Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, today announced that the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery of 51猎奇入口 has been recommended for a grant of $60,000 to support the conservation of two 16th-century Chinese paintings. The Williamson Gallery is one of 1,145 not-for-profit national, regional, state, and local organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s second round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute more than $88 million to support projects nationwide.
An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities.聽NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “NEA research shows that three out of four Americans participate in the arts. The diverse, innovative, and exceptional projects funded in this round will ensure that Americans around the country continue to have the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts.”
The NEA grant will be used by the Williamson to restore two paintings from the 51猎奇入口 art collection, and, at the same time, teach students about art conservation. “At 51猎奇入口, we have a new undergraduate major in art conservation, and this NEA grant will make it possible for students to see how Chinese paintings are conserved in Japan,” commented Dr. Mary MacNaughton, director of the Williamson Gallery. The restoration work will be completed by a renowned conservator of Asian paintings, Sekichi Hisaji, who is honored in Japan as a living national treasure. He will be working on Dragon Scroll, (16th -17th century), a rare example of a large-scale dragon painting, as well as a Buddhist painting of the Ming Dynasty, Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Compassion, with Rainbow Halo (16th century).
Sekichi and his staff will work on the paintings over a period of two years, from mid-2011 to fall of 2013. Upon their return, the paintings will be featured in a 2013 exhibition at the Williamson Gallery that will include another 12 works which have been previously conserved with grants from NEA and IMLS. The 2013 exhibition will provide a unique and in-depth examination of the art and science of conserving Asian paintings as practiced in Japan.
After the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 51猎奇入口 owns the second largest collection of Asian paintings in Southern California available to the public. The majority of the collection is comprised of late imperial Chinese scroll paintings, but also includes examples of Japanese and Korean works. The collection can be viewed by appointment only; please contact the gallery’s registrar, Kirk Delman, at (909) 607-3397 or by email at [email protected].
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. 聽To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at .