Eight prints from the 37th New Year Prints Exhibition of R.O.C. – Joyful Tiger Harvesting Happiness, organized by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA), will become part of the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL)’s art print collection and be available for all residents living within the library’s service area to check out and take home at no cost. To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Taiwanese American Heritage Week, the AADL, in collaboration with the Michigan Taiwanese American Organization, will also be hosting a series of events at its Downtown branch, including a one-month exhibition from May 1-31.
Huichun Chang, director of the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, explained that “Last October, when my colleague and I visited the Ann Arbor District Library, I was amazed at the AADL’s art print collection, which provides hundreds of pieces for its patrons to borrow for free. I thought that it could provide an excellent opportunity for us and NTMoFA to introduce some breathtaking works from the annual New Year prints exhibition to the local community. Therefore, NTMoFA donated two copies of eight separate prints to the library this year. I am very grateful to help expand the connection between Ann Arbor and Taiwan.”
On behalf of the AADL, Emily Howard from the Public Experience and Desk Service Department expressed deep gratitude, stating that “We are honored to have the prints in our collection… As part of our stewardship of these prints, we will frame all sixteen, display eight of them at our Downtown location for one month . . . publicize the collection on our website and social media, and enter them into our circulating art print collection for our patrons to enjoy.”
Since 1974, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture has been calling for submissions for this unique and festive New Year exhibition. Because prints are easily replicable, they can reach a larger audience and bring joy to the public. Nowadays, the purpose of New Year prints has evolved from the need for scenic decoration to a demonstration of various printmaking techniques, as well as a platform for creative depictions of both traditional and contemporary culture.
According to NTMoFA, there were 198 total entries in this year’s exhibition, of which six were awarded first prizes. In addition, two artists were invited to create commissioned works: Liu Hsi-Chuan’s “Tiger with Wings” demonstrates the majestic nature of tigers and incorporates auspicious elements, while prints of Paul Chiang’s “Jinzun 21” capture the delicate use of colors and three-dimensional texture that are found in his original oil painting.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
Ann Arbor District Library: https://aadl.org/
Michigan Taiwanese American Organization: https://mitaiaa.weebly.com/
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA, 國立台灣美術館): https://www.ntmofa.gov.tw/en/
Paul Chiang (江賢二): https://www.paulchiang.org/art-center
Taiwan Society of Printmaking (中華民國版畫學會): https://www.taiwan-printmaking.org/