2019 Han Festival: Search for New Brush Spirit
Origin
Han characters have been a great influence on several cultures in Eastern Asia, just like Latin to Western languages. Han characters are still used in many Asian languages today.
Han characters not only plays a key role in understanding Chinese culture, but also display several interesting features, like the transformation of their shape, the beauty of Chinese calligraphy, and the wisdom behind the creation of each character.
This year, the well-known Chinese calligrapher, Mr. Weiming Lu will come to the Han Festival to share his deep knowledge about Han characters. Before retirement, Mr. Weiming Lu worked as an architect and had been the advisor for urban planning and development in Twin Cities and many other cities in US and the world. His professional skill in architecture and artistic sense is beautifully demonstrated in his creative artwork of Han characters.
Moreover, we will demonstrate the new function in our homebred computer App, Talking Zebra, designed and developed by Taiwan Online Library. The App helps people learn Chinese in a fun way. The App can pronounce Chinese word or phrase when the user scans a QR code designed for individual object or English word.
Besides, creatively-designed game booths expects to motivate the audience to learn about Han characters in a memorable way. For instance, The Fun of Drawing Han Character allows participants to draw in an artistic and creative way. Han Character Lantern and Papercut Art are wonderful hands-on activities inspired by decorative Han characters. Han Character Megaphone engages participants to communicate the message in Chinese in a fun way.
There will be game points and gifts for players as reward.
Beside the games, there are books from Taiwan Online Library for check out on the spot.
In the end of the event, please stay and enjoy delicious Taiwanese dessert and tea. We would love to meet you and listen to your feedback about this event.
Due to limited seats, please sign up in your early convenience to reserve spots and help us prepare the right amount of material.
We looking forward to seeing you.
Best regards,
Taiwan Online Library
Lecture : Search for New Brush Spirit
Weiming Lu, Chinese Calligrapher
Shan Shui Studio
Weiming Lu grew up in an architect family, arts and architecture have always been important to his life. He studied and practiced traditional calligraphy of Liu Gong-Quan and Wang Xi-chi since school days, and studied with contemporary Master Wang Dong-Ling of China in the 1990's.
He had his first exhibit with painter Wucius Wong and poet/calligrapher Pat Hui in Minneapolis in 1985. Since then, he has exhibited in art centers and galleries in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Japan, and China, including the Phipps Center for the Arts in Wisconsin; Alumni Gallery at Augsburg College; Traffic Zone Gallery in Minneapolis, and SONY Gallery in Osaka, Japan.
He was invited to do a Solo Exhibition in the China National Academy of Arts in 1997; and participating in the International Calligraphy Exhibitions at the Academy in 2005, 2010, and 2015, and Lanting Biannual Exhibit in 2012,2014, and 2016.
He has given many lectures on his works in U.S., China, and Japan; including Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Freer Gallery in Smithsonian Institute, Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., China Institute in University of Minnesota, and China National Art Academy in Hangzhou, China.
The Hangzhou Television made a film of his Chinese calligraphy, integrating brush with computer. The Twin Cities Public Television had filmed his Chinese calligraphy for their Minnesota Original Program in 2015.
His works were published in China, Taiwan, and Japan including the Contemporary Calligraphy magazine in China, the Sumi Calligraphy magazine in Japan, and the Global View magazine in Taiwan. A number of books on Chinese calligraphy by noted Chinese calligrapher have shown his works. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the China National Academy of Arts have acquired a number of his works.
His urban design works has been exhibited in Walker Arts Center, and Dallas Arts Museum, made into films for United Nation Habitat Conference. Twin Cites Public Television has made a film of his work in Saint Paul, titled "Lowertown: The Rise of a New Urban Village".
He has won many awards for his city planning and development works including the First Quadrennial Presidential Design Award in 1985.
He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Public Art Saint Paul for many years. He is an Advisor to the Modern Calligraphy Center of the China National Art Academy. He is a Fellow of The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture.
PBS report:
Demo: Talking Zebra App
Talking Zebra App is designed for learning Chinese.
After downloading and installing the app, you can scan a QR code that represents words (either Chinese or English) with the app. Then, the app can pronounce in Chinese. For instance, you will hear the pronunciation of "apple" in Chinese while scanning the code associated with the word or the object, apple in this case.
The QR code can be generated by any software, or online website.
Please download and other detail the App, please refer web site for more detail.
http://tolib.org/TalkingZebra
You can pick a character, a phrase, or a sentence, and we will generate a QR code for it. After that, you can practice it anytime anywhere.
Calligraphy
Writing Chinese calligraphy may lead you to appreciate the rhythmic strokes of Han characters.
The Fun of Drawing Han Character
Do you want to share your fantastic and magic paintings to the public? Do you wonder if one day you could be an author? Now! This opportunity is coming soon! Taiwan Online Library will be holding an event called “Everyone Can Be a Painter”, because we realize that everyone is a unique artist in the world. The topic of this year is Draw My Fantastic Word World! Even the same Han Character, people have various imaginations and different feelings in their mind. Thus, we desire to design a unique drawing book, which combines various paintings describing Han Character, with you. Let’s use our creativity and imaginaton to create our own painting book and share it with the public!
Step 2: Paint the drawing related to the Han Character you selected
Step 3: Briefly describe your drawing and/or tell a story related to the Han Character you picked. For example, an elephant is playing at the river. Or, one day, an elephant is playing at the river and bumping into a friend who has been out of touch for a long time…
Step 4: Don’t forget to leave your name (or pen name) and other information
Step 5: Congratulations! You have become a Han Character Painter
DIY Lantern with Han Character
Lanterns were invented to be used as a primary light source both for indoor and outdoor use. The design of the lantern is to be protected from the wind, so it doesn't go out due to the breeze. Today, lanterns are used not only for decoration but also as a form of celebration and worship. Lanterns can often be seen in homes and public places such as temples.
Come join us in creating your own lantern by decorating it however you like.
Han Character Papercuts
The symmetrical pattern is commonly found in Han characters. The Papercut Art displays the feature of Han characters with interesting learning experience.
At this booth, the visitors will learn how to make papercuttings for symmetrical Han characters through pre-made templates, and they may design new patterns using the provided tools. More advanced examples will also be demonstrated, such as double-happiness (囍), 3-dimensional 春 (spring), and some one-cut shapes (the shapes that can be obtained by applying one single straight cut on the folded paper).
What is in the box ?
Each Han character has a unique shape. You may learn Han characters through touching the character and it is a new and fun way to learn Han characters.
Tips for this station: Close your eyes. Take one Han character out of our treasure box. Feel the shape of the Han character through touching and tell us which Han character you grabbed from our provided list! The gatekeeper will tell you more fun facts about the Han character you grabbed.
Han Character Megaphone
This game aims to let people learn the Han Characters of Taiwanese famous traditional festivals, religious activities, and gourmet/snacks; people can practice reading and speaking Han Characters to deliver the correct message. There are three or four people in each round: first person will be given a word card with the corresponding image, and then he/she needs to deliver what he/she sees in the image to the next person within 30 seconds (without mentioning the "exact" name of the activity or gourmet); the following people need to do the same thing as the first person. The last person will then be given four word cards to choose what he/she gets from previous people in 30 seconds.
Radical Chinese
Radical Chinese has three levels of play (blue, yellow and red) that cover more than 90 radicals.
The blue level is the most basic, covering 30 of the more common radicals and has only 6 radicals displayed on each card making it easier to find a match. The yellow and red levels each cover over 50 radicals, 30 new ones along with approximately 20 from previous levels for review. Yellow and red levels have 8 radicals displayed on each card.
All cards have two sides. One side displays only the radical while the other side has both the radical and the pinyin for each radical. This allows beginners to play the games using the side with the pinyin to learn the radical names. Advanced players can use the radical only side and use the side with the pinyin to check their knowledge or confirm any disputes or questions that may arise during play.
Event date and time
Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Sign Up
Please click the number of seats you desire to reserve. Then an email will pop up. Please just send the email without changing the subject or content of the email. You will receive an email notification after signing up successfully. Please contact us if you have any question. Email: librarian@tolib.org
Sponsors
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Best cream puff in town.
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Provide you fresh premium tea directly shipped from Taiwan
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Minneapolis' first Open Kitchen Dim Sum! Great Service and Atmosphere!
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Luther Hopkins Honda is one of the finest Honda dealerships in the country.
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Potbelly provides fresh, fast and friendly sandwiches.
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Taiwanese old fashion bubble tea shop, bring back the taste in your memories.
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Organizations
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Event Hoster Taiwan Online Library |
Established in 2009, the Taiwan Online Library hosts 2 to 4 events every year, like concert, film festival, and a Han culture festival. Book services have been and will be provided for each event.
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Event Sponsor Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago |
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago (TECO-Chicago), overseen by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States , serves Taiwan citizens in the Midwestern United States and the interests of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Since 1979, TECO-Chicago has functioned as the Midwest regional branch of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, which is located in Washington, D.C. Taiwan is one of the most prosperous, democratic, and politically mature countries in the world. Taiwan values the principles of democracy, free speech, human rights, religious freedom, humanitarianism, and market economics, which are hallmarks of the United States of America. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago will continue its efforts to expand and strengthen the economic, cultural, and other ties to the U.S. Midwest, to enhance mutual cooperation and security between Taiwan and the United States far into the 21st century. Not only do these relations and efforts serve the goals and interests of both of our peoples, but also the greater cause of stability, security, peace, and economic development in the Asia-Pacific region. |
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Event Sponsor Overseas Community Affairs Council |
The Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago is located on 55 E. 63rd St., Westmont, IL, 60559. The Center provides various products and services in meeting the needs of the Taiwanese community, such as renting meeting rooms, lending books, providing material for learning Chinese, and so on.
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Contact
Email：librarian@tolib.org
Event Photos
