Lia Chang Photos: Ching Valdes-Aran: New and Selected Work on View at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York, October 22-November 2, 2012

Ching Valdes-Aran at the Phillippine Center Gallery in New York on October 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Obie-award winning stage, TV and film actor, and accomplished director, Ching Valdes-Aran, presents a solo exhibition of her paintings for the first time in the United States. Entitled “CHING VALDES-ARAN: NEW AND SELECTED WORK”, the exhibition will be on view at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York City from October 22 through November 2nd, 2012, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.to 5 pm.

Ching Valdes-Aran at the Phillippine Center Gallery in New York on October 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

The Philippine Center Gallery is located at 556 Fifth Avenue, between West 45th and 46th Streets in New York. An artist’s reception will take place on Monday October 22, 2012, from 6 to 9 pm.

Photo by Lia Chang

Ching Valdes-Aran at the Phillippine Gallery Center in New York on October 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

A veteran and in-demand actress who has worked with famed directors including Michael Greif (Dogeaters), George C. Wolfe (The Wild Party), Moises Kaufman (Macbeth) and Julie Taymor, as well as appearing in countless movies (Across The Universe, Sex & The City 1 and the upcoming XanCassavetes’ Kiss of the Damned) and TV shows (“Nurse Jackie,” “Rescue Me,” “Law & Order: CI,” “Ugly Betty” and the upcoming season of “Smash”), Valdes-Aran has been painting for many years.

Ching Valdes-Aran at the Phillippine Center Gallery in New York on October 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

For this exhibition, Valdes-Aran will show around thirty pieces that use oil, acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

“Ching Valdes-Aran: New and Selected Work”, on view at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York City from October 22 through November 2nd, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Valdes-Aran’s first solo art exhibition, “Memories, Reflections & Dreams (for Leticia),” was at Sining Kamalig in Quezon City, the Philippines, in 2009.

She has exhibited in numerous group shows, including at La Mama La Galleria (2008-2011), Hartley House (2000-2011), Druids (2009), Painters Painter I: Across The Hudson River (2011), and Painters Painter II: Across The Hudson River (2012) at The Art Center of New Jersey, curated by Edla Cusick.

Ching Valdes-Aran was born in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. She lives and works in New York City.

“Ching Valdes-Aran: New and Selected Work”, on view at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York City from October 22 through November 2nd, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“Ching Valdes-Aran: New and Selected Work”, on view at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York City from October 22 through November 2nd, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“Ching Valdes-Aran: New and Selected Work”, on view at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York City from October 22 through November 2nd, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“Ching Valdes-Aran: New and Selected Work”, on view at the Philippine Center Gallery in New York City from October 22 through November 2nd, 2012.
Photo by Lia Chang

The installation team: Victor, artist Ching Valdes-Aran, Dax Valdes and Angel Velasquez Shaw at the Phillippine Center in New York on October 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Ching Valdes-Aran at the Phillippine Center Gallery in New York on October 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Lorey Hayes’ Power Play Reading at Schomburg Center with Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, Lia Chang, Lorey Hayes, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney and Jeff Wallner, October 18, 2012
Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Hosts 1st Annual Varli Culinary Awards with Co-hosts Manu Narayan and Pooja Kumar in New York on November 15, 2012
Multimedia: Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Photos: Maurice Hines, Jonathan Groff, Mercedes Ellington, Charles Randolph Wright at The Laurie Beechman for André De Shields’s I PUT A SPELL ON YOU
Signature Theatre’s Production of Golden Child by David Henry Hwang has been extended through December 9, 2012
David Henry Hwang to Receive the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the 5th Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards on October 29, 2012
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Lia Chang: DUMELA 2011 Summer Show features paintings from Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa at the August House Studio through June 26

Nancy McDaniel of DUMELA and André De Shields at the DUMELA 2011 Summer Show at the August House Studio in Roscoe Village, in Chicago on June 4, 2011. © Lia Chang

On the way to the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater on the first Saturday in June, André De Shields, who is in Chicago performing in Charles Smith’s The Gospel According to James , took me to the DUMELA 2011 Summer Show at the August House Studio, located at 2113 West Roscoe in Roscoe Village.

DUMELA 2011 Summer Show © Lia Chang

The DUMELA 2011 Summer Show features original contemporary paintings from Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa on view through June 26, 2011, curated by his friend Nancy McDaniel and her business partner Leila Green.Ms. Green, a South African native, and Ms. McDaniel share a passion for Africa (especially the southern countries), the culture, the people, the art as well as the landscape and the animals. In 1998, Ms. McDaniel ended her 28 year advertising career at Leo Burnett, where Ms. Green worked too and she thought she would work in Africa for a couple of years. When that did not come to fruition, the two women hatched a plan to import and sell African art.“Dumela,” which is a warm greeting of welcome in the Sesotho language of South Africa, specializes in “contemporary African art.” DUMELA was born in 1998, with the mission of bringing art by young, contemporary African artists to the US, beginning with Chicago. Some of the art DUMELA sells can be described as “naive” or untrained, while much of the work is done by artists who have received some formal art training.Realizing that most African art that they’d seen in galleries and homes in the United States tends to be very tribal, traditional, and often sculptural (masks, carvings in wood and stone, beadwork figures, bronzes, etc.) the DUMELA Duo knew they could fill a void with the art that they loved and that people admired when they came into their homes and offices: bright, graphic, contemporary paintings and wallhangings. Part of the joy for the DUMELA partners is going to Africa to meet with the artists personally, whether in their homes, studios, or even buying art from them out of the trunk of a car. All of the artwork is framed in Chicago.The 2011 DUMELA Summer Show runs through June 26, 2011. Gallery hours are Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday and Sundays from noon to 6pm. For more information, call 773-477-2404.

August House Studio
2113 West Roscoe
Chicago

Other Articles by Lia Chang
HHC Art Collection’s “New York City: In FOCUS, Vol.2” Photo Exhibit on view 6/23-/7/14, Opening Reception 6/23
André De Shields in Charles Smith’s The Gospel According to James at the Victory Gardens Biograph through June 12
Project1Voice’s Multiple Staged Readings of Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind features André De Shields, Peter Coyote, Roger Robinson, Leslie Uggams, LaChanze, John Mahoney, Bill Irwin, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Irma P. Hall on June 20
Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Lia Chang in Art & Healing Exhibit at Snug Harbor on SI
Lord & Taylor CEO Brendan Hoffman to receive 2011 “Father of the Year” & Milton Margolis Humanitarian Award in NY
Photos:Alexander McQueen:Savage Beauty Extends at Met through 8/7, Met Mondays w/ McQueen begin 6/6
Photos: Willie Reale, Frances McDormand, Lewis Black, Bela Fleck, Renee Goldsberry, Duncan Sheik, Lisa Benavides, Abigail Washburn, Tim Blake Nelson at The 52nd Street Project Benefit
Meshach Taylor talks Wigger on Wendy Williams Show
Artwork by Asia Flores on display in Mercy High School Annual Art & Soul Art Exhibition in SF
Photos of AEA’s Asian Heritage Celebration, featuring the Leviathan Lab Asian American Women Writers Workshop
Photos: Samrat Chakrabarti, Soham Mehta and Shiva Shankar Bajpai at the New York Indian Film Festival
Victory Gardens appoints renowned director and playwright Chay Yew as its new Artistic Director
Up Close and Personal with Darren Pettie, Star of The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore
Marva Hicks and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra light up the Southern Theatre with a “A Night at the Apollo”
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo opening night of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon
My Empire State Building at Dusk on view in HHC’s “Art and Healing-Healthy for the Holidays” Art Exhibit
Lia Chang’s Botanical Beauties Portrait Commission at School of Nursing at Kings County Hospital Center
RED opening reception at Gouverneur Healthcare Services
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

Lia Chang Photos: Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington in San Marino

My father Russell Chang and sister Tami. Photo by Tami Chang

I loved celebrating the Year of the Rabbit with my father and sister Tami at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Rd. in San Marino on Saturday, where their Chinese New Year Festival kicked off at 11 a.m., with a performance by lion dancers and drummers near the north entrance to the Chinese garden.

The two day festival, features Chinese shadow puppet theater, maskchanging (bian lian) performances, music, folk songs, children’s book readings, painting and calligraphy demonstrations, and more until 4:30pm.

Amaryllis, chrysanthemums, gladiolas, orchids and tuberroses are among the flowers for sale at the Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington Library and Botanical Garden. Photo by Tami Chang

Amaryllis, chrysanthemums, gladiolas, orchids and tuberroses were among the flowers available to buy today at the entrance of the garden – having freshly cut flowers and different potted plants are a special tradition to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The Garden of Flowing Fragrance, the Huntington’s Chinese garden and one of the focal points of the festival, was inspired by the traditional scholar’s gardens of Suzhou, China. Photo by Lia Chang

The Garden of Flowing Fragrance, the Huntington’s Chinese garden and one of the focal points of the festival, was inspired by the traditional scholar’s gardens of Suzhou, China. This breathtaking landscape features a large lake, tile roofed pavilions, stone bridges, a tea shop, and native Chinese plants set against a wooded backdrop of mature oaks, redwoods, and pines.

Lion Dancers at the Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington Library and Botanical Garden in San Marino. Photo by Lia Chang

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:
(except where noted, activities are offered both days)
Lion dancers 11 a.m., 1 p.m., & 3 p.m.
Brown Garden lawn
(near Chinese garden entrance)
Shadow puppet theater 11 a.m. & noon
Friends’ Hall
String & Bamboo Orchestra 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Chinese garden
Chinese brush painting demonstrations 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Library lawn
Calligraphy demonstrations 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Boone Gallery foyer
Children’s book reading/signing:
Pauline Tsui, Grandpa’s Treasure Box
Saturday: 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
and 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Overseers’ Room
Children’s book reading/signing:
Oliver Chin, Year of the Rabbit

Alexandra Bertolini (age 4) and Angelina Bertolini (age 6) in their Chinese New Year finery display their papercuts-the Chinese Character for Spring, at the Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington in San Marino. Photo by Lia Chang

*Sunday only*
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Overseers’ Room
Tai chi demonstrations 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Rose Garden lawn
Children’s folk songs performance
(students in grades K2 from Pasadena Unified School District’s Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program)
1:30–1:50 p.m.
Chinese garden
Maskchanging
2 & 3 p.m.
Friends’ Hall
Chinese Music Ensemble
(from UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music)
2:30–4 p.m.
Chinese garden

Flower market *Saturday only*
All day – Entrance pavilion area
Folk art demonstrations
(artists from Chongqing, China)
All day – Chinese garden
Penjing display (miniature trees & rockery) courtesy of the Southern Breeze Society
All day – Chinese garden
Scavenger hunt for children All day

All festival activities are included with general admission to The Huntington: $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students (age 12-18), $6 youth (age 5-11), and free for children under 5. The group rate is $14 per person for groups of 15 or more. Members are admitted free. For additional information call (626) 4052100 or visit www.huntington.org.

East West Bank is the corporate sponsor of the event. Additional funding provided by the Justin Vajna Memorial Fund for Educational Programs in the Chinese Garden. Special sponsorship has been provided by ICN TV Network enabling a delegation of artists from Chongqing, China, to demonstrate traditional art.

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a collections based research and educational institution serving scholars and the general public. More information can be found on the Web at www.huntington.org.

Visitor information
The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, Calif., and is open to the public Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day) are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m. Closed Tuesdays and major holidays. Admission on weekdays: $15 adults, $12 seniors (65+), $10 students (ages 12–18 or with fulltime student I.D.), $6 youth (ages 5–11), free for children under 5. Group rate $11 per person for groups of 15 or more. Members are admitted free. Admission on weekends and Monday holidays: $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, $6 youth, free for children under 5. Group rate $14 per person for groups of 15 or more. Members are admitted free. Admission is free to all visitors on the first Thursday of each month with advance tickets. Information: 626-405-2100 or www.huntington.org.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Up Close and Personal with Darren Pettie, Star of The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore
Marva Hicks to Star in Concert of Pat Holley’s R&B/Pop Musical, Me & Caesar Lee at Triad Theatre, 3/27, 4/3 & 4/10
André De Shields Set for World Premiere of Charles Smith’s The Gospel According to James at Indiana Rep, 3/22-4/10
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet,Tracee Chimo opening night of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon
Photos & Video Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas-In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.