波士頓草根音樂祭要為演唱台灣歌曲建平台

左起，黃怡菁，中華專協惠長彭淑敏，中華藝術協會總監陳玉律，歐陽姍，新英格蘭台商會會長歐陽露，陳薇如，朱慧芹，黃崇校，鍾岳辰，波士頓經文處處長徐佑典，蔡呈御，波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉。(周菊子攝)

中華專協惠長彭淑敏，歐陽姍，新英格蘭台商會會長歐陽露，陳薇如，朱慧芹，
黃崇校等人。(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange 周菊子麻州屋本市報導)”波士頓草根音樂祭”是音樂會，更是一個美麗的故事，一群義工熱心奉獻，在6月30日這天，把200多觀眾帶到屋本市中華藝術協會活動廳，想讓大家知道，”台灣有人才(Taiwan Got Talent)”，要讓台灣歌曲演唱在波士頓發芽，茁壯。

陳玫菁(左起)和蔡喬茵，蔡昕芸坐鎮接待台。(周菊子攝)

               “鬍子醫生”樂團的鍾岳辰，陳瀅璇，”你和我(You & Me)”樂團的黃崇校，陳薇如，朱慧芹，蔡呈御，以及神秘嘉賓歐陽姍等人的歌聲，吉他聲，中提琴聲，從1979到2017等不同年代的台灣歌曲，這天就在紐英崙中華專業人士協會，新英格蘭台灣商會攜手主辦下，瀰漫在中華藝術協會活動大廳中，讓200多聽眾感到滿足，幸福，彷彿和那遠在千里之外的島國，有了更深聯繫。

波士頓經文處處長徐佑典(左三)全家人一起來欣賞"鬍子醫生"樂團演唱。右起，中華專協
會長彭淑敏，榮譽顧問蔣宗壬，中華藝術協會總監陳玉律。(周菊子攝)

               這個”音樂祭”故事，要從一群高中時認識的好友，2006年攜手創辦”鬍子醫生”樂團，長大後各自分飛，但幾乎總會至少一年回台灣一次，聚首，演唱說起。其中的陳瀅璇後來遠嫁波士頓，今年邀”鬍子醫生”來波士頓演出，沒想到幾場演出，都很受歡迎，票房很好。”鬍子醫生”樂團主唱之一，至今唯一的專業音樂人鍾岳辰還發現，大波士頓人對華語歌曲其實挺有興趣，很多台灣人也想聽家鄉聲音，但這兒卻還沒有一個台灣歌曲演出平台。

               "鬍子醫生”的這發現，讓波士頓一群愛唱歌的台灣人深受觸動。

波士頓草根音樂祭由黃怡菁(右)，歐陽姍(左)做主持人。(周菊子攝)

               當年和嬌妻歐陽姍在台灣闖過五度五關，斬獲五燈獎的黃崇校，儘管彈得一手好吉他，唱得一口好歌，在大波士頓仍以工程師為業，對自彈自唱其實一直沒有忘情，在慈濟當義工時，經常和陳薇如搭檔。直到大約半年前，兒子要高中畢業了，他可以有更多時間後，才組成了”你和我(You & Me)”樂團，打算在演唱，錄製歌曲上嚐試發展。

               黃崇校的朋友們深感”鬍子醫生”的來到波士頓，是個讓更多人感受台灣歌曲的機會，於是傾全力合作，打造出一場歌好聽，主持幽默有趣，會後美食可口的絕佳音樂會。

鬍子醫生的鍾岳辰(右)，陳瀅璇(左)演唱。(周菊子攝)

               6月30日這天，黃怡菁和歐陽姍攜手當主持人，做了不少功課，簡述台灣校園民歌興起源於年輕人要唱自己的歌，提及葉佳修的一曲”鄉間小路”，當年幾乎無人不曉，再以”向前走”做音樂會首支演唱曲之外，還猜謎的問，台灣除了金門，馬祖，綠島之外，還有什麼島，帶出葉佳修另一首膾炙人口民歌”外婆的澎湖灣”。

               ”如果明天醒來十七歲”，則是“鬍子醫生”樂團的自創曲，鍾岳辰編，唱，風格和早年台灣民歌，明顯不同。

鬍子醫生樂團的鍾岳辰唱該團自創曲。(周菊子攝)

               接著演唱的歌曲，依序為1979年的鄧麗君名曲”甜蜜蜜”，由古詩改編的”但願人長久”，據說蔡琴演唱後就離婚了的”最後的一夜”，江蕙演唱，2003年以後紅遍台灣，描述婦女撐起家中一片天的台語歌”家後”，被黃怡菁用來形容金髮碧眼的歐陽姍竟可以用中文寫下所有歌名，主持稿，讓林俊杰從台灣紅回他來自的馬來西亞的”崇拜”，然後是2017年得到最佳作曲獎的”你啊，你啊”。

陳瀅璇是住在波士頓的"鬍子醫生"團員。(周菊子攝)

               音樂會嘉賓其實是目前長年在台灣教英文，拍廣告片，上電視節目”WTO姊妹會”的歐陽姍。在她演唱”河堤上的傻瓜”前，會場還播放了一段她和黃崇校當年上”五燈獎”節目，闖五關的影片。

               目前在社區護理中心工作的陳薇如和”珠媽廚房”媳婦，有著包的小籠包最好吃美譽的朱慧芹，接著還來上一段PK賽，依序演唱”好膽你就來”，”傷心酒店”。

黃崇校(左)，歐陽姍(右)兩夫婦當年攜手闖五關，奪五燈獎。(周菊子攝)

               音樂會在”小幸運”歌聲中落幕後，所有聽眾都被邀到餐廳，享用被好友稱為素食廚神的蕭惠菁等人準備的各種佳餚美食。其中蕭惠菁贊助提供的台式點心包括茶葉蛋100多個，洋蔥玉米胖100多個，糯米腸100各，生煎包150個，三杯智慧糕2大盤，素掛包50各，蜜芋頭2大盤，炒米粉等。

鬍子醫生和You & Me同台演唱台灣歌曲。右起，蔡呈御，鍾岳辰，朱慧芹，黃崇校，
陳薇如。(周菊子攝)

               熟悉大波士頓的人都知道，從1980年代開始，波士頓華人圈內就有梅偉文等人創辦的馬仕威樂隊，後來1990年代有陳秀華、曹勇等人創辦，一度歇止，如今恢復的新節奏樂隊，以及幾年前才由甄若茅，趙寶玲等人創辦的”星樂隊”，但這些都是主要由廣東人創辦的樂團，由台灣人創辦的樂團，”You & Me”，大概是第一個。

朱慧芹。(周菊子攝)

陳薇如。(周菊子攝)

蔡呈御拉中提琴。(周菊子攝)

演唱中途，朱慧芹邀觀眾一起唱。(周菊子攝)

會場播放歐陽姍，黃崇校夫婦當年闖五關影片。(周菊子攝)

歐陽姍唱"河堤上的傻瓜"，笑黃崇校如今沒有頭髮。(周菊子攝)

左起，蔣宗壬，蔡明機夫婦，李台、陳翠伶夫婦都是音樂會嘉賓。(周菊子攝)

波士頓草根音樂祭會場坐滿觀眾。(周菊子攝)

主辦單位在會上點名感謝康麗雪(前)協助宣傳。(周菊子攝)

麻州州長查理貝克競選連任 波士頓華埠有支持者 (圖片)

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)(左二)和波士頓華埠支持者，左起，陳余寶愛，陳毓禮，黃健國。(圖片由陳文浩提供)

麻州長查理貝克和陳毓禮。

波士頓僑務委員說明會 談台灣問題

波士頓經文處處長徐佑典(左二)和僑教中心主任歐宏偉(右起)，
兩名僑務委員，梅錫銳，蔣宗壬主持會議。

波士頓僑教中心新聞稿:

(波士頓訊)駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處為使本地區梅錫銳及蔣宗壬等兩位僑務委員向僑界簡報出席本年僑務委員會議情形，於6月30日在波士頓僑教中心大廳舉行僑務座談會，由處長徐佑典主持，僑教中心主任歐宏偉擔任司儀，共計僑務榮譽職人員、僑團負責人、青年代表及華文媒體人士等30餘人參加。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉說明僑胞卡國際化。

                   兩位僑務委員於會中分別報告今年出席僑務委員會議經過，與會人士發言踴躍，並提出相關建言。僑務委員蔣宗壬建議僑委會發送的帽子能鏽上「中華民國僑務委員會」，而非僅有「僑務委員會」；另外，為考量部分國家地區之新聘僑務委員對臺灣及桃園機場並不熟悉，建議可視個別僑務委員之需求提供接送機服務，或於僑務委員會議前3日能由僑委會派專人在機場提供指引及協助搭乘大眾運輪工具之服務。

此外，與會的僑務促進委員蘇鴻昌、華文作家協會張鳳女士等人也提出，近年來中共加大統戰力度，故建議明年僑務委員會議專案討論海外因應作法；僑務委員梅錫銳特別感謝吳新興委員長在會議中親自說明「華僑」及「僑民」的議題，並尊重海外僑社維持使用「華僑」之用語，有助於減少僑社議論及避免被有心人士藉以炒作。會中許多位僑領也提出，不要拘泥於使用「中華民國」或「臺灣」的用語，而應保持彈性，更務實的靈活運用，才能避免陷入統獨或藍綠之爭。 

三、四十名僑領出席僑務說明會。 

徐佑典處長表示，本次會議與會人士雖然對某些議題有不同意見，但十分肯定彼此都能相互尊重及包容不同的聲音，充分展現民主風度及精神；另，歐宏偉主任也在會中鼓勵僑胞組團返國參加本年十月慶典活動、推動海外僑胞返國自費體驗優質安心醫療服務、僑胞卡國際化等重要僑務工作，並宣介目前行政院提出「壯大臺灣 無畏挑戰」之策略作為。(所有圖片: 僑教中心提供)

年輕僑胞有不同意見。

許炳煌提問。

草根音樂祭 - 謝開明圖片專輯

波士頓草根音樂祭 - 謝開明圖片專輯

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fdBsqLUr1GgR2q9B8

左起，黃怡菁，彭淑敏，陳玉律，歐陽姍，歐陽露，陳薇如，朱慧芹，黃崇校，鍾岳辰，波士頓經文處處長徐佑典，蔡呈御，波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉。

陳玫菁(左起)和蔡喬茵，蔡昕芸負責接待。

陳薇如(中)演唱。

中華專協、北一女校友MFA文化之旅 - 謝開明圖片專輯

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ed7JJM41NJoz2ucr9

部分出席者合影。

紐英崙中華專協董事長蕭蔚(左)，文化之旅統籌譚嘉陵(右)。

波士頓北一女校友會會長江佩蓉(右一)。

史美芳。

白鈴安(左)，李小玲。

莫內(Monet)藝廊館長Katie Hanson(右起)向曹伯禹夫婦，王子仁解說。

莫內(Monet)藝廊館長Katie Hanson。

參觀後，在MFA餐廳聚餐。

”吳同中國藝術資深館長”白鈴安(Nancy Berliner)(中)。

麻州可能下週一發出第一張娛樂用大麻店營業證

(Boston Orange)麻州大麻管制局(Cannabis Control Commission)28日宣佈，估計下週投票決定，是否發出有條件執照給”培養(Cultivate)”。一旦通過，位於屋斯特市的該店，將成為麻州第一家休閒用大麻店。

“培養”是去年十一月在Leicester開張的大麻藥房，一旦麻州大麻管制局發給休閒娛樂用牌照後，”培養”店還得通過最後檢查，才能把大麻賣給那些手裏沒有藥用大麻購買許可證的成人。估計這程序得花上好幾個禮拜。

            麻州政府也得設計出一套系統，來把那些藥用大麻店裏的存貨資料，從麻州公共衛生廳轉交給大麻管制局的”從種子到銷售”追蹤系統。

            現有的大麻藥店一旦變成可以也銷售娛樂用大麻的店鋪時，將需要保留一部分存貨，供持證病患購買。該法令旨在確保娛樂用大麻用戶不會把店裡的大麻全買光了，有需要的病人反而買不到大麻。

目前，大麻管制局只發出了一張有條件執照，是在米爾福(Milford)種植大麻的藥用大麻公司Sira Naturals。

下週一，大麻管制局也將投票決定，是否批給Sira Naturals公司生產及運送大麻的執照。該執照將允許Sira Natural 把種植的大麻變成可食用的其他產品，並運送到各個店去。

根據麻州法令，大麻產品在店裏出售前，必須經過測試，不過目前供應藥用大麻店的四家主要實驗室，只有一家送出了成為娛樂用實驗室執照的申請書。

許多人原本預期的七月一日起，大麻零售就會廣泛可見，現在看起來不太可能發生了。儘管大麻管制局證已在審閱遞交了完整文件的大約61家公司的申請書，但很可能只有幾家會在七月開門營業。

Massachusetts Legislature Passes Bill to Temporarily Suspend a Gun License from Those Who Pose a Risk to Themselves or Others

Massachusetts Legislature Passes Bill to Temporarily Suspend a Gun License from Those Who Pose a Risk to Themselves or Others

(BOSTON) – The Massachusetts Legislature voted today to establish a process for family, household members or licensing authorities (petitioners) to petition the court for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) for individuals who “pose a risk of causing bodily injury to self or others” by owning, possessing or having a firearm.  An ERPO, if issued by the court, is effective for up to one year and results in the immediate suspension and surrender of all firearms and ammunition.

Licensing authorities are required to provide a list of services “relating to crisis intervention, mental health, substance abuse and counseling” upon receipt of an ERPO.

“With the passage of this legislation, Massachusetts once again leads the nation with the strongest and most effective gun laws in the country,” House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) said. “This bill will prevent senseless tragedies and help keep Massachusetts’ children safe. I am sincerely grateful to Representative Decker, who tirelessly championed this bill, and would like to recognize Chairman Naughton, Representative Viera and the conferees for their work, as well as the students who raised their voices on this life-saving measure.”

"This legislation will give loved ones vitally needed tools to help their family members in difficult, emotional situations,” said Senate President Harriette L.Chandler. “We know that this bill will encourage mental health interventions, save lives, and reduce the risk of suicide and murder. And thank you to the thousands of students who spoke up on this issue---your advocacy made today possible."

“I would like to thank Speaker DeLeo for his incredible leadership on this bill and for his commitment to firearm safety.  Thanks to his leadership, as well as a the tireless advocacy from survivors, parents, and students, we have continued to be a leader in the nation in preventing gun violence and enhancing the quality of life in the Commonwealth,” said Representative Harold P. Naughton, Jr. (D-Clinton), Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety & Homeland Security. “This legislation provides a tool for families to protect loved ones from harming themselves or others by preventing them from accessing a firearm in a crisis. I believe we have also managed to strike a critical balance between public safety and due process.  I am incredibly proud to have been able to play a small part in crafting a policy that I firmly believe will save lives.”

“I was so pleased to be the Senate Chair of the Conference Committee on this ‘Red Flag’ bill,” said Senator Creem. “Passage of this bill will save lives and it is a credit to all those who have advocated for its passage – especially our young people – that we were able adopt this important public safety policy.

 “I sleep well at night knowing this bill continues to ensure that Massachusetts is doing everything it can to lead the nation with common sense gun legislation that we know will save lives,” said Marjorie C. Decker (D-Cambridge), sponsor of the bill. “I could not be more proud or grateful for Speaker DeLeo’s leadership and courage. We can continue to look our constituents in the eyes and into the faces of parents across Massachusetts who know that their legislature is working to keep them safe.”

“We must do all that we can to keep our communities safe, and that includes keeping guns out of the hands of those who pose a risk of endangering themselves or others,” said Senator Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I’m proud to join with my colleagues in the Legislature to stand up for public safety in the Commonwealth.”

While licensing authorities in Massachusetts can currently suspend or revoke a license to carry (LTC) or firearm ID (FID) card on the basis of suitability, the ERPO court process provides petitioners - particularly family and household members who are far more familiar with an at-risk individual’s behavior - an additional tool to keep the licensee and others safe. It also provides an independent avenue for petitioners who are reluctant to go to law enforcement by allowing them to directly approach the court, doing so “under the pains and penalties of perjury”.

The legislation also allows the court to issue an emergency ERPO prior to a hearing in certain situations and provides for a justice of the court to grant an ERPO on nights and weekends if it finds “reasonable cause to conclude that the respondent poses a risk of causing bodily injury to self or others”.

The bill includes a range of due process protections for licensees, including a requirement for the court to hold a hearing within ten days of a petition being filed. Respondents will be able to use all existing statutory law remedies to demonstrate that they are not at risk, including legal counsel and the appeal process.

Any person who files for an order falsely is subject to a $5,000 fine or 2 ½ years in a house of correction.

Finally, in the wake of the recent Supreme Judicial Court ruling inCommonwealth v. Ramirez, the bill repeals the ban on stun guns and puts a licensing procedure in place.

The bill now goes to the Governor for his consideration.

台灣在DIA2018年會中首次辦城鎮會議

食品藥物管理署署長吳秀梅(右中)，波士頓經文處處長徐佑典(左三)和財團法人醫藥品
查驗中心執行長高純琇(前右二)等嘉賓合影。(周菊子攝)

        (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導)國際「藥物資訊協會(Drug Information Association，簡稱DIA)」今年(2018)再到波士頓辦年會。台灣由食品藥物管理署署長吳秀梅率30人代表團參加，並首次在這全球性會議中舉辦”TFDA城鎮會議”，向各國介紹台灣具國際競爭力的臨床試驗能量及研發資源。           

DIA現任及前任董事，Angelika Joos(左二)，Per Spindler(中)，
Andrzej Czarnecki(右一)等人也在"台灣之夜"中唱卡拉OK。(周菊子攝)

DIA是全球最大，歷史最悠久的國際性生命科學，醫藥法規人士交流會議，強調分享藥物研發新知，經驗，交流藥政管理趨勢。今年該會議以”包括病人(Patients Included)”為主題，於6月24日至28日之間，在波士頓會議展覽中心舉行，有來自50多國的8000多名製藥，生物科技，醫療設備等領域專業人士參加，共約423家公司擺攤展示，研討19項議題。

食品藥物管理署署長吳秀梅(左)，波士頓經文處處長徐佑典(右)在會中合唱。(周菊子攝)

台灣食品藥物管理署這次與會，不但首次舉辦專場城鎮會議，介紹台灣概況，還設置主題攤位，介紹「臨床試驗資訊平台」，6月27日晚又和駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處合作，在波士頓龍鳳酒樓舉辦了一場”台灣之夜”，邀得DIA大會董事，各國與會代表逾百人參加，促進交流，增加未來合作機會。

與會者，歐陽瑞琳(左起)，李中偉等人也高歌一曲。(周菊子攝)

根據大會資料，衛生福利部食品藥物管理署舉辦的「TFDA Town Hall」主題論壇，由吳秀梅署長擔任主持人，闡述台灣推動國際化醫藥品法規管理體系成果。另有台大醫院腫瘤醫學部主任楊志新說明「多國多中心藥品臨床試驗與資料解釋之挑戰」；財團法人醫藥品查驗中心執行長高純琇談「應用真實世界證據於法規決策經驗」；行政院科技會報辦公室主任劉祖惠介紹「台灣藥品產業之開發優質環境與政策」。台灣代表團還在會議期間發表壁報論文，說明新藥開發的新穎性臨床試驗設計、細胞治療諮詢輔導措施及台灣轉移性黑色素瘤治療之成本效益等。

荷蘭葛蘭素史克藥廠台灣分公司法規處長饒慧芬表示，在這次的年會中，關於人工智能對醫藥資訊及法規會有甚麼影響的討論，也幾乎無處不在。

6月27日晚的「台灣之夜」晚會，由財團法人醫藥品查驗中心國合公關專業經理周耿徹主持，有DIA現任理事11人中的Angelika Joos、Andrzej Czarnecki，Alberto Grignolo、Gesine Bejeuhr及前任理事長Per Spindler，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典，以及Health Canada代表Agnes Klein、Michele Chadwick，強生集團Janssen項目管理部副主任莊蕾，醫藥法規撰寫主任Kent Cochran，美、德、日、韓、加拿大等國專家學者出席。

Governor Baker Signs Grand Bargain Legislation

Governor Baker Signs Grand Bargain Legislation

Compromise bill creates a permanent sales tax holiday, increase in minimum wage and a new paid family and medical leave program in Massachusetts

BOSTON – Today, Governor Baker signed H.4640 An Act relative to minimum wage, paid family medical leave and the sales tax holiday, also known as the “Grand Bargain.” The compromise legislation will create a permanent sales tax holiday, increase the minimum wage over the next five years and create a new paid family and medical leave program in Massachusetts.

“I am thankful that all parties came together, compromised and found common ground to produce a better set of policies than what the ballot questions represented,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The Massachusetts workforce continues to grow with more and more people finding jobs and our administration is committed to maintaining the Commonwealth’s competitive economic environment.”

“Compromise on all sides made this legislation possible and our administration remains committed to making the Commonwealth the best place to live, work and raise a family,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

“This compromise strikes the right balance of empowering employees, supporting our hardworking residents and ensuring that businesses can continue to provide good, steady jobs,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “I sincerely thank the stakeholders who came to the table and the legislators who brokered this compromise.”

“This legislation is a true balance – one that reflects the real concerns facing both working families and business owners, while continuing to grow the Massachusetts economy,” said Senate President Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester). “I’m pleased that Massachusetts will be one of the first states with both a $15 minimum wage and a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program. I’m just as pleased that small businesses across the Commonwealth will continue to have the resources and room they need to flourish. I’m proud of the strong collaboration among stakeholders, House and Senate members in reaching this compromise, and thank them for their efforts in coming together throughout this process.”

“I’m pleased that this compromise will lift up working families in the Commonwealth, with a $15 minimum wage and a strong paid family and medical leave program,” said Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester), Senate Chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. “At the same time, the legislation balances the concerns of employers, particularly small businesses that form the backbone of our Main Streets. I greatly appreciate the hard work and spirit of collaboration that all the stakeholders have exhibited through this process.”

“Regardless of what happens in Washington DC, this law demonstrates that in Massachusetts we can come together to create policies which benefit working families, employers, and the Commonwealth as a whole,” said Representative Paul Brodeur (D-Melrose), Chairperson for the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. “While this process took months, I am proud that this law strikes the right balance in delivering improved wages and expanded benefits for millions of hard working residents while providing key protections for small businesses.”

The legislation signed into law today will create a permanent 2-day weekend sales tax holiday, a provision recently proposed as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Economic Development Bill to provide annual relief for consumers and increased sales for retailers. The new law will begin in August of 2019 and the particular weekend will be determined by the Legislature.

  

The bill will also gradually raise the Commonwealth’s minimum wage to $15/hour over five years, with an initial increase taking effect in January 2019. Coupled with that increase will be a raise to the minimum base wage rate for tipped workers, up to $6.75, that will also phase in over a 5-year period commencing in January of 2019. Wage policies for Sunday and Holiday pay will also be reformed and brought inline with most other states across the country.

The third major component of H.4640 introduces a new Paid Family and Medical Leave program for in Massachusetts employers and employees. The new program will provide employees who contribute to the program the ability to take paid leave for up to 12 weeks a year care for a family member or bond with a new child, 20 weeks a year to deal with a personal medical issue, and up to 26 weeks to deal with an emergency related to deployment of a family member for military service. Weekly benefit amounts will be calculated as a percentage of the employee’s average weekly wage, with a maximum weekly benefit of $850. Self-employed persons may opt into the program. For the law to apply to municipal employees, the city or town involved must vote to accept participation in the program.

國際當代藝術中心戴明德畫展 7/8 講座

Acton, MA – Contemporary Arts International (CAI), a nonprofit art center, announces the interdisciplinary exhibition in CAI’s Gallery. Curated by Viktor Lois, the exhibition entitled “Before the End of the Journey: Paintings of My Older Brother” by Taiwanese artist Ming-Te Tai will be open to the public from July 8 to Oct 8, 2018. This is our anchor show of the year.  An Opening Reception and Artist Talk will be held on July 8 at 2:00PM.

A collection of more than 40 paintings in this exhibition utters empathetically the struggle of human distress and despair. Through an artistic recording of the artist’s brother’s last period in his life journey, Tai expresses from the bottom of his soul the humanity’s deepest fear toward the end of our destiny. Each painting elucidates a level of elevation in the artist’s heart.  Tai’s motive unequivocally gives a total artistic Life to his brother, and makes “before the Ending of the Journey” tangible.
As the artist’s statement stated: “… the year 2012 was the last period of my late older brother with a terminal oral cancer. I looked at his weak and fractured cheeks and body, and felt the urge to record the last of him in images. However, the section from his nasal cavity to his neck is bandaged with gauze with blood oozing out, I could not bring myself to lift the cold camera and press the shutter to the brutal scene. I started drawing his portrait on the thin wrapping paper from his medical supply kits. Needless to say, my mind was filled with chaotic thoughts and the anxiety on our rapidly approaching eternal separation... 
Two years later, the doodling was transformed into this painting series. 

Tai writes further: “…My older brother and I were 17 years apart, our relationship is in many ways like that of a father and son. His build was burly, his character with a strong sense of righteousness, he often took a leadership role among his peers, and frequently got into fights with local gangsters when he was young and unruly. Even though they were outnumbered ten to one, he persisted in the bloodshed until the end. His job took him traveling constantly until an illness drove him back to his hometown to become a ‘good citizen’. I marveled at his value of life. To me, the suffering state of his predicament was no different from that of a saint! Paintings of my Older Brother perhaps are autobiographical revealing my fear in facing my own end in the future.”

The series, though a portrait of the artist’s brother, is obviously not a depiction of his appearance but the apprehension of his vigilance, courage, and witness of the easy attitude he beheld when facing excruciating pain.

When asked about the process of creating these paintings, Tai articulates that this series was first painted with trembling hands when Tai directly faced his brother and sketched him. Based on the draft, after the brother passed away, a large number of interpretive finer sketches were produced. Tai freely employed diverse materials to express himself in various stages of anxiety and despair. Tai explored the integration of acrylics and mixed materials for presentation. Through acrylics and the cutting, covering, filling in color, and blooming on vinyl cuttings, the resulting imagery was extremely similar to that of woodcut prints, expressing the harshness, strength and life-like movement of the figure in the painting. In the dark-colored area with moist ink, the symbol of time delivers the reference and inference of the Paintings of “My Brother” heading to the end of his Life. The linear cut marks overlap and intersect, vacillating between certainty and uncertainty. They weave the direct contact and treatment of the separation and pain.

The emotional imagery in the show resonates the famous print/painting “Scream” by Edvard Munch, not only the subject matter of expressing the artist’s inner thoughts and strong feeling, but also its swirling movement, rhythm and intensity. Munch’s extreme despair completely override the painterly application, the “Scream” hits the viewer with a solely direct feeling of anxiety. As Munch’s diaries read: "I was walking down the road with two friends when the sun set; suddenly, the sky turned as red as blood. I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired. Tongues of fire and blood stretched over the bluish black fjord. My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous infinite scream of nature." Like Munch, Tai Ming-Te’s paintings express not merely psychological agony but also physical suffering on the edge of insanity. Munch is from Norway, Tai is from Taiwan, the common denominator is their extraordinary human feeling. Through art, they both evoke the empathy in our hearts.

Both Yin and Viktor have known Tai personally since 2005, and witnessed the dedication and even the near “madness” in which he created and lived his art. Touched by Tai’s authenticity and artistic spirit, they brought this series to New England to share with the Western viewers a glimpse of this moving and critical Asian artist, whose voice and life journey we all, at various degrees, one time or other, have encountered.

Tai has obtained his Master of Fine Arts from the Tainan National University of the Arts, and is an Associate Professor of Visual Art at the National Jiayi University in Taiwan.

波士頓草根音樂祭 6/30

中華藝協第32屆中華民族舞蹈展 - 謝開明圖片專輯

陳玉律(中)率領老師，學生們謝幕。

陳玉律應邀和學生家長合影。

紐英崙中華藝術協會主辦的第三十二屆中華民族舞蹈展，六月二十三日（週六）分別於下午及晚上，在波士頓大學蔡氏演藝中心舉行了兩場盛大公演。

藝協舞團執行藝術總監陳玉律、藝術總監陳嘉琪、以及門璐、蔡君柔、傅靜文等老師攜手製作，率傳統中國舞蹈團全體團員，演出了二十支舞蹈小品，不但風格各異，舞服舞步都無多彩多姿，現場觀眾大飽眼福，紛紛稱讚。

中華藝協為加強達成宣揚中華文化宗旨，今年再次不賣票，邀觀眾免費索取入場劵，以期各界人士更踴躍出席，欣賞兩場精彩演出。

藝協傳統中國舞蹈團每年舉辦一次的新團員甄試將在八月二十五日(週六) 上午在位於 Woburn 的藝協活動中心舉行。有興趣者請至藝協網址 www.acas-ne.com 下載報名表。

藝協主辨的第二十屆中華民族舞蹈夏令營，將於八月十二日至八月十八日舉行，已定由蔡君柔執教。下載報名表，可上藝協網址 www.acas-ne.com 。