osage art foundation introduction
The Osage Art Foundation is an international not-for-profit
philanthropic organisation devoted to building creative communities and
promoting cultural cooperation.
The arts help us to understand who we are, where we come from, where
we are going and what we want to be.
They are an essential part of describing new information, new ideas and new
values.
The Osage Art Foundation aims to bring to the art world new voices,
new vision, new ideas and new styles; to present art that spurs the
imagination; to present work that addresses local issues, national concerns,
and universal themes and work that celebrates diversity and difference. The Osage Art Foundation aims to
celebrate the achievements of humanity together with its limitations and
failures.
The Osage Art Foundation raises funds and supports a range of
programs that help young people come to a better understanding and appreciation
of art and help improve relations between people of different cultures.
osage art foundation goals
Creative Communities
We believe that the arts play an
important part in the life of every member of the community. We aim to help increase community
participation in the arts through education and better access and understanding
in order to help shape a future in which the arts play a vital role in everyday
life.
Cultural Cooperation
International cultural exchanges
facilitate deeper and better understanding between people of different
cultures. We aim to help break down
barriers between cultures while maintaining and preserving the things that make
them distinctively different.
Creative Capacity
Resources are vital if artists and
communities are to engage with the arts and enjoy a rich cultural life. We aim to help improve the vitality and
viability of the arts.
osage art foundation achievements
children are our future
The Osage Art Foundation believes that every society should strive
to become a creative community. We
believe that the aesthetic appreciation of art is vital to the well being of
any society and should be accessible to all.
The Osage Art Foundation is
committed to improving the links between education and the arts. Our projects
help broaden people’s perspectives on different ways and means of expression.
We have a particular interest in
early childhood art education as it provides the building blocks of all art
education and the foundation of skills necessary for contemporary life.
Certain basic skills are implicit in
all art education. Through observation, perception, expression, communication,
technical skills and creativity children learn the life-long skills of
open-mindedness, innovative thinking, technical skill and cultural awareness.
We actively support children’s art education through seminars and
workshops that stimulate children’s interest and participation in art, raising
their self-awareness and nurturing their creativity and critical thinking.
The Osage Art Foundation promotes
and develops innovative best practice in research, and in teaching and
learning.
Children's
Creative Arts Exhibition: Rhapsody of Life
June
2005
The Osage Art Foundation hosted an exhibition of art by children
from the nine nursery schools operated by Hong Kong Christian Service. The exhibition themes included Chinese
Opera, Chek Lap Kok airport,
and the development of Lantau Island. The artworks were inspired by daily
events and social affairs and drawn from children’s simple but unique point of
view.
Ammonites and Petrified
Wood Appreciation Workshop
September 2005
All children love dinosaurs but very few get to experience first
hand the traces of the distant past.
An exhibition and workshop based around a collection of ammonites and
petrified wood from Madagascar
afforded groups of children from the Hong Kong Christian Service nursery
schools the opportunity to play with these objects and to learn about life eons
ago.
Tea Workshop
November 2005
An exhibition by artist Li Xinping titled “Of
Tea I Sing, Of Tea I Drink” merged the physical act of selecting, brewing and
drinking tea with appreciation of the visual arts and gave a group of 5/6 year
old children the opportunity of making their own works based on the physical
and aesthetic qualities of tea.
Interaction with Artist
Chan Sicpo
November - December 2005
Picasso understood perhaps better than anyone the importance of art
to children. He once said “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime
to paint like a child.” At a series
of workshops with artist Chan Sicpo, children from the
nine nursery schools operated by Hong Kong Christian Service had the
opportunity to work directly with an artist and to make their own paintings.
Art Workshop for Teachers
December 2005 - January 2006
In order to help art teachers to develop better focused content and improved
teaching methods the Osage Art Foundation organized a series of seminars for teachers
from the Department of Child Education and Community Services, Vocational
Training Council.
Children’s Creative Arts
Exhibition: Big Shots, Little Shots
February 2006
The Osage Art Foundation donated thirty digital cameras to the nine
nursery schools operated by the Hong Kong Christian Service and encouraged the children
to explore and observe their surroundings and express their ideas with the
means of a camera. An exhibition of
the children’s work captured aspects of their daily life from their unique and
extraordinarily creative points of view.
Hong
Kong Artwalk
March
2006, March 2007, March 2008
The Hong Kong Artwalk is a partnership
between Hong Kong’s commercial galleries and
local bars and restaurants. The
galleries keep their doors open after hours and mount special exhibition while
the bars and galleries sponsor food and drink. For the past three years the Osage Art
Foundation has supported the event and teacher education by buying tickets for
art teachers who may not otherwise be able to attend.
Ceramic
Workshops
May
– June 2006, March 2007
Antonio Wong is one of Hong
Kong’s most exciting young ceramicists. The Osage Art Foundation supported a
series of workshops with him that allowed young children to explore their
creativity through clay.
Children’s
Creative Arts Exhibition: Heart Journey in Love and Dreams
May 2007
Through art, children can learn and understand what their roles are
in society – and how they are the leaders of tomorrow. By making work that was later exhibited
by the Osage Art Foundation, the nursery age children from schools operated by
Hong Kong Christian Service had an opportunity to discover their strengths and
talents, and helped them to visualize how they could utilize these talents to
build and care for their city
Children’s
Creative Arts Exhibition: Colour Fiesta
June 2007
The Osage Art Foundation hosted an uplifting exhibition of art by
children from the nine nursery schools operated by Hong Kong Christian Service. Art is included in the curriculum of
these schools in order to help nurture and enhance the children’s
creativity. They get their
inspiration from nature, traditional culture, art and life. They express their feelings through line
shape pattern and colour. To
children, the world is like a kaleidoscope of ever-changing patterns.
Children’s Creative Arts
Exhibition: Moving Programs
July 2007
This exhibition of art by nursery age
children showed how they express their love for Hong Kong. They were inspired by themes of change
and focused on the redevelopment of the Star Ferry Pier and their urban
regeneration visions for the future of Kwun Tong.
Pacific Early Childhood Education
Research Association (PECERA) 8th Annual Conference, Hong
Kong
July 2007
The Osage Art Foundation promoted its work in early art education to more than
600 education experts and professionals during the 2th Annual PECERA Conference
held in Hong Kong. The Osage Art Foundation held an exhibition for the
conference attendees and guests displaying innovative and experimental works
and invited a dance artist and choreographer to perform a solo contemporary
dance piece inspired by that work.
Children’s Creative Arts
Exhibition: Castle in the Sky
July – August 2007
This two-part exhibition of works by nursery school
children, aged four to six, from the Hong Kong Christian Service pre-schools
was a major effort in the Osage Art Foundation’s campaign for early childhood
art education. The idea for the exhibition arose during a public
consultation exercise undertaken as part of the Hong Kong Urban Renewal
Authority’s plans to redevelop areas of Kwun Tong
into a modern art and culture hub with landmark characteristics. The collection
of paintings, photographs, and sculptures were the children’s artistic
portrayals of their ideal Hong Kong, as well
as their sentiments and memories of Hong Kong’s
landmark – the Star Ferry pier. The works were exhibited simultaneously
in Osage Atelier and Osage Kwun Tong.
Fanling Baptist
Church Lui
Ming Choi Kindergarten Teacher’s Workshop
August 2007
The Osage Art Foundation creates programs and projects to connect
those who have a significant role in our children’s formation years – their
teachers. The Osage Art Foundation cooperated with the Hong Kong
Christian Service to organize a sharing session and art education workshop for
the teachers of the Fanling Baptist Church Lui Ming Choi Kindergarten. Engaging with the
teachers and involving them in the creative process opened avenues for them to
explore the arts and their own creativity and helped them gain understanding
and grasp the importance of art education.
Morrison Hill Child Development Centre,
Multi-Art Gallery and Multi-sensory Room
Opened on 4 September 2007
The Osage Art Foundation is a supporter
of the Morrison Hill Child Development Centre and Multi-art gallery and
Multi-sensory room. These are
facilities for children of all abilities to engage with the arts. With able children experiencing art,
interacting with one another and working alongside children with disabilities,
we hope to foster compassion and understanding in the young children as well as
build their characters to become supportive, respectful, patient and helpful
individuals.
Art
Workshop & “To Be” Art Exhibition, Kwai Chung Methodist College
October
– December 2007 Art Workshops, December 2007 Exhibition
Art is more than the final picture; it is a means of self-discovery,
expression, and growth. The Osage
Art Foundation facilitated a series of two-hour workshops for the young
students of Kwai Chung Methodist
College which culminated
in an exhibition. The students were
encouraged to employ contemporary art making techniques and to work with
different media including photography, video, polaroid,
painting, site specific installation and mixed media at various sites located
in the College. The process was just as important as the outcome since the
artworks are a reflection of the students’ self and group identity and their
personal and intimate relationship with their school.
Children’s Creative Arts
Exhibition: Joy of Young Mind
May 2008
The Osage Art Foundation supported the exhibition of work by children
from the Hong Kong Christian Service nursery schools and supported the design
and production of their exhibition catalogue.
Children’s Creative Arts
Exhibition: Their Melodic
Palette
July – August 2009
Children’s
Creative Arts Exhibition: Their Melodic Palette is an exhibition of more than 200
two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks by over 300 little artists from
the nine Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) Nursery schools.
Through
strikingly bold and exceedingly grand colours, serenely captivating and
exceptionally pure rhythms, ‘Their Melodic Palette’ is presented. Through a variety of art media and vibrant colours,
innocent children express their impression and imaginings of the world with
crisscrossing brushstrokes, detailed textures, interesting shapes, and new
spatial dimensions. We cordially invite members of the public to come closer
and experience the melodic palette of a child’s imagination.
New
Music for Kids
October
– November 2009
Led by Perry So, the assistant conductor of
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the workshop New Music for Kids is a half-day workshop series offered for
the first time in HK. The interactive workshops include: Introducing Instruments,
Experimenting with Interesting Sounds, Improvising as well as Painting
Music: How music and art come together. The focus of each workshop was on
easily accessible contemporary chamber music and adventurous music making,
introduced in a fun and informative way. The participated children had also the
chance to play with the professional musicians Terry Riley’s “In C”.
osage art foundation achievements
we are the world
The Osage Art Foundation is committed to fostering cultural
cooperation, improving
understanding between people of different cultures and to developing creative capacity in every country that we
work.
International cultural exchange programs broaden
the perspective of artists and arts workers and help break down the barriers to
understanding that may exist between cultures.
Metropolitan Mapping
August 2006 Hong Kong Cultural Centre
An exhibition organized by the Osage Art Foundation titled
“Metropolitan Mapping” featuring the work of ten young Filipino contemporary
artists opened at the Exhibition Gallery of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in
August 2006 and went on to garner both critical respect and significant
attention from the local Hong Kong press.
SUSI: Key to Chinese Art
Today
September – October 2006 National Museum of the Philippines, Yuchengco Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Manila
“SUSI: Key to Chinese Art Today” was a series of three themed visual art exhibitions
in Manila that ran concurrently and together gave Filipino audiences an
unprecedented opportunity to see the breadth, depth and quality of Traditional,
Modern and Contemporary Chinese Visual Art. The exhibitions comprised an exhibition of Chinese Ink Painting titled “A Brush with China” at
the Yuchengco
Museum, an exhibition of Chinese Modern Oil Painting titled
“Exploration and Discovery” at the National Museum of the Philippines and an
exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Art titled “Future and Fantasy” at the
Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
Crosscurrents
– New Media Art
September
– October 2007
Shenzhen Fine Art Institute Museum
(“Sharing Memory”)
September
– October 2007
Shenzhen Book Centre (“Sharing Memory”)
January
– March 2008 Osage Hong Kong (“Ambient Art”)
June
– July 2008
Osage Singapore
(“Dancing with Frequencies”)
The Osage Art Foundation jointly
organized an exciting new media project initiated by the Shenzhen Fine Art
Institute. A series of exhibitions that
opened in Shenzhen in September 2007 and traveled to Hong Kong and Singapore in
2008 involved some of the most prominent and thought-provoking artists working
in new media art in mainland China and in
Hong Kong and Singapore. As the
exhibition traveled, new works were added to establish a dialogue between new
media artists in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Siren: New Media Art
October – November 2007 Osage Hong Kong
January – March 2008 Shenzhen Fine Art Institute
April – May 2008 Osage Singapore
October Contemporary is an
initiative of Hong Kong’s leading not-for-profit
contemporary art spaces and institutions that seeks to promote and highlight
contemporary art and artists through exhibitions, talks, seminars and
performances annually in the month of October. In 2007 eight groups united
under the umbrella theme “Again” to present contemporary art in Hong Kong. The Osage Art Foundation hosted a major
cross-disciplinary program with new-media artists entitled Siren
at Osage Kwun Tong. Siren was a theoretical,
interactive physical space that took the audience on a physical, sensorial and
metaphorical journey guided by live human sculptures, digital imagery, and
pools of pulsating water brought into being by multimedia artists, musicians
and dancers. Siren included
workshops, performances, happenings, installations and events. The production was subsequently
exhibited in Shenzhen and Singapore.
Shifting Power: 7 Days
February 2008 University of the Philippines
The
University of the Philippines College of fine Arts, the University of the
Philippines Office for Fine arts, the University of the Philippines Office for
Initiatives in Culture and The Arts and the Osage Foundation co-organized this
Chinese-Philippines site specific cultural exchange event. “Seven Days” is curated by the contemporary Chinese artists Sun Yuan, Peng Yu, Wu Yuren, Shi Wanwan and Li Hui. It is
challenging attempt by a group of eleven contemporary Chinese artists to
examine the things that motivate people, particularly when under stress or when
encountering difficulties.
The “Seven
Days” Project is presented by the Osage Art Foundation as a part of its
“Shifting Power” is an ambitious long-term program of art exhibition and other
art events being developed by Osage Art Foundation that will take place in Asia
and the West to examine the impact on world affairs of the shifts in power
being experienced in both the developed and the developing world.
Tales From Venice
March – April 2008 Osage Hong
Kong
The Osage Art Foundation and the
Hong Kong Arts Development Council jointly supported the exhibition Tales From Venice,
an exhibition inspired by Star Fairy, Hong Kong at the 52nd Venice Biennale. The exhibition gave Hong
Kong audiences a better understanding of the artists, practices,
modes and mediums employed by artists when representing Hong
Kong internationally and facilitated dialogue about locality and
context.
Inside Looking Out
August – September 2008 Osage Singapore
The establishment by artists of
studios in the flatted factories of Chai Wan, Kwun
Tong and Fotan is Hong Kong’s
twenty-first century equivalent of the bohemian artists’ colony. More than 70
artists share more than 20 studios in these factory buildings. It is one of the
most interesting aspects of Hong Kong’s recent
contemporary art development. Inside Looking Out was
an exhibition and workshop that examined this phenomena and presented it to
audiences in Singapore
as a way of building better cross-cultural dialogue.
Site-Seeing
October – November 2008 Osage Hong
Kong
In October seven of Hong Kong’s not for profit arts organisations again
banded together to present the month-long celebration of contemporary art
called October Contemporary. Under
this year’s theme Attr/Action, he Osage Art
Foundation presented Site:Seeing, a multimedia exhibition featuring one
artist from Hong Kong and one from Singapore.
osage art foundation achievements
money for art’s sake
The most important ingredients for
cultivating creativity in a community are human capital and investment. Where possible, the Osage Art Foundation
provides strategic funding or in-kind support to key arts organisations and
third-party project based activities in order to help those activities to prosper.
Asia
Art Archive
2006 - 2008
The Osage Art Foundation is proud to
be a supporter of the Asia Art Archive.
The Asia Art
Archive is a non-profit
research centre based in Hong Kong dedicated
to documenting the recent history of visual art from the region within an
international context.
Dadao Performance Art
Festival
October 2007
In October 2007 an outdoor terrace
adjacent to Osage Atelier in Kwun Tong was
transformed into Osage Open in order to host the last leg of the Dadao Live Art Festival. This performance art festival lived up
to its name and presented a series of compelling works by artists from Hong Kong, China,
America
and Europe.
Para/Site Art Space – Hong Kong Jockey
Club Curatorial Training Program
March - April 2008
With the support of the Hong Kong
Jockey Club, Para/Site Art Space conducted an intensive seven month curatorial
training program for young curators.
The culmination of the course is a major exhibition. The Osage Art Foundation was pleased to
be able to support this important arts training and development initiative by
hosting the exhibition CHIE! Culture Seiges Politics at Osage Kwun
Tong.
osage art foundation structure
The Osage Art Foundation is a not
for profit company incorporated under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance.
The Memorandum of Association of the
Foundation explicitly states that the income and property of the Foundation
shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Foundation
and no portion thereof can be paid or transferred directly by way of dividend,
bonus or otherwise by way of profits to its members.
In addition, should the Foundation
be wound up, the Memorandum of Association explicitly states that any property
remaining after payment of debts and liabilities may not be paid to or
distributed among the members of the Foundation but must be given or
transferred to some other institution having not for profit objectives similar
to the objectives of the Foundation and which also prohibits the distribution
of its income and property amongst its members.
As a charitable institution or trust
of a public character, the Osage Art Foundation is exempt from tax in Hong Kong under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue
Ordinance.
osage art foundation governance
The Foundation Board of Governors is
the prime decision making body of the Foundation. The Board is responsible for determining
priorities and for providing a policy and budget framework for the operations
of the Foundation.
At present the Chairman of the Board
of Governors is Agnes Lin. Ms Lin is a passionate advocate for the
arts and brings to the Foundation more than twenty years business management
expertise.
The other Governors bring to the
Foundation a broad range of business management skills. Mr Wilson Kwan is a CPA, Mr Lysander
Leung is an IT specialist, Ms Yvonne Shih is an entrepreneur,
Ms Zinnia Lin has many years experience in merchandising and Ms Betty Lee is a
public relations and marketing expert.
The Foundation Board of Governors
relies on the expert advice of arts industry specialists and community
representatives when making its decisions.
The Advisory Committee includes
people with specialist qualifications and experience in arts policy, strategic
planning, project management, arts education and international cultural
relations.
osage art foundation programs and strategies
The Osage Art Foundation has four
main ways of achieving its objectives:
1. Arts Partnerships
Arts Partnerships aim to facilitate increased levels of giving to
the arts aim by promoting awareness of the value of cultural philanthropy. Art Partnerships promote the effective delivery of
arts development outcomes by building bridges between businesses and charitable
organisations and the arts.
Arts Partnerships provide businesses
and charitable organisations with an efficient and effective way of achieving
specific and strategic arts development and corporate social responsibility
goals.
The Osage Arts Foundation helps
broker relationships that bring funding organisations and beneficiary groups
together. The Foundation assists
arts organisations to articulate their needs and aspirations and to package
their development needs into a detailed strategic plan. The Foundation also assists businesses
and charitable organisations to identify those arts development outcomes that
are most closely aligned with the business or organisation’s own business and
development plans. All funds
received by the Osage Art Foundation on behalf of arts organisations are held
in trust for arts development and are allocated without any deduction, dilution
or diminution to specific projects selected by the donor.
2. Arts Advocacy
The Osage Art Foundation is a
champion of Creative Communities, Cultural Cooperation and Creative
Capacity. We are committed to
advancing the interests of artists and educators, and aim to engage other
stakeholders in arts development, arts education and arts promotion. We lobby for the policy and legislative
changes that are necessary to encourage the growth and development of the arts
and actively promote the benefits of the arts in the community.
The Osage Art Foundation also
actively promotes the wide ranging benefits of the arts in the community.
3. Arts Resources
The Osage Art Foundation provides
direct funding support to those organisations that are best placed to deliver
significant arts development outcomes.
We also undertake or facilitate research into arts development issues
and promote the adoption of best practice in the appropriate cultural
context.
4. Arts Projects
The Osage Art Foundation brings
considerable project management expertise to bear on all its art development
projects whether they are undertaken on our own account or in partnership with
other organisations.
osage art foundation benefactor
The Hong Kong based Osage group of
companies is the principal benefactor of the Osage Art Foundation.
Osage has been successfully involved in the global sourcing and
merchandising business for more than twenty years. Osage Merchandising has consistently
demonstrated its ability to coordinate and manage multiple country sourcing and
production for its clients in an increasingly globalized environment marked by
rapid change and short lead-times.
Osage Merchandising currently has more than 150 staff and regional
offices in Shanghai, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Madagascar and Cambodia.
Osage Merchandising handles a wide range of products including all
types of children's and ladies' apparel, home decorations, health and beauty
products, handbags, gloves, and lingerie that are manufactured in many
countries across Asia. Clients are
primarily based in the USA,
Canada
and the UK
and include a number of prestigious listed companies.
In 2004 Osage expanded into the fine art business and established
exhibition spaces in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore. The galleries are dedicated to the
exhibition, promotion and development of contemporary Asian artists, art and
ideas. The exhibition programs,
education programs and outreach activities all provide a platform for artists
and audiences to engage with cultural and creative ideas.
Osage Kwun Tong is a spectacular 1,500
square metre warehouse-style space in an industrial
building at Kwun Tong, Kowloon,
Hong Kong.
Osage Atelier Kwun Tong is an innovative
experimental space for exploring the boundaries of fine art, interactive
multi-media and design.
Osage Open is a large outdoor terrace adjacent to Osage Atelier that
can be used for a number of different types of performance and events.
Osage Soho is a high profile space located
in Soho in the heart of Hong
Kong’s bustling art precinct.
Osage Beijing is a white cube space in the Chaoyang Wine Factory in
Chaoyang District, Beijing.
Osage Soujiacun is a spacious residential
studio space in the Suo Jia Cun
International Art Camp in Chao Yang District.
Osage Shanghai is located in Duolun Lu,
adjacent to the Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art,
in a historically culturally significant precinct. The gallery is located in a
beautiful 1920’s mansion and has large exhibition spaces spread over three
floors.
Osage Singapore is a breathtaking gallery of approximately 820
square metres located in the main block of the Old School
creative industry development at Mount
Sophia.
In 2008 Osage established Osage Design, a bespoke graphic design
consultancy catering primarily to the arts and creative industries.
osage art foundation patrons and friends
Osage gratefully acknowledges the support of its patrons and friends
all of who help to make our shared dreams a reality.
Patrons
Elena Shih
Samuel Ching
Christina and Nelson Ho
Joanne Lau
Osage Merchandising Limited
Osage Gallery
Osage Design
Friends
Chan Sicpo
Doris Gaw
Peggy Lam
Dory and Eduardo V. Ledesma Jr.
Betty Lee
Maria Lee
Barbara Li and Li Xinping
Alicia Lim
Celina Lin
Helen and John Tam
Sanly Tsang
Lily and John Tsao
Ramon Villegas
Wan Jiyuan
Josephine Wee
Konrad Wong
As a registered charity, the Osage Art Foundation relies upon the support of its benefactors,
patrons and friends all of who help to make our shared dreams a reality.
By making a donation you will help to transform
the lives of all of the young people who participate in our programs and
activities. We urge you to support the Osage Art Foundation, either individually
or through a monthly or planned giving program. If you can help or would like
information about partnership opportunities, naming rights,
or the development of corporate sponsorship packages please contact us to discuss the many different ways of
getting involved.
osage art foundation contacts
For further information about the
Osage Art Foundation please contact Ms Vivian Poon at the following address:
Osage Art Foundation
4/F Union Hing
Yip Industrial
Building
20 Hing Yip Street
Kwun Tong Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: 852 + 27934817
Fax: 852 + 30072988
Email: info@oaf.cc