INFORMATION FOR
The history of the famous Silk Road, its connection to the silk industry in Paterson during the 1900s, and its role in the development of China and the United States in culture, education, art, industry, and commerce since the 18th century, will be explored during a two-day international symposium, “Across Time and Space: The Silk Road and the Silk City,” to be held at William Paterson University in Wayne on October 26 and 27, 2022.
The two-day symposium, hosted by the University’s Center for Chinese Art, will feature academic presentations, discussions, and art exhibitions designed to offer a fresh look at the historical orientation of the Silk Road and the “Silk City” of Paterson. All events are free and open to the public and will be held in person as well as streamed online.
“We hope to stimulate historical research on the Silk Road, expand and enhance international understanding and cooperation, provide a forum for discussion between the governments and universities of sister cities, and promote the development of cultural, educational, economic, and commercial exchange,” says Zhiyuan Cong, professor of art and director of the Center for Chinese Art at William Paterson.
The symposium begins on Wednesday, October 26 with opening remarks and keynote speeches from 8 to 11 a.m. in the Martini Room in Hamilton Hall on campus. Keynote speakers include Feng Zhao, honorary director of the China National Silk Museum; Ben Marsh, professor, School of History, University of Kent, United Kingdom; and Dr. Stephen Hahn, professor emeritus of English, William Paterson University. The event will be streamed on Zoom.
A panel discussion, “The Silk Road from China to America,” will follow from 12 to 1:45 p.m. in the Martini Room in Hamilton Hall. The panel will include Feng Zhao, honorary director, China National Silk Museum; Claire McRee, associate curator, Allentown Art Museum; Donna Ghelerter, textile and fashion historian; Martina D’Amato, Cora Ginsburg LLC, and He Zhang, professor of art history, William Paterson University, who will also moderate.
The day’s events will conclude with a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. for two exhibitions on view in the William Paterson University Galleries in the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts. A Durable Thread: The Silk Road from China to America reimagines the Silk Road by connecting China to the “Silk City” of Paterson, New Jersey, bringing together a world of silk objects from Asia, Europe, and North America from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Textile Arts from Guizhou, China brings together a selection of traditional textiles and new artworks by artists who are renowned for utilizing resist dyeing, also known as batik, as well as embroidery and metalworking to create a distinct visual language that continues to evolve in the hands of contemporary designers.
The symposium resumes on Thursday, October 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Martini Room, Hamilton Hall, and on Zoom. A roundtable, “Silk Road and Silk Cities,” will include Vincent Parrillo, professor emeritus of sociology, William Paterson University; Ganlin Hua, professor and president, Shanghai Bande Vocational College, China; Giacomo DeStefano, director, Paterson Museum; Zhong Yao, art historian, Nantong University, China; Lucia McMahon, professor and chair of history, William Paterson University; Jian Zhao, associate professor, Nanjing Arts University, China; and Elena Sabogal, associate professor, community and social justice studies, William Paterson University.
The roundtable will be followed by a panel discussion, “Art and Art Education on the New Silk Road,” featuring Zhiyuan Cong, professor of art, William Paterson University; Professor Wei Dong, Department of Design Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Zheng Wang, professor and chair, Art and Design Department, Beijing Jiaotong University, China.
A guided field trip to Paterson, led by Dr. Stephen Hahn, Professor Emeritus, English, William Paterson University, will conclude the symposium. The tour, which will run from 1:30 to 6 p.m., will include locations directly connected to Paterson’s role in the silk industry, including Great Falls National Historical Park, the Paterson Museum, the Lambert Castle Observatory and Overlook, and Botto House/American Labor Museum. Admission is free but pre-registration is required. To register, click here.
The event is hosted by William Paterson University’s Center for Chinese Art—the first nonprofit center for Chinese art in the United States that aims to academically promote cultural and artistic exchanges between the two countries. Under the leadership of Zhiyuan Cong, a William Paterson professor of art and its founding director, the Center, founded in 2009, has gained international recognition in art circles in both the United States and China. It has offered courses, symposia, and exhibitions of Chinese art, presented numerous demonstrations and talks by renowned Chinese artists, and provided study abroad programs in China focused on Chinese art and culture
Co-organized by the William Paterson University Galleries and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the symposium is co-sponsored by the China International Cultural Association (China), Guizhou International Cultural Association (China), City of Paterson, Nantong Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (China), Chinese-American Art Faculty Association, China National Silk Museum (China), the Paterson Museum, Nantong University (China), Yangzhou University (China), Guizhou Minzu University (China), Guizhou University of Commerce (China), and Qiandongnan Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities (China).
For additional information, including Zoom links and details on the presentations, visit www.wpunj.edu/ccart/silkroad.
