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The "Art Specialist Course 2011 – 12 Graduation cum Alumni (Chinese Calligraphy and Ink-painting) Exhibition" will be held at the exhibition hall of the Hong Kong City Hall from today to January 30. The exhibition will feature about 160 works by fresh graduates of the course, as well as by instructors and alumni, on Chinese calligraphy and ink-painting, presenting an ideal opportunity for sharing and mutual exchange among the young artists and veterans, thus inspiring future artwork and creativity.
Officiating at today's opening ceremony were the Assistant Director (Heritage and Museums) of Leisure and Cultural Services, Dr Louis Ng; Art Specialist Course Co-ordinators, Mr Leung Kui-ting (Ink - painting) and Mr Tsang Kwong-choi (Chinese Calligraphy); and the Chief Curator of the Art Promotion Office, Ms Lesley Lau.
Organised by the Art Promotion Office (APO), the Art Specialist Course has now completed its tenth year, during which the disciplines of Chinese calligraphy and ink-painting were covered. The course provided opportunities for students to learn and ppractiseunder the mentoring of course coordinators Mr Tsang Kwong-choi and Mr Leung Kui-ting. Throughout the course, the students were encouraged to pursue their own individual artistic directions.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Dr Ng noted that great changes have taken place in the local art arena in recent years. The APO, in response to these changes, has been expanding its work. The APO co-operates with different art and cultural bodies in different ways to promote and enhance the development of local art and culture, as well as nurturing the ecology of the art field in Hong Kong.
"The APO has spent a great deal of effort and resources in organising the Art Specialist Course over the past years. Through its well-structured and colourful curriculum, the APO has brought together friends of art who share the same interest and mission. This friendly, artistic cohesion has become a force to keep them creating continuously. Some of them have taken the initiative to organise an art society after graduation and have continued their artistic creation as well as holding exhibitions," Dr Ng said.
Offered by the APO since 2001, the ten-month Art Specialist Course is designed for art lovers who seek specialised training and development in art. The course combines theory and practice, including workshops, visits to exhibitions and artist studios, lectures and tutorials, allowing students to develop their art creation.
The exhibition will be held in the exhibition hall of Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, and is normally open from 9am to 8pm. The exhibition will close at 5pm on Lunar New Year's eve, at 2pm on January 30, and is closed on the first day of the Lunar New Year (January 23).
Furthermore, the 2012-2013 Art Specialist Course, which offers training in painting, printmaking and sculpture under the instruction of professional artists and instructors with a wealth of teaching experiences, is now open for application and the deadline is February 25. Application forms can be obtained from the Visual Arts Centre at 7A Kennedy Road, Central, or downloaded from the website of the Art Promotion Office.
For details of the "Art Specialist Course 2011 – 12 Graduation cum Alumni (Chinese Calligraphy and Ink-painting) Exhibition" and the new edition of the Art Specialist Course, please call the Art Promotion Office at 2521 3008 or visit the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Apo/en/programmes20120101_4.html.
Ends/Friday, January 20, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:31
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