UMCP’s New Art for Healing Exhibit to Feature Paintings by I-Hsiung Ju
Ju—whose name in Pinyin is Zhu Yixiong—lived and worked in Princeton after retiring in the 1980s from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., as professor of art and artist-in-residence emeritus.
| University Medical Center of Princeton (UMCP) will host a wine and cheese reception on Friday, March 17, to open an exhibit of paintings by I-Hsiung Ju. The reception is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Art for Healing Gallery, located in the concourse connecting UMCP to the Medical Arts Pavilion and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center. If you plan to attend, please RSVP at www.princetonhcs.org/art by March 10. Attendees should park in Lot V1 at the front of the hospital and use the East Entrance. (Facing the hospital's glass façade, the East Entrance is to the right.) Once inside, attendees will be greeted and directed to the gallery. The exhibit will remain on display until June 30. |
Born and raised in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, Ju studied Chinese literature at China's Xiamen University in the 1940s and art and history at Santo Tomas University in the Philippines during the 1950s and 1960s. Ju emigrated to the United States in 1968 and became a citizen in 1973.
In the final years of his life, Ju completed two epic paintings: the 72-foot Ten Thousand Li of the Yangtze, now in the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the 45-foot Misty Clouds of Huangshan, which was among hundreds of works that were unfortunately lost in a fire on January 18, 2017 that destroyed Ju's family home, studio and gallery in Princeton. The 12 pieces to be featured in the Art for Healing Gallery were at a frame store being prepared for this exhibition. They are the only works that survived.
Ju died on March 17, 2012. An obituary published on the Washington and Lee University website noted that Ju was one of the few Chinese artists able to blend two worlds of style, technique and idiom to produce art that was both modern and traditional. Ju described his style by saying, "A Chinese artist is not only a painter, but also a poet and a philosopher."
Paintings by Ju are part of UMCP's permanent art collection, which includes more than 300 paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works that were acquired over several years. The artworks are displayed throughout the hospital as part of the Art for Healing program. Research shows that viewing art can help alleviate anxiety and stress, reduce blood pressure, shorten hospital stays and even limit the need for pain medication.
The Art for Healing Gallery, made possible by a generous donation from Princeton Anesthesia Services, features rotating exhibits of artists whose work is in the permanent collection. Works in the gallery are available for purchase, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the hospital.
The exhibit will open March 13. UMCP will host a reception on March 17 to honor the artist on the 5-year anniversary of his passing. See inset above for details on the reception.
About Princeton HealthCare System
Princeton HealthCare System is a comprehensive, integrated healthcare system that strives to anticipate and serve the lifelong needs of central New Jersey residents, including acute care hospital services through University Medical Center of Princeton, behavioral healthcare through Princeton House Behavioral Health, rehabilitation, home care, hospice care, ambulatory surgery, a primary and specialty medical practice, and fitness and wellness services. For more information, visit www.princetonhcs.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Andy Williams, 609-252-8785
anwilliams@princetonhcs.org
