On the morning of January 5th, the opening ceremony of the "Fourth 'Huatang Impression' Printmaking Works Exhibition of Hebei Province" at Shijiazhuang University was held in our university's art museum. The exhibition is hosted by the Hebei Artists Association and jointly organized by the Printmaking Art Committee of the Hebei Artists Association and the School of Fine Arts and Design of our university. President Wang Yongqin and Party Committee Deputy Secretary Ji Lihuai attended the ceremony. Also present to offer guidance were Qi Haifeng, Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association and Chairman of the Hebei Artists Association, Li Xiaojun, Executive Vice Chairman of the Hebei Artists Association, Wang Wenling, Vice Chairman of the Hebei Artists Association and Director of the Shijiazhuang Art Museum, Feng Jianfa, Vice Chairman of the Hebei Artists Association, and Peng Yan, Vice President of the Hebei Academy of Painting, Wang Xiaodong, deputy secretary-general of the Printmaking Art Committee of the Hebei Artists Association and director of Tang Art Museum, Xiao Ge, secretary-general of the Shijiazhuang Youth Art and Culture Association, and other representatives from the art circle. Those who participated in the ceremony also include the heads of the United Front Work Department and the Publicity Department of the school, as well as representatives of teachers and students from the School of Fine Arts and Design.

 

Wang Yongqin declared the opening in a warm atmosphere. Ji Lihuai delivered a speech, expressing his sincere gratitude to friends from all walks of life who have long cared about and supported the development of our school's art education. He pointed out that this printmaking exhibition is a concentrated display of high-level printmaking art in Hebei Province, providing a valuable opportunity for the teachers and students of our school to learn excellent works up close. It is of great significance for improving the level of art education in the school and creating a strong campus cultural atmosphere. The school has always adhered to the principle of promoting all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education, and regards art education and the inheritance of traditional culture as important missions in nurturing students. He hopes that the teachers and students of the School of Fine Arts and Design will take this opportunity to continuously improve their artistic cultivation and creative level, create more artistic masterpieces that reflect the spirit of The Times and have the characteristics of Hebei, and contribute to the prosperous development of the fine arts cause in Hebei Province.

 

In his speech, Qi Haifeng recounted the journey of printmaking from the woodblock prints of the Yan 'an period that awakened the people and inspired their morale to the new era when artists have used diverse techniques to showcase social development and humanistic care. He pointed out that printmaking has always recorded the changes of The Times with its unique artistic language. Hebei printmaking enjoys significant influence across the country. Against the backdrop of building a culturally strong nation, Hebei printmaking should carry forward traditional culture and promote the main theme of The Times, allowing traditional art to regain vitality in the new era. He hopes that the "Culture Enters Campus" campaign will serve as a bridge connecting art and youth, providing a platform for young students to engage in dialogue with top-notch art. It aims to subtly guide students to draw creative inspiration and cultural confidence from classic works, allowing the seeds of art to take root and sprout in the hearts of young people, and cultivating more reserve talents who not only have solid artistic foundations but also a sense of responsibility for The Times.

 

Wang Xiaodong, on behalf of the organizer, expressed his gratitude. He stated that after four years of cultivation, the Huatang Impression Printmaking Exhibition has become a core platform for the exchange of printmaking art in Hebei Province. This exhibition brings together outstanding works by artists from within the province, demonstrating the creators' abundant creative enthusiasm and firm cultural confidence. Previously, the School of Fine Arts and Design of Shijiazhuang University successfully hosted a related creation promotion meeting, providing strong support for the development of printmaking in Hebei.

After the opening ceremony, the attending leaders, guests and teachers and students visited the exhibition together. Inside the art museum, over a hundred prints are rich in subject matter and diverse in style, covering various forms and styles such as traditional woodcut, copperplate, lithography, silk screen printing, and mixed media prints. They not only inherit and interpret classic subjects but also explore and experiment with contemporary social life, personal emotions, and artistic language.

 

This exhibition is an important practice by the School of Fine Arts and Design to play the role of a base for aesthetic education and popular science, and to implement the construction of the "Cultural Academy" scene in our university. It will play a positive role in further promoting campus cultural construction, enhancing the artistic aesthetic quality of teachers and students, and strengthening humanistic sentiments. The exhibition will last until January 23rd.

(Contributed by: School of Fine Arts and Design; written by: Yang Guyang)