The International Art Museum of America (IAMA), located in downtown San Francisco’s Central Market area, held a day-long art, music, and fundraising event, “Illuminating,” on January 6. The event, conducted together with the Firefly Youth Network, was the first gathering of the museum’s International Art Forum for 2024. The day’s event included youth art exhibitions and performances of tea ceremony, calligraphy and music, and attracted a large crowd from local and international audiences. The President of the Museum, Mr. KC Hsieh, accompanied by several new members of the Museum’s board, including Professor Gregory Noble and Ms. YW Peng, and honored guests, including Mr. Matt Dorsey, the City Supervisor of San Francisco’s District 6, jointly celebrated the event, marking a bright new beginning to the year 2024!
The International Art Museum of America, praised as a “Hidden Jewel” of San Francisco by the late Mayor Ed Li, was established in 2010 with a mission to make art appreciation and education accessible to all. The museum covers over 25,000 sq. ft of permanent art galleries and temporary exhibition halls. Its collections include over 300 precious permanent art pieces by world-renowned artists from 12 countries, including Algeria, Belgium, China, England, France, Germany, Norway, and the United States, spanning from the 16th Century to the present day. The museum has been an active member of the Central Market community, providing art programs for schools and local communities, as well as serving as a global forum for appreciating art and culture. The 16 styles of artworks exhibited by one artist, H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, are unprecedentedly striking in their wide variety of techniques, media, and subject matter. In the gallery of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang, the lifetime Chairperson of IAMA, who had a Solo Exhibition in the Palace Museum of the Louvre, Paris, in 2019, visitors are able to gain a comprehensive view of her highly praised artwork.
Photo Credited to: Winne P.
This first International Art Forum, “Illuminating,” was brought forth by a youth artists group from Canada called Firefly Youth Network (FYN), whose mission is to apply their artistic talents to ignite positive changes in the community. The President, Gabriel Wang, was brought to the museum ten years ago when he was only a young boy and was deeply moved by its humane mission. Today, as a 16-year-old musician, he said, “I am very proud to bring my teammates in the Firefly Youth Network to come and perform at IAMA. It is very meaningful to me personally to be able to contribute to fundraising to sustain this mission that I deeply share, to spread art to all.” The talents of the young artists and performers were fully exhibited in paintings from oil, brush, and ink, and from computer-generated to abstract to cartoons. Musical performances included opera, instrumental performances, rap, comedy, and more. Illuminating the museum with their individual talents like glittering fireflies, together they heralded a bright future for the community! The day’s event successfully raised $29,000 for the museum’s continuing efforts to promote art and education.
The Firefly Youth Network’s dedication to using art to fulfill social responsibilities highlights the significance of the young generation’s contribution to society. With its International Art Forum program, the International Art Museum of America is paving the way for the advancement of art by nourishing the talents of future generations.
Published by: Martin De Juan
