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May 10, 2007
Art Exhibition Forges Cultural and Educational Relationships in China
“Art in America: 300 Years of Innovation,” an historic art exhibition sponsored by Alcoa Foundation, is telling the story of America and its people to international audiences. Close to one million people are expected to view this first survey of American art ever shown in China during its display in Beijing (February-March 2007) and Shanghai (May-June 2007). As lead sponsor, Alcoa Foundation is using the exhibition to foster cultural understanding in our global communities, build educational relationships, and stimulate cross-cultural programs.
Investing Philanthropically in China
“Art in America: 300 Years of Innovation” gives Chinese audiences and the country’s rapidly developing contemporary art scene the opportunity to see an impressive suite of iconic works of American art—from historic portraits of George Washington and other founders to Andy Warhol pop art and some contemporary multimedia installations—all depicting aspects of America’s history, society, and cultural development. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in partnership with the Terra Foundation for American Art (Chicago, Illinois, USA) organized the exhibition. Alcoa Foundation previously sponsored another Guggenheim exhibition―called “RUSSIA!”―which brought Russian art masterpieces and national treasurers to the United States. That positive experience, along with Alcoa’s business activities in China and Russia, prompted the current exhibition.
According to Meg McDonald, Alcoa Foundation President, supporting the exhibition made sense on many levels. The growth of Alcoa operations in China has provided opportunities to engage a new set of Alcoa stakeholders and communities. Alcoa currently employs more than 2,700 people in China across 18 locations and is a strategic partner and the largest foreign investor in the Chinese aluminum industry. “Alcoa Foundation grants address global and local needs,” said McDonald. “Over the past five years, we have committed project funding of nearly US$4 million on educational, environmental, and social programs in China, looking to bring the same community engagement and philanthropic support to these newer Alcoa communities—just as we do wherever in the world Alcoa operates.”
Alcoa’s commitment impressed Thomas Krens, director of the Guggenheim Foundation, which has promoted cross-cultural exchanges with China since 1996 and recently presented “China: 5000 Years” in the U.S. “At every turn in the planning of ‘Art in America,’ we have been impressed by the deep and longstanding commitment at Alcoa Foundation and by the Alcoa leadership to promoting an understanding of the heritage and culture of China, with whom the company has had longstanding operations and business partnerships,” he said.
Three-Century Overview
“Art in America” features approximately 160 works of American art from collections throughout the U.S. and Europe that capture the natural and cultural experience of America over six historical periods:
- Colonization and Rebellion (1700–1830)
- Expansion and Fragmentation (1830–1880)
- Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism (1880–1915)
- Modernism and Regionalism (1915–1945)
- Prosperity and Disillusionment (1945–1980)
- Multiculturalism and Globalization (1980–present)
Integral to the exhibition are its educational components that reach out to younger and regional Chinese audiences and schools. The Guggenheim education staff partnered with their curatorial and education colleagues at the Chinese museums hosting “Art in America” to make the exhibition relevant to their regional audiences. A modular, bilingual educator’s guide was designed to help teachers use the exhibition’s content in classrooms and support student learning and creativity into the future long after the exhibition ends. Other educational aspects include a library exchange program, docent training, and public lectures on American art.
Museums as Global Bridges
China’s dynamic economic performance, its burgeoning middle class, and the intense international focus leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics are stimulating an explosion of interest in art, culture, and international influences. Benefiting from this are Chinese art museums, which are attracting record numbers of visitors. Museums have become global bridges by importing international art exhibitions that expose visitors to western images and ideas.
In July, the exhibition moves to Moscow, Russia, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between Russia and the U.S. Later this year and into 2008, it will travel to Bilbao, Spain, as part of the Guggenheim Museum’s 10th anniversary celebration. Alcoa Foundation and Alcoa are also sponsoring the exhibition in these venues to further successful cultural exchanges with communities in Russia and Spain.
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