Coordinating, sponsoring, and presenting high quality programs in all disciplines of art, and encouraging cross cultural exchange between artists from Taiwan and artists in North America of various ethnicities by enabling them to exhibit, perform, publication, and produce their work in the United States.
Identifying and granting financial assistance to deserving Taiwanese-American artists and organizations, and assisting them in forming a network for sharing information, resources and funding.
Building awareness and appreciation of Taiwanese art in North America by promoting individual artists and by forging alliances with other cultural and art organizations.
Encouraging scholarship in the arts by commissioning academic essays outlining artistic significance, and publishing catalogs, books, and advertising material to bring Taiwanese American art to the attention of the broader international community.
Background
The Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC) was established in 2014 to carry forward the mission of the Taiwanese Art Endowment Fund, which led to the creation of the Taiwan Gallery at the Queens Museum of Art. Professional art curator Luchia Meihua Lee, with support from Taiwanese community leader Dr. Lung Fong Chen, and former Queens Museum director Tom Finkelpearl, provided advisory vision, consultation, and assistance with securing office space. Also, Patrick Huang and Thomas Chen joined forces to help realize this vision, alongside contributions from Prof. Liao Shiou Ping, a pioneer of modern printmaking in Taiwan, who provided the initial funding.
TAAC's mission is to support Taiwanese artists, scholars, and specialists in the arts. The organization aims to assist cultural and art leaders across various fields, extending its support to all states in the U.S. and all counties in Taiwan, with plans for annual expansion.
Herewith a few examples of how TAAC has fulfilled the mission outlined above.
In 2023-2024, TAAC was selected as a residency organization on Governors Island, where we have been active from May to the end of October. During this period, we have organized artist studio programs, exhibitions, performances, workshops, seminars, talks, and more. These initiatives have benefited over 80 artists in two years and have engaged with more than 700,000 visitors to the island.
In 2023, we organized the NYC Art Bridge: Wellness through Art program in collaboration with Yale University Medical School and several Ivy League psychiatric groups, named CHATogether, collaborated with Dr. Eunice Yuan to fullfil the programs. This program featured exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and interviews focused on the intersection of art and wellness.
2019 to 2020: TAAC organized an exhibition of contemporary art entitled Urban Tribes-Urban Caravan involving 20 artists and taking place at New York Foundation for the Arts, E. Tay Gallery, and El Taller Latino Americano, and in Light Year on the Manhattan Bridge anchorage (July 4 and September 5).
2017: TAAC arranged a major exhibition of visual art entitled Rewoven at Queens College, Queensborough Community College, and Williamsburg's El Museo de los Sures. Rewoven included artists from Taiwan and artists from New York City, and considered how contemporary artists are reworking the definition of fabric art by using innovative methods, unusual materials, and recycled resources. TAAC facilitated an exchange between New York artists affiliated with COPE-NYC and the Soulangh Cultural Center in Tainan, Taiwan. Artists from Tainan visited New York and their residency culminated in a public exhibition entitled Fully Loaded at the former Pfizer building in Brooklyn. Conversely, artists from New York City undertook a residency in Tainan.
2015-16: TAAC mounted The Moment, an exhibition at 5 venues (Queens Botanical Garden, Queens Museum, New York Hall of Science, Flushing Meadow/Corona Park, and Tenri Gallery in Manhattan)
Goals and Objectives
Help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from Taiwan and friends of Taiwan of different ethnicities to exhibit, perform, and produce their work here.
Work cooperatively with colleagues around the US to broaden our collective audiences and to form a network for sharing information, resources, and funding.
Supports all artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk, and innovative forms influenced by the arts of Taiwan.
Build awareness of Taiwanese art in North America. Promote and build alliances with other organizations.
Founding Members
Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen, Luchia Meihua Lee
Founding President Dr. Lung Fong Chen (陳隆豐）
Founding members: Patrick Huang （黄再添）
Founding members: Thomas Chen (陳秋貴）
Founding Executive Director Luchia Meihua Lee （李美華）
Honorary Chairman Prof. Liao Shiou Ping （廖修平）
May 2014 to now, the change of TAAC Board trustee, and working team
2014 May Board members: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2015 Board members: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2016 Board members: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2017 Board members: Patrick Huang
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2018 Board members: Patrick Huang
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2019 Board members: Patrick Huang
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2020 Board members: Patrick Huang, Ming Chiang, Thomas Chen
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2021 Board members: Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2022 Board members: Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen, Patsy Chen, Ming Chiang
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2023 Board members: June-May 2024 Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen, Patsy Chen, Ming Chiang
President: Dr. Lung Fong Chen, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee
2024 June - Yang Tzu-Shong, Patrick Huang, Thomas Chen, Patsy Chen, Ming Chiang
President: Yang Tzu-Shong, Executive Director: Luchia Meihua Lee, Deputy Director: Li-Hsiang Huang
Other Board Member: Patsy Chen, Ming Chiang
About Patsy Chen 方秀蓉
Patsy Chen Born in Taipei/Taiwan, 1968 move to Chicago/ Illinois. Chen graduated from National Taiwan University of Art(國立台灣藝術專科學校) in1968 major in Piano Performance, and in 1980, she earn M.S of Music Education from New York University. she worked as Secretary of Medical Education Department at Norwegian – American Hospital, Chicago, Illinois from 1968 to1970. Then she was Piano Instructor from1978 to Present. and worked as president of KYVAS Arts Management Inc from1989 to1993. from1986 to Present, Chen is the coordinator of Concert management, promotion and tour production. Also, Chen was the Community Liaison of Queens Symphony Orchestra from1993 to2003. more, she is the Artistic Director of Youth Orchestra, CYCNY (www.YouthOrchestra.com) from1998 to Present. Chen’s accomplishments includes:1.Concert Productions and International Concert Tours, 2.Community Services in Greater New York and at Taiwanese-American Community 3. Taiwan Center Deputy chairwoman (紐約台灣會館副理事長) in 2016 until now.
http://www.patsychen.com
About Ming Chiang 江明信
Ming Chiang is the President and Founder of Biacomm Inc., which is a developer and manufacturer of zero emissions industrial equipment to replace gasoline/diesel power equipment. He has been the President of Yu Shan Company (since 2005), a furniture manufacturer established in 1969. Yu Shan is the most senior Taiwanese member with the International Housewares Association, and has been a member since 1977. They have two locations, in New York and Las Vegas. He is the President and founder of Casual Home Worldwide (since 1989), a distributor of luggage, furniture, small electronics, and various consumer products. He is the Managing Director and Founder of Casual Home (Thailand) Co., LTD (since 1998), a manufacturer of wood furniture. The company currently employs about 400 associates.
From 2012 to present, he has been the Director of the American Red Cross of Long Island. From 2019 to present, he has been the Founder and President of Hello Taiwan, Ltd. 501(C3) A non-profit organization to promote Taiwan. From 2019 to present, he has been the Market Director of Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. From 2020 to present, he has been a board member of the Long Island Association. LIA is a 100 year trade association with 10,000+ members. Ming is proud to be its first and only Taiwanese-American serving on its board. Ming graduated from Polytechnic University of New York in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
About our working team:
Luchia Meihua Lee, Executive Director, Chief curator
Dr. Kenneth Howell, Senior editor, Advisor, liaison to the city government sector
2024
Li-Hsiang Huang, Deputy Director, Associate Curator, to assist the fulfilment of TAAC exchange project in connection with the culture and arts of Taiwan
References:
Taiwanese in NY, interview Patrick Huang, the BAS Founder 【台灣人在紐約 EP5：布魯克林藝站創辦人，黃再添專訪】https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2539421076306380
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2539421076306380
https://taiwaneseamericanhistory.org/blog/77-回首那段難辛壓迫的歲月-楊次雄-201412/
Partners and Supporters
Peoples’ Movements 太陽花十周年
Sunflower Movement 10th Anniversary
The programs is support in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council
Peoples’ Movements: Sunflower 10th Year Anniversary
人民的運動：太陽花十周年
Shining Sung, the US representative of CHIMEI Museum
Patsy Chen, Artistic Director at Youth Orchestra, CYCNY
Kenneth Howell, Senior Editor
布魯克林藝站（Brooklyn Artists Studio--BAS）http://www.bas-ny.org/
Jack and Dorothy Kupferberg Family Foundation
Amerasia Bank http://abfny.websites.fxfn.com/index.php
Bank of Hope