5

After we decide our artworks, we need to connect with the staff in Korea. We need to know the number and the style of their works. Then we can design the area in the exhibition for them. Also, they will have some students and teachers come here. That means we need to organize a lot things for them, such as translator, hotel, and transport. Another important thing is we need their information to create the database. This process is response by my experienced supervisors; they have the connection details of the institution in Korea. At this stage, my work is organizing the information of artworks, trying to find some similarities between Chinese traditional paintings and Korean paintings. This may help us in the design process. In this process, I also get the chance to know and study the characters of Korean paintings. As we know, Korean painting has a lot of similarities with Chinese paintings, but through these works, I think the big difference is the colour. For Chinese paintings, we can use colours to express the idea, but we usually prefer to use black and white, because too much colours may disperse the full image. It hard to explain clearly, you can see this as a kind of traditions. We also have some famous colour tradition paintings, but the main style is still the black and white. The style of Korean paintings is like to use colours. In the exhibition, I find almost half of their works use bright colours, and some use more than five colours in one painting that is really different with Chinese paintings. This deference is one point of this exhibition; we study and communicate with them. Finally, we get 30 sample images from them, which include paintings, photos and crafts. This information can be used in the next stage.

4

The first stage of the annual China-Korea calligraphy and painting exhibition is art work selection. The exhibition didn’t have a theme; the main purpose of the exhibition is the communication between two countries with the special group. The exhibition is displaying in Changchun this year, so we response to take a big party of the exhibition. All the artworks of the exhibition are from our students. We put a note first, to ask students submit two works for each one, and the subject and style are free. You can give us Chinese traditional paintings, calligraphies, photos, crafts, and paintings. Every style is welcome in the exhibition, however, not all works can display in the exhibition. Every teacher of the subject is the judge of their area. I need to organize all works, and separate them for teachers. At this time, I can see all the works first and choose my favourites, and then compare with the choice of teachers. This can give me an idea what is the difference and how to evaluate some works. Especially in Chinese traditional paintings, some evaluations are really different with western paintings. We focus on the spirit of the work which may appears on colour, space, objects scheme and technique of drawing. The colour can explain as different level of the ink. Usually, Chinese traditional paintings prefer black and white style; so the different level of the ink is the method to express the space. This process helps me to get more knowledge and practice to know and evaluate these paintings. We spend a week to choose art works, some of these are really amazing works, which cannot be believed belonging to students. I cannot show you these works, this is so sad. Finally, we choose more than 200 works in all areas, which is huge challenging for design the exhibition. This is the problem; I don’t think we can display so many collections in our gallery. However, the exhibition was going on.

3

My general work in the institution

In this institution, I was mainly responsible for two tasks, assisting two teachers in Fine Arts to develop teaching strategies, and to prepare annual China-Korea calligraphy and painting exhibition of the elderly. Before the exhibition, I need to assist two teachers for traditional Chinese fine art. The first day, I just prepared the teaching staff for teachers, and then as a student in a class. Through this process; I have more ideas about the traditional Chinese painting. This is really useful experience for me. If I work in China, such kind of art works takes a major role in museums. There is too much knowledge that needs to know. And this is a real studying process in my intern. After few days, I also need to help other students in the class. I need to talk with them after the class and get more feedback for lectures, and then communicated with teachers and find out solutions. The questions and feedback are improving the quality of class. At the same time, students can have clear and efficient communication with us. My important responsibility is as a member in all the process of annual China-Korea calligraphy and painting exhibition. This process includes artwork selection, advertising, exhibition prepare, exhibition design, exhibition opening, and exhibition recording. The teachers and my supervisor were taking the leader of the exhibition. I just did everything I can do for the exhibition and follow their roles.

2

This journal, I want to introduce the institution of my intern. It is an educational institution in my hometown. It focuses on the art education of local senior citizens. It includes classes of dancing, calligraphy, photography, sketch, painting, traditional Chinese painting, crafts making and others. It aims to make an interesting retired living for local citizens. These classes are not free to public, but just with few fees which are for some materials. It opens to public, but limits within the special background of the student. It isn’t need students have the background of the class, but the special background of their working institution. There is a list, only institutions and companies on the list, their retired employees can study in this “college”. Usually these institutions and companies are belonging to the government. However, the biggest sponsor of this institution is local government and the purpose is trying to involving more local senior citizens. So it is trying to attract more senior people to join classes. The institution has its own gallery that is displaying some Chinese traditional art works. Every year, it has an exhibition for all students. We choose some works and display them to the public. There is an important exhibition every year, which is a corporate exhibition with a similar institution of Korean.  I should give you some information, you know, there are so many similarities between traditional Chinese art and Korean art; and my hometown is near South Korean and North Korea, we always have some communications and exchanges with these two countries. This exhibition is the important experience of my internship and I will introduce it later. I just want to say that, the institution has really high level art education in my city, especially in the aspect of traditional Chinese art work. For traditional Chinese art, the worth of artwork is always equal to the age of artist. Some of these students are famous artist in China; they just want to find a flexible environment to communicate. I really like this opportunity to work here; it has its special position in the city.

The first journal

Brief situation of museums and galleries in China

In China, museums and galleries have very different situation. Museums are usually belonging to states and governments. Some important museums of culture and history are founded and supported by the government. These kinds of museums such as National Museum of China, Shanxi History Museum and Nanjing Museum have plentiful finance supports from the national and local government. All of these museums introduce the trace and history of Chinese of civilization and show the change and transformation of social life and the tradition. Such kind of museum is the most famous and popular museum in China. However, these museums are always not free to the public: because the entrance fee is an important income of museums. Some museums are the most popular tourist attractions of the local state. One example is Museum of the Terra- cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang. Since the museum’s opening to the public, it already has more than 50 million visitors.

Galleries are usually founded by private or organizations. They are usually survived by art business and other sponsors. These galleries are ways relevant with contemporary art. Currently, private art galleries usually display in some important cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. In other cities, few private galleries have survival space and continue for a long time. However, private galleries are increasing in China, the environment of art and galleries is developing. In China, a new management style of museums has been developed, that is, some private galleries and art studios have a cooperation to constitute an art zoon. “798” is an example of artistic community in Beijing, which can hold more than 1000 guests: 1000 square meters and up to 9 meters high structural exhibition. It includes galleries, shops, design studios, restaurants and other cultural institutions. The high lever and various exhibitions in different galleries attract visitors and researching groups. It can solve their financial issue with some commercial shows and trades. It is a positive example of galleries developing in China.

These are just general information of the situation, I just want you have some basic ideas. Also, another important point in China is the policy, or you can understand as the power of the party. All the formal museums which funded by the government, need to follow the policy of the party. That means the limit of the art, and with more political voice or purpose. This is really sad thing of our developing.