Photo by Sharolyn B. Hagen
Message from Bruce Karstadt, ASI President & CEO Our major exhibition this spring, Paper Dialogues, brings together the intricate paper art of Danish artist Karen Bit Vejle and Professor Xiaoguang Qiao of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. This collaborative project took root in 2010 when Bit traveled to China to exhibit her work in a culture which gave birth to the art of papercutting (or psaligraphy) more than 1,500 years ago. While there she met Professor Qiao, and despite a language barrier these two kindred spirits began a cross-cultural collaboration which expresses a shared theme — the dragon — through their own unique approaches to this medium. You will be impressed by the art — and we can be grateful for the common language which brought it about. This exhibit is a marvelous example of how art forms can migrate and ultimately lay a foundation for mutual respect and understanding between peoples of different countries and societies. We are pleased to welcome back the finely detailed paper cuttings of Bit and to introduce Professor Qiao’s stunning artwork to our community. Paper Dialogues: The Dragon and Our Stories reflects our commitment to be a place where cultural expressions rooted in the Nordic region intersect with others. These kinds of cultural dialogues are important to us. Another form of dialogue is the relationship created by the two structures on our campus, the 1908 Turnblad Mansion and Carriage House and the Nelson Cultural Center (NCC). The construction of the NCC in 2012 was transformative, and enabled considerable growth in our exhibitions, programs, and services. These structures work in harmony with one another and exemplify our focus upon traditional and contemporary themes, while creating a cohesive campus that benefits
our efforts to serve a much broader and more diverse community than had been possible before. The presence of additional spaces in the NCC was always intended to enable much-needed repair and restoration work in the Mansion and Carriage House. A major effort, described more fully in our last issue of Posten and on our website, will begin in spring 2022, after final approval by the Board in late January. What happens first? Skillful crews will repair stonework, address structural issues with the Mansion’s tower and porte cochère, rebuild the veranda, and restore a significant percentage of 165 windows. We will also thoroughly renovate the Carriage House to serve as the creative hub for our staff and volunteers and to enable ADA-compliant accessibility on all three levels with an elevator. Fundraising will also continue throughout the year ahead to tackle the second phase of our project, which focuses solely on the Mansion’s interiors, mechanical systems, and a reimagination of permanent exhibitions that focus on the role of migration in our evolving American identity. What happens at ASI is made possible only through the dedicated support of our donors, members, and volunteers, through the creative energy of our talented staff, through great trustee leadership, and because of the remarkable spaces we have been given. We are blessed by all this and blessed to serve a remarkable community informed by its past which seeks to be enriched by its links with the world beyond. Thank you and may the year ahead bring you new insights and possibilities, and may the world become more hospitable for all.
Bruce Karstadt, ASI President & CEO POSTEN
FEB–APR 2022
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