2005 In Review

Greetings

in the

Year of the ROOSTER

and

conceptual theater
by Marcus Young

June 23-26
At the Red Eye Theater, 15 West 4^th Street, Minneapolis

Watch this space without us.
Watch this space without this building.
Watch this space without this time.
Watch this space without this space.
We know nothing. Thank you.
-excerpt from and

and is conceptual theater that explores the performer-audience relationship. An expression of Daoism translated for the state, it is quiet and amusing observation of what exists and reconsideration of what we know. Reminiscent of the Book of Dao, the state text is poetic, simple, elusive, and profound. Like the airy word itself, it is simultaneously nothing and inclusive of everything – excerpt from brochure

Marcus Young is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist. He was born in Hong Kong and grew up in San Francisco and Des Moines. He studied music at Carleton College and theater at the University of Minnesota. As a theater artist, he has worked Penumbra Theater, Theater de la Jeune Lune, Children’s Theatre Company and Minnesota Opera. His experimental video Phases has shown in festivals around the world. A former Bush Artist Fellow, Marcus is currently developing site-specific work and writing poems for classified ads, fortune cookies, rubber stamps, and other unlikely places.

USCPFA is honored to be the Cultural Community Partner. The activity is funded through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through a appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Red Eye Theater offered support from Red Eye’s Isolated Acts Festival and Critical Core program.
Marcus Young during the after-performance discussion
with Kathleen Ryor, Associate Professor teaching Asian art history
at Carleton College

________________

USCPFA-MN hosted a Summer Picnic

On July 22, 2005, USCPFA-MN and CABAM hosted the largest group of Mingda Institute trainees ever to participate in a to participate in this program at the University of Minnesota China Center. 36 educators from China University of Mining and Technology located in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, attended a 20 day training program with the objective of learning more about higher education in Minnesota and the United States. To learn more about the university visit http://www.cumt.edu.cn/english/ .

A highlight of their visit was a summer picnic at Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton. After a tough schedule of business and educational visits and U of M lectures, the group was ready for play time. The warm summer afternoon, two canoes, sandy beaches and refreshing lake water put smiles on everyone's faces.

USCPFA - MN
co-sponsored with the
The University of Minnesota China Center Friends
a SPRING PICNIC on
Sunday, May 15, 2005, 11 am – 2 pm, at Como Park, East Pavilion, St. Paul.
There was traditional American style picnic foods and family friendly games,
such as Frisbee, Jump rope contest, Hula Hoop contest, card games, volleyball,
mini-soccer, Egg and Spoon race, and 3-legged race.
_____________________________

The Board of Directors
hosted a welcome dinner
for the newly appointed Consul for the Education Section
of the Consulate General in Chicago
Consul Bao Tongzeng
and his colleagues
Consul Xiong Sheng
Consul Zhu Hongqing
on Wednesday, March 30, 2005
at the home of Mary Warpeha.
Members were invited.

_____________________________

We welcomed the

Year of the Rooster

with

Members of CABAM,

the Chinese-American

Business Association of Minnesota

Sunday, January 30,

5:00 Social, 6:00 Dinner, 7:15 Program

New Hong Kong Kitchen

1192 Dale Street in St. Paul

Games, Drawings, and Entertainment

___

Guest painting and calligraphy

of a Chinese ROOSTER with Bob Schmitt of Laughing Waters Studio

____

Chinese juggling sticks by Board member and juggler extraordinaire,

Andy Edgar

______

15 members of the Minhua Chorus performed a wonderful medley

of Chinese music popular during the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s in China

HARBIN #1 Middle School Visits South High School - Minneapolis

On a cold January evening, Board Members Jennie Hsiao, Roger Li and Mary Warpeha celebrated with the South High School of Minneapolis as they hosted students, teachers, and administrators from the Sister School #1 Middle School of Harbin, Leilongjiang Province. Students of South High and Harbin #1 Middle School were on the second phase of an exchange funded through the US China Discovery Exchange Initiative Project of the US State Department. South High students participated in an extended visit in the 2004 school year. Mr. Dingman Yu, South High School Chinese language teacher, was the grant writer and facilitator or this wonderful exchange. Harbin students lived in Minneapolis students' homes, attended classes, and lived a Minnesota student life for several weeks before leaving for a short tour of the United States.

Students posing Board member, Far right, South High Teacher, as students will Jennie Hsiao welcoming Dingman Yu & Mary Warpeha for a camera the visitors with visitors

GOVERNMENT DELEGATION FROM MINNESOTA SISTER PROVINCE, SHAANXI PROVINCE
VISITS JANUARY 17-19, 2005


USCPFA-MN co-hosted with Global Volunteers seven delegates from Shaanxi provincial and county governments for a tour of the Twin Cites, meeting with Bud Philbrook, President of Global Volunteers, meeting and lunch with China Center at the University of Minnesota, visit with legislators at the Minnesota State Capitol, visit to Green Institute and Clean Water Action Alliance.

Delegates were Bai Haochen, Vice Secretary General of Standing Committee of Shaanxi Provincial Peoples Congress, Mr. Zhong Gaoshi, Ms. Sun Guiran, Ms. Han Jing, Mr. Su Mingxi, Mr. Wang, Yunfei, Mr. Bai Titai, Mr. Zheng Jinsheng.
A Welcome Dinner was hosted by the Board of Directors of USCPFA-MN at the Szechuan Star Restaurant.

The Committee planning this event included: USCPFA members, Bennett Dy, Andy Edgar, Mary Warpeha, and Jim Swiderski: Global Volunteer staff: Jim Swiderski and Dawn Miller; China Center staff, Hong Yang and Yuedong Zhou; State Capitol contact, Sandy Keene; David Cheng and Shuxin Xu.

If you would like to be informed of formal and informal opportunities to host visiting dignitaries, contact the USCPFA - MN Board of Directors by calling Mary Warpeha,
at 651-638-0743
or emailing USCPFA-MN