The Daguan Art Education Park launches to light up New Taipei City
The Daguan Art Education Park which was the first kind in Taiwan, and was formed with an art passage to connect five school campuses officially operated in the evening of 11/2/2013. New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu indicated that the park could not only make children be creative and foster their artistic temperament, but also help them understand the history and culture of Banqiao and Fuzhou areas.
Chu said that on his way to the ceremony, he saw performances of New Taipei City’s Junior High schools’ and Elementary schools’ art clubs, and he was really impressive, which made him believe that Taiwanese people were getting better each generation, and had the strongest soft power especially in the aspects of art, culture and innovation. He also hoped that with the establishment of the Art Park, New Taipei City could become the strongest base of Art and Culture in Taiwan.
The Education Department represented that the City Government cooperated with National Taiwan University of Arts to set up an Art District at Daguan Elementary School in Banqiao, New Taipei Municipal Daguan Junior High School and National Overseas Chinese Experimental Senior High School. Also, the district was integrated with Zhongshan Elementary School beside the two sides of Daguan Road, and NTUA Art District to form Daguan Art Education Park which had fairy tale dramas, art passageways, a movie and television school, an anime school and art walls. The park could not only nourish excellent art geniuses, but also serve as a place for civilians to enjoy their leisure time on holidays.
To celebrate the launch of the Art Park, the Education Department used 160 various vendors of creative markets, street performers and DIY vendors to link the three campuses of Daguan Elementary School, National Overseas Chinese Experimental Senior High School and New Taipei Municipal Daguan Junior High School to form the unique Art Boulevard. The department also held fluorescent costume street party, and the participating 20 teams all tried their best. People holding fluorescent sticks and light balloons as well as having body painting all made the park full of joy and happiness.
It was worthy of being mentioned that the Education Department designated each year’s October as Art Education month, and it cooperatively planned Art Education activities with schools and nongovernment groups. This year the department chose to use festival style to hold the activities of “Fragrant Art Full of the City,” and “Night Whisk and Autumn Wind Concert,” and “Art Education Festival –Daguan Art Paradise” was the last but best activity of the Art month. It was hoped that the launch of the Daguan Art Education Park to establish the foundation of Art in New Taipei City.
New Taipei City Council Members Liu Meifang and Lin Shuishan also attended the ceremony with Mayor Chu, and they led citizens to wave their fluorescent sticks on their hands to symbolize the lighting up of New Taipei City’s Art sky.
