On 13th November, Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Auckland organised the 2021 Art Salon Online Blessing and Celebration – Embrace our Community Online Event. The event started with reciting A Prayer to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva for Safety from the Novel Coronavirus, which delivers blessings to New Zealand and the whole world. By utilising technological advancement, the Opening Ceremony of 2021 Art Salon was able to held online, providing the hope and beauty of art.
Over 150 attendees joined this online event, including the Curator of Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery New Zealand, Venerable Abbess Manshin, Director of BLIA Oceania Fellowship Committee Director, Ms Dolly Tsai, President of BLIA North Island Chapter, Mr Lintao Yu, MP for Botany, Mr Christopher Luxon, President of Howick Local Board, Ms Adele White, New Zealand Police Counties Manukau East Area Commander Inspector Scott Gemmell, various local artists, friends of Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery and BLIA members from Oceania. It had transcended the boundary of time and space, whereby all attendees gathered to witness the first Online Opening Ceremony ever in Fo Guang Shan New Zealand.
The event was streamed live on Zoom and YouTube. Many distinguished guests conveyed their congratulatory messages online before the event. Artists from all over Aotearoa also went online and expressed their gratitude to the Art Gallery for their dedication and hard work. The schedule for the event was concise but meaningful. Apart from a heart-warming Blessing Ceremony, Curator Venerable Abbess Manshin, New Zealand Police Inspector Colin Higson, Vice President of BLIA North Island Chapter Ms Sally Wong and the guests premiered the 2021 Art Salon Online Ribbon-cutting Ceremony online. In addition, when a video that summarised the preparatory process for the 2021 Art Salon was streamed, these joyful and good memories brought some tears of joy, as it touched the hearts of New Zealand, which was surrounded by quietness amid Covid-19 lockdown.
The Curator, Venerable Abbess Manshin said that the fifth Art Salon was a new breakthrough and milestone for the Art Gallery Team. This signifies that the future is going to be a more innovative and limitless world. Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery has been providing a platform to the artists unconditionally, hoping that the beautiful masterpieces can connect with hearts whilst adding warmth and colours to the world. Curator Abbess Manshin urged the public to make full use of the Land of the Long White Cloud to display more artworks with joy, which leads to unleashing more potential and wisdom of human beings, bringing peace and happiness.
BLIA Oceania Fellowship Committee Director Dolly Tsai said there were a variety of artworks from all over the country, and each piece has been crafted over time with the artist’s heart and soul. Every selection of artworks has a unique value and is the cream of a crop. Cherry blossoms in full bloom in the temple also add to the abundance and the marvel of each artwork. We are grateful to the curator for leading the team to provide an aesthetic living environment with a heart to serve the public.
President of BLIA North Island Chapter Mr Lintao Yu thanked Curator for giving him the opportunity to be one of the organizing committee members for the Art Salon this year. He was privileged to be able to work with a team that’s full of talented and diligent people. Though there has been a tremendous amount of work put into this exhibition, it was joyful and rewarding at the same time. The key motivation for all of us was that we wanted to bring something colourful and beautiful to the community, especially during this challenging time.
MP for Botany Christopher Luxon expressed that the Art Salon Team has done this year showed so much creativity to be delivered in such a different way. This exhibition brought different cultures and artists together. The exhibition isn’t just showcasing fantastic art of which it absolutely is here, but it is about driving deeper people to people connection, and that’s what life is all about.
NZ Human Right Commission Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said the 5th Art Salon online is going to be awesome. He acknowledged all the good work that the Team has done at the Fo Guang Shan Temple for the community. The Art Salon exhibition brought colours and happiness into our lives.
Counties Manukau East Area Commander Inspector Scott Gemmell said at this particular time, it’s wonderful to feel the generosity and sincerity that has gone into an online capacity. He hopes we could be like the rock at this particular time and keep working through what we needed to work through, listen to people’s concerns and still be calm in our hearts.
Painter Aritist Sean McDonnell said it was luckily that we can still have an online exhibition this year. The Art Salon online exhibition looks very professional. It’s a huge job for the Team who have organised this. Sculptor Liz McAuliffee thanked the Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Team for doing so much extra work so they can all share in this. She was privileged to be exhibiting at this beautiful location. In addition, there were many online responses, thanks and heartfelt feelings from all over the world.
Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Auckland 2021 Art Salon online Blessing and Celebration ended with applause and the song of Love and Peace. Although the event was over, many artists and friends of Art Gallery were so touched that they were reluctant to leave and continued to watch the video footage, eventually signing off unwillingly.
Welcome to view the 2021 Art Salon online at www.fgs.org.nz/artsalon