Curator's Circle
2008 Past Programs

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2005 | 2006 | 2007| 2008


Tsewang Bista
Luigi Fieni
John and Berthe Ford
Tanya Uyeda
Xu Fangfang

Lecture: “Preserving the Art and Culture of Mustang, Nepal”
Born and raised in the magnificent environment of Mustang, Nepal, Tsewang Bista has an intimate knowledge of the locales, customs, and practices of his homeland. In his lecture, Bista relates his efforts to conserve the cultural heritage of his Himalayan kingdom. He faces the challenges of modernization, globalization, and historic preservation. Since the early 1990s, Bista has worked with his people to showcase Mustang to the outer world. He operates about thirty projects in Upper Mustang with the help of the American Himalayan Foundation, UNESCO, personal friends, and well wishers. With access to the temples and royal palaces of Mustang, he is familiar with their architecture, painting, sculpture, metalwork, and cultural treasures. In his first visit to Denver, Bista shares the goodwill generated by members of the local community who strive to aid him with resources for his important projects.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Conversation: "Cave Temples and Palaces—Wall Paintings of Mustang, Nepal
Since 1999, Luigi Fieni has directed the preservation and cleaning of artwork from the fourteenth to nineteenth century that survive in Buddhist monasteries, cave temples, and palace compounds of Mustang, Nepal. With funds from the American Himalayan Foundation, he makes annual visits to Upper Mustang, a restricted area of Nepal’s northwestern Himalayas beyond the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. Called the Forbidden Kingdom, Upper Mustang was opened to the outside world by the Nepalese government in 1992. In a conversation with curator of Asian art Ronald Otsuka, Fieni describes his training as an art conservator and his mission to preserve the art treasures of this remote part of the world.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Workshop: "Wall Paintings of Mustang, Nepal—Their Preservation and Care"
With a background in the conservation of Italian frescos, Luigi Fieni has applied his skill and training to preserve the wall paintings of Mustang, Nepal. Before he could begin treatment of the architectural murals, the buildings that housed them had to be stabilized. The resurfacing of their flat roofs over the centuries had added tremendous weight to the structures, resulting in stress fractures, bulging, and other damage to their richly embellished walls. Once the buildings were sound, Fieni could focus on the preservation of the paintings themselves. He explains his projects from a technical point of view, and describes his adaptation of standard conservation methods to an area where electricity and plumbing are not to be taken for granted. Sensitive to the religious significance of these artworks, he had to diplomatically convince worshippers to light oil lamps in separate chambers from the paintings so their recently cleaned surfaces would not be re-exposed to soot.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Conversation: "Desire and Devotion—Art from India, Nepal, and Tibet"
John G. and Berthe H. Ford have a collection that includes art from India, Nepal, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and China. Their collection has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including Desire and Devotion: Art from India, Nepal and Tibet, which was shown between 2001 and 2004 at the Walters Art Museum (Baltimore, MD), Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Albuquerque Museum of Art, Birmingham Museum of Art (AL), and Hong Kong Museum of Art. In their travels, they visit places related to their collection and explore early Buddhist and Hindu monuments. They are both dedicated to sharing their knowledge with others. John has given more than fifty lectures throughout the United States and in Hong Kong, and Berthe has taught French at Bryn Mawr School and trained docents at the Walters Art Museum, where she is currently a docent specializing in Asian art. In a conversation with curator Ronald Otsuka, the Fords relate how they developed their interest in collecting Asian art and the spiritual rewards their collection has brought them.Wednesday,
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Workshop: "Decisions and Dedication:—Collecting the Art of India, Nepal, and Tibet"
John and Berthe Ford have had artworks from their collection included in more than forty exhibitions in Australia, England, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, and the United States. For four consecutive years, Art & Antiques listed them among the “Top 100 Collectors in America” and recognized their contributions to the American art scene. Aware of their responsibilities as collectors, they have served on the boards and committees of several museums and assisted various organizations with fundraising events and restoration efforts. By focusing on their personal experiences, the Fords provide invaluable guidelines for collectors who want to build a collection, enjoy what they collect, and share their gratification with others.
Thursday, April 3, 2008

Conversation: "Behind the Screen: An Intimate Look at the Conservation of Japanese Paintings"
Tanya Uyeda, from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, discusses the care and handling of East Asian scrolls and screens. The conservation of these fragile works of art is a time-consuming process, and the best remedy for their preservation is to store and display them in a proper environment that prevents fading or damage. The mounting and remounting of paintings from China, Japan, and Korea is a process that requires years of specialized training, technical experience, patience, and access to traditional supplies and materials. Among conservators, only a few enter the field of Japanese painting. Through a series of case studies, Uyeda explains the differences and similarities in conservation as practiced in the East and West. Trained in both disciplines, she describes how she balances science and art, tradition and innovation, and freedom and restraint.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Workshop: "A Closer Look at Asian Art on Paper and Silk"
As an assistant conservator in the Asian Conservation Studio of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Tanya Uyeda is responsible for many of the finest Japanese paintings in the Untied States. In her workshop, she illustrates the techniques and materials used to mount Chinese, Japanese, and Korean paintings. The treatment of scrolls and screens requires great dedication to master the demands of these specialized formats. By explaining the skill and practices associated with her work, Uyeda provides guidelines for collectors and admirers of East Asian painting to consider when visiting museums, galleries, and private collections. Preventing damage is a major aspect of her practice, and workshop participants may discuss their collections and the concerns they have about preserving their paintings for future generations to enjoy.
Thursday, April 23, 2008

Conversation: “The Art of Xu Beihong - Pioneer of Modern Chinese Painting”
Fangfang Xu, daughter of Xu Beihong (1895–1953), joins curator of Asian art Ronald Otsuka in a conversation about her father’s distinguished career. Born in Yixing, Jiangsu province, Xu Beihong learned traditional Chinese painting styles from his father, a self-taught artist. Between 1919 and 1927, he studied sketching and oil painting in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. He was the first Chinese painter to integrate the spatial and lighting concepts of Western painting with traditional Chinese styles. Upon returning to China, he taught art and influenced a future generation of Chinese painters. In her conversation, Fangfang describes how her mother, Liao Jingwen, saved her husband’s artwork during the Cultural Revolution and later established the Xu Beihong Museum in Beijing.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Workshop: “Music Education in Modern China - Professional Training and Performance”
Drawing from her personal background, Fangfang Xu recounts how the teaching of professional musicians in China changed with the Cultural Revolution. Before 1966, music education was limited to students from privileged families. Initiated by Madam Mao (Jiang Qing, 1913–1991) in 1964, China’s music curriculum focused on Chinese music, not Western classical music. Only works developed under the supervision of Madam Mao could be performed. Fangfang Xu trained at the Central Conservatory of Music and played piano accompaniment for the China Peking Opera Company. She performed the Legend of Red Lantern, one of the model plays officially sanctioned during this period. Today, decades after the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese government gives students with musical talent special advantages when they apply to major universities. This encourages teaching classical music to children and training them for performance careers. Xu designed and managed a program at Renmin University; it was the first of its kind at a major Chinese university.
Thursday, September 11, 2008

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