UKCI Partners With Cincinnati Art Museum for Explore China Event

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 1, 2018) — The University of Kentucky’s Confucius Institute held its first ever partnership with the Cincinnati Art Museum on May 5 with over 1,300 patrons in the greater Cincinnati area learning Chinese culture through an immersive, hands-on experience.

In conjunction with the Cincinnati Art Museum’s “Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China” special exhibition, the UKCI brought live performances and cultural experiences to the museum’s Family Day. Visitors learned with UKCI staff how to make their own calligraphy, ink-blown paintings and paper lanterns. The UKCI team also performed traditional music, dance, martial arts and other cultural ceremonies.

The most popular activity of the day was the Dragon Dance, performed by the UKCI’s STEAM Academy high school students. The High School Chinese Dragon Dance Team is the lone team of its kind in the Southeast.

“Working with the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute has been an absolute pleasure. They have provided so much enrichment to our event,” said Russell Ihrig, associate director of Interpretive Programming at the Cincinnati Art Museum. “They brought an authenticity that would have been hard to provide and supplied a whole range of activities and learning opportunities for our visiting families.”

Guests at the event had an equally positive experience. One family said “it’s very cool to see other cultures being celebrated in America. The musicians with the UKCI are incredibly talented and the martial artist was very entertaining to watch.”

A gateway for Chinese language, culture and art to the people of Kentucky, UKCI provides leadership, support and coordination for Chinese language and programs in K-12 schools as well as on UK's campus; assists and facilitates establishing and maintaining faculty and student exchanges between UK colleges and Chinese universities; conducts Chinese language and cultural exchange; and promotes education about China on campus, across the Bluegrass region, and throughout the Commonwealth. To keep up with UK Confucius Institute and future events, join the institute's listserv and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat (@UKConfucius).