Riding the Strong Currents: 20th and 21st Century Chinese Paintings from the Allen Memorial Art Museum - An NCTA Workshop for K-12 Educators

Join us and the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College for a workshop exploring 20^th and 21^st century Chinese paintings. This talk will introduce works by Huáng Bīnhóng (1864–1955) and other Chinese painters who have navigated the volatile currents of 20^th and early 21^st century history and reflected in their art the dynamic character of the times.  Kevin Greenwood, Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art at the Allen Memorial Art Museum, will present a talk examining modern and contemporary Chinese painting from 1957 to today. Jill Greenwood, the Eric & Jane Nord Family Curator of Education at the Allen, will provide information about the museum’s resources for teachers, such as lesson plans, augmented reality tours, cell app, videos, the touch collection, tours, bus funding, and the eMuseum database, many of which were developed with funding from the Freeman Foundation.

The past two centuries have been turbulent for people in China, as they have confronted the challenges of Western and Japanese imperialism, Civil War, the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath, and, since the 1980s, have experienced reform, stability, and economic success. Riding the currents on a rushing river seems an apt metaphor for this period, one taken from an inscription on a painting by Huáng. The Allen’s permanent collection of modern and contemporary Chinese painting began in 1957, and the talk will highlight familiar favorites and recent acquisitions. The wide range of subjects and styles shown demonstrate the creativity and diversity of this most recent phase of Chinese painting, a tradition extending back over two millennia. 

For attending this workshop in its entirety, educators will receive a Certificate of Completion. 

Learn more about our Workshop Speakers

 

Jill Greenwood began her appointment in 2017 at the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, where she is responsible for public programming, community outreach, education, accessibility, and tours at the museum and the college-owned Weltzheimer/Johnson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. She annually teaches a Practicum in Museum Education course and oversees the museum’s Gallery Guide program for Oberlin College students. Additionally, Jill has taught courses in art history on topics related to European and American art and architecture, the history of printmaking, and museum studies at Kenyon College, Portland State University, and Willamette University in Oregon. She earned her doctorate degree at the University of Kansas and has over thirty years of experience in non-profit arts management and education.

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin R. E. Greenwood is an art historian and curator specializing in the visual arts and architecture of East Asia. His tenure as the inaugural Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art at the Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM), Oberlin College, has been marked by a rejuvenation of the interpretation and educational use of the museum's extensive collection of Asian art covering prehistory to the present. This has been realized through a multitude of diverse exhibitions, guest and public lectures, significant acquisitions, and other initiatives. Additionally, Kevin has been instrumental in securing vital grants aimed at art conservation and promoting educational outreach at the AMAM.