Manchester Arts Commission to celebrate work of Yong Chen with City Hall Artist’s Reception

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MAC welcomes Yong Chen, pictured here with one of his watercolor pieces on display at City Hall throughout the month of December.
MAC welcomes Yong Chen, pictured here with one of his watercolor pieces on display at City Hall throughout the month of December.

MANCHESTER, NHManchester Arts Commission (M|A|C) announces a free public artist’s reception to be held Jan. 18 at City hall to celebrate the latest exhibition in its Art on the Wall @City Hall series, honoring the work of artist Yong Chen.

The reception will be held Wednesday from 5 – 7 p.m. at City Hall on Elm Street in Manchester, beginning with a short ceremony celebrating Chen’s family-themed art work. Live music will be provided by musicians Emily Richardson, 12, and Noah Richardson, 9, on harp and piano, courtesy of Manchester Music Mill, and snacks and beverages will be served courtesy of Matbah Mediterranean Cuisine. All are invited to attend this family-oriented event.

Chen has 30 original watercolor pieces on display throughout January in the East and West wings at City Hall. The public is encouraged to visit anytime during City Hall business hours to view Chen’s work. Chen’s gallery exhibit is made possible through courteous sponsorship from Merrimack Street Volvo.

A sampling of the work of artist Yong Chen.
A sampling of the work of artist Yong Chen.

This new series of watercolor paintings by Yong Chen encourage parents to bring our children back to nature, to the endless fun and creative activities outdoors.

“My efforts, artistically, are to depict children in the settings that enrich their lives. I’m experiencing the same struggle as most parents do, of how to balance life and work in the modern technologically obsessed environment around us. My core belief that guides my parenting is that that children are happier when they’re outside, in the sunshine, playing, enjoying the natural world, exploring and learning about the wonderful world they live in. We are part of the nature,” says Chen.

Chen began drawing and painting at the age of 4. Yong studied Graphic Design and Illustration in Boston, and earned his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hartford, CT. Chen is also an accomplished illustrator, and has illustrated/authored many children’s books and children’s magazines. Publishers of his work include: Little Brown and Company, HarperCollins, Boyds Mills Press, Highlights for Children, Spider, Cricket, and AppleSeeds. Besides working as a professional artist, Yong has been an art professor teaching drawing, watercolor, painting and illustration in colleges around New England. Currently he is a tenured professor of art at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston.

For the past 20 years, Chen has been devoting his time for public art education online. He has a regularly-publishing YouTube channel that he use to teach drawing and painting free to the would – every Tuesday he publishes a drawing lesson, every Wednesday he teaches a lesson of painting, and on Thursday he gives suggestions on a patron’s or a student’s artwork, or, uploads a video of a painting process. Visit his channel at: www.youtube.com/enjoyingart

For more information on the artist, please feel free to contact Yong Chen at artist36@gmail.com. For free art lessons and to commission a portrait, visit http://yongchen.com/

About Manchester Arts Commission (MAC)

MAC is dedicated to promoting art of all forms within the City of Manchester. MAC coordinates the display of local artists’ works through the “Art on the Wall @ City Hall” program; the National Arts Program Exhibit in July/August showcasing art work from City of Manchester employees and their immediate family members; and as a partner in “Manchester Trolley Tours: Exploring Art and Culture.” MAC works with like-minded companies, organizations, educational institutions and individuals to commission public sculpture and public art displays to elevate appreciation of Manchester’s growing arts community – while directly adding to the economic impact of arts and culture within downtown Manchester. Working closely with the Economic Development Office, the Planning Board and Intown Manchester, MAC ensures that public art works may possess beauty in the highest practicable degree. To learn more about MAC, visit http://manchesterartscommission.org, or follow MAC on Facebook and Twitter at @manchesterarts and on Instagram at @manchesterartscommission

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!