept, 2009, I have taught 133 times in 31 American K-12 schools, universities, college, art organizations and a Chinese college and an art training class. More than 2,400 students from 5 countries attended my Traditional Chinese Painting courses / demonstrations or Chinese Classical Poetry (language with music and painting together) course or both.

May 30, 2014: College of International Education at Beijing Institute of Economy of Management for students abroad
May -June, 2014: Chinese Painting Training Class at Shuangqiu Road Resident Communities, Beijing
Feb 25, 2014: at Music Section of Ozarks Technical Community of College.
Feb,13, 2014: at Art Section of Department of Fine Arts and Humanities at OTC
Feb 12, 2014: at Art Section of Department of Fine Arts and Humanities at OTC
Feb 07, 2014: at For public at Art Gallery of Ozarks Technical Community of College
Nov 20, 2013: at Art and Design Department of Missouri State University
Nov 09, 2013: at the Conference of Southwest District Art Teachers Association at Drury University
Sep 23, 2013: at Modern and Classical Language Department, Missouri State University
Sep 21, 2013: at Ave Art Guild, Missouri, USA
Sep 14 -20, 2013: at Seymour R-II School, Missouri, USA
May 11-24, 2013:at Pikeville High School , Kentucky, USA
                       Pikeville Elementary School , Kentucky, USA
                       Pikeville Central School , Kentucky, USA
                       Hampton Inn, Pikeville, Kentucky, USA
Sep 30, 2011: at Dixie Magnet Elementary School, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Sep 29, 2011: at Yates Elementary School, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Sep 28, 2011: at Leestown Middle School, Kentucky, USA
Sep 28, 2011: at A High School (forgoten its name), Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Sep 27, 2011: at Crawford Middle School, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Sep 23, 2011: at Kentucky 2011 Fall World Language Conference, USA

May6-25, 2010: at PSU Gallery, Missouri State University, USA
May 17, 2010: at Seymour R-II Public School Missouri, USA
May 16, 2010: at OTC for Adoptive Chinese Children, Springfield, USA
May1-2, 2010: at Artfest, Springfield Regional Art Council, MO, USA
April 29, 2010: at Ozarks Technical Community College, USA

Sep 25, 2009: at Harrison Elementary School, MO
Sept 24, 2009: at Creamery Art Center, Springfield, MO
Sep 22, 2009: at Art and Design Department of Missouri State University
Sep 22, 2009: at Art Department, Drury University, USA
Sep 20, 2009: at Creamery Art Center, Springfield, MO
Sep 18 ,2009: at Bailey Alternative High school, Springfield, Missouri, USA   
Sep 16, 2009: at Robberson Elementary School, Springfield, Missouri, USA
Sep 15, 2009: at Sherwood Elementary, Springfield, MO, USA
Sep 14, 2009: at Hickory Hills Middle School, Springfield, Missouri, USA
Sep,    2009: at Kickapoo High School
Sep 12, 2009: at Creamery Art Center, Springfield, MO


3. On Creating: since 2000, I have done something mainly:

Wrote more than 3,000 articles related to China and Chinese culture;
Created more than 160 pieces of music for classical Chinese poems;
Sang and recorded more than 300 of Chinese songs and my own poem songs;
Created / painted 1033 Chinese paintings
Created 100 comprehensive art works with painting, music, vocal music, translation, articles and records…

4. On Business   

1) My own Internet platform www.ebridge.cn has run for 10 years. A group of volunteers is working on it.

2) 5 Cross-culture and comprehensive art exhibition were / will be held in the USA:

In the Fall, 2015: Cross-cultural and Comprehensive Art Exhibition (the title has not been confirmed yet) at Library , Springfield, MO, USA
Feb 07 – 27, 2014: “ A Cross-cultural Comprehensive Exhibition of Chinese paintings, Original Music and Classical Chinese Poetry ”at Ozarks Technical Community College, MO, USA
May 10 – 22, 2013: " Taste of China" at the Eastern Kentucky Expo, KY, USA
May 06 – 24, 2010: "Shirley Yiping Zhang’s Art Exhibition" at Plaster of Student Union, Missouri State University, USA
Sep 04 – 25, 2009: "Visit China - Right Here in Springfield "at the Creamery Art Center, MO,USA.

5. On Giving

As a full time student since 2008, a patient since 2009 and a retired Chinese employee since 2012, with my limited income which is my salary level in 1997, I have made my every effort to push the little e-bridge cross-cultural and comprehensive art dream forward.

Besides standing all of the making cost of my publication (DVD, music recording and books), international travel's expenses and offering courses as a volunteer, I have also done something in Missouri and Kentucky of America since 2009:

-- donated whole of the incoming from my art exhibitions more than 1250 or more USD.
-- donated or gave 200 of my paintings
-- donated 70 Chinese painting brushes
-- donated about 100 formal publications ( 100 books and 100 DVDs) ,
-- donated about 250 copies of my own 4 albums
-- bought the tools (brushes, paper, felt pad) for my students and sent or carried them from China to the US;
-- worked as a volunteer teacher or volunteer instructor since 2009
-- born whole of the cost on these jobs and international travel expense…

Feb, 27, 2014: I donated 2 paintings of my comprehensive art works to Ozarks Technical Community of College
                    I donated 1 of my paintings to Missouri State University
  Feb 24, 2014: I donated 2 of my paintings to Missouri State University and Missouri State Foundations
Dec 08, 2013: I donated 1 of my paintings to Springfield Chinese Church.
Sep 21, 2013: I donated 1 of my paintings to Ava Art Guild, MO.
Sep 19, 2013: I donated 1 of my comprehensive art works to Seymour R-II School..
May 21 , 2013: I donated something below to Pikeville Artisan Alliance for developing the little project by a cooperation with it in the city and to help local non-Chinese speakers to learn Chinese culture and arts and language, included:
            1,000USD which is the income of my 12 hours’ exhibitions for 6 days in Pikeville, KY, USA;
     40 Chinese brushes;
6 of my comprehensive works;
10 rewards including 50 color brushes, 100USA cash and 10 cards to my 10 best American students;
22 copies of my own painting albums;5 of my own publications。For developing my little project by a cooperation with it in the city and to help local non-Chinese speakers to learn Chinese culture and arts and language.

I also sent 13 of my paintings to the people and organizations in Peckville to express my thanks and friendship.

May 27, 2012   I donated 4 of my paintings to Missouri State University Alumna Association, Missouri State University Library,   E-MBA program relating to China, Springfield Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the 5 years’ birthday of the Chinese E-MBA Program as a graduate of Missouri State University via the Alumna Event in Beijing.

Sept 29, 2011: I donated 30 Chinese brushes to Leestown Middle School, Lexington, KY, USA.
Sept 30, 2011: I donated 1 of my paintings to Dixie Magnet Elementary School.
Sept 26-30, 2011: I sent 10 of my paintings to the local organizations and people who had helped me.

May 23, 2010: I donated 64 of my paintings to Springfield, MO via Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Wished to found a specific fund to help non-Chinese speakers to learn Chinese culture, arts and language.

Dec 29, 2009: I sent 32 of my paintings to every professor, tutor, friend or organization who or which had taught me or helped me from China to the USA.

Sep, 2009:   I entrusted the Springfield Art Council to donate the income of my first art exhibition to the local disabled people’s organization to memory my deceased American art teacher.


IV. Honor and Reword

1) From Artistic and Educational Practice

Feb, 27, 2014, Certificate of Appreciation by Ozarks Technical Community of College
Sep 18, 2013, Certificate of Appreciation by Seymour R-II School District
Sep 25, 2009, Certificate of Appreciation by Springfield Region Art Council

Feb 27, 2014, President Clifton M Smart of Missouri State University attended my 4th art exhibition
President Hai Higron of Ozarks Technique Community College attended my 4th art exhibition
Feb 27, 7, 14, Dean Lance Renner of Ozarks Technique Community College attended my 4th art exhibition

Nov 08, 2013, President David P. Manuel of Drury University met me at their art center.
Sept 18, 2013, Superintendent D. Bruce Denney of Seymour R-R School attended my course.
May 21, 2013, City Manager Donovan Blackburn of Peckville wrote me to thank me for what I had done for his city and people.   

July 24, 2012, Former Vice Minister Jiang Hong of Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Youth League of China interviewed me and wrote “ 静心如莲 – Jing Xin Ru Lian – Keep a Peaceful Heart as a Lotus Flower ” for me.
July 24, 2012   Secretary of Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director General Huo Xuewen of Bureaus of Financial Work of Beijing Municipal accompanied me in the interview and he met me with his assistant ahead on July 21, 2012.   

May 06, 2010   Provost Belinda McCarthy of Missouri State University attended my 2nd exhibition.
May 14, 2010 former Executive Director Lea Hamilton of Art Council of Springfield Region attended my second art exhibition.
former Executive Manager Brad Oberhausen of Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce attended my 2nd art exhibition.
                 Director of Program Stephanie Cramer of Art Council of Springfield Region attended my 2nd art exhibition.
                 
Sept 4, 2009, Former Executive Director Lea Hamilton of Art Council of Springfield Region sponsored and chaired my first art exhibition.
                 Director of Program Stephanie Cramer of Art Council of Springfield Region sponsored and attended my first art exhibition.

Sept 18, 2013,My students on Chinese poetry from planned 3 groups rose to 6 groups at Seymour R-II School.
May 7 - 25, 2013, My course at K-12 schools in City of Pikeville, KY, from planned 11 hours rose to 24 hours.
Sept 24, 2011, I got 10 invitations from American Chinese teachers at Kentucky World Language Conference.
                 Then I got another 2 invitation in Sept, 2011.   
Sept 27. 2011, I gave 8 lessons at the Crawford Middle School within one day for their requirement.

May 17, 2020, 61 American students sent me a belt of their paintings from Seymour R-II School in the US.
Sept 26, 2009, 73 American students sent me their letters from Robberson Elementary School to China.

2) Academic Value:
August, 2013, the Division of Teaching Materials at Hanban (The National Leading Group Office of Chinese Language Council International ) / Confucius Institute Headquarters checked the Volume One of my second cross-culture and comprehensive art series 《诗画乐 综合艺术汉语》 and gave it some positive evaluation. Here is a part of their comments:

三、价值

本书立意新颖。作者张一平女士结合自身专业和兴趣,从多年的外语学习和文化艺术研修经验出发,以中国古典诗歌艺术为载体,创作了这套集合诗歌赏析、绘画、音乐的跨文化综合艺术产品。
从对外汉语教学的角度来看,该出版物图文结合,形式多样,又兼备朗读和歌唱音频,能够为海外的汉语学习者提供一种自然、便捷、艺术地学习汉语和中国古典文化的途径。难能可贵的是,其中的诗歌翻译、配画、朗诵及演唱均由张女士个人完成,这无疑体现出作者丰富的知识背景以及较高的才艺水平。
从文化传播的角度来看,作者创新地为古代诗歌配乐、配画,希望在互联网时代为中国诗画这一古老的传统艺术形式赋予全新的传播形式,其探索中国文化艺术在海外传播新途径的尝试也应该值得肯定。

The conception of the book is novelty.

From the perspective of foreign language teaching, the publication has combined the graphics, essays, recitations, singing audio and various forms, it has offered the overseas Chinese learners a natural, convenient and artistic approaches to learn Chinese and Chinese classical culture .

The commendable is: the translations of the poems, the paintings, recitations and singings were all completed by Shirley Yiping Zhang, it undoubtedly indicate her good knowledge background and a high artistic and acqierement level.

From the perspective of cultural transmission, with an innovation style, the author created music, paintings for the classical poems, and she wished to endow the ancient Chinese traditional poetry and painting some totally new transmitting form to deliver Chinese culture abroad should also be worthy of recognition.

3) Actual or Financial Support and Donations from Society

Since I started my cross-culture and comprehensive art seeking, I have been getting some actual financial support from America and China.

2013 – 2014, my younger brother offered over 10,000 USD on paying the cost of my 2 albums, delivering them to Shenzhen and the USA for me and the other cost on supporting my little cross-cultural and comprehensive art dream.
July to Aug, 2015, a senior English teacher and my sister Xiaogang Zhang checked and corrected all articles I wrote for the album for free.
June 20, 2015, Vice Director Zhang Shuliang of a Subsidiary of China's Securities Regulatory Commission donated 500 RMB / 80USD to support my art study in Beijing.
2005 to 2015, Mr. Mike Joyce from Britain checked and corrected all my drafts for publishing for free.

Feb 1-27, 2014, Ozarks Technique Community College sponsored my 4th Art Exhibition for 1 month for free.
2012 to 2014, my younger brother helped me to print my 3rd and 4th albums of my paintings and delivered them from China to America for free.

May, 2013, owner of Beijing Restaurant of Peckville Eddie Liu donated 900 USD for my work’s advertisement.   
May, 2013, Jinan University published and printed my second series with one book and one DVD (respectively 6000 copies) for free.

May, 2010, Missouri State University sponsored my 2nd art exhibition for 1 months for free.

Sept, 2009, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored my first art exhibition and paid the whole of the cost of the art exhibition for 1 month.

Oct, 2002, Jinan University Press published and printed my first series with 4 books and 4 CDs with 0.93 million words (respectively 6,000 copies ) for me for free.   

V. Prospection: to use for another 10 years ( 2015 to 2025 ), to create and found a top cross-culture and comprehensive art project in the world. In the first phase of 2015 to 2017. I would like to work on 3 aspects:

1. Theoretically: continue to study and try to find the theorized support of the cross-culture and comprehensive art project, hope to complete a disquisition on the flat roof of Chinese National Academy of Arts which is the highest Chinese art research organization and truly write it in the USA, mainly in Springfield, MO.
  Try to not only get my second master degree, but also, to initial a theory in both of Chinese painting and Chinese as a foreign language.

2. Artistically:
1) To create more comprehensive art works while completing and publishing the second volume of the second series publication;
2) Try to give two courses in American K-12 schools.
One is “Poetry, Painting, Music – Comprehensive and Artistic Chinese (Language)” by enjoying and to paint Chinese painting, enjoying music and to sing Chinese poem songs, and to enjoying Chinese calligraphy and to write Chinese characters;
The other course includes 2 or 3 or 4 kinds of traditional Chinese paintings.
Hope to be able to give some elective lessons of the local American schools.
  
  3) Try to open the similar courses in a college and a university; try to give similar courses in some social occasions via the cooperation with the local art organization, library or the other bodies.

4) To hold some new art exhibitions in America and in Australia.

5) To copy the successful part in the USA into Australia.

3. Commercially:
1) To update and found a business platform on line by update my current web site www.ebridge.cn.
2) To find and found a business model while establishing an actual base in the USA.

As a student who has been going on the road of dream seeking for 15 years, I am still working in the phase of study and exploring. I do hope in the process to give the whole of the last half of my life to the career to help more people in the world while improving myself. I do to be able to get your good directions, help and support.

Sincerely

Shirley Yiping Zhang
August,2015
shirley@ebridge.cn
www.ebridge.cn