On June 9, we lovingly and gently deinstalled the EXCLUDED/INCLUSION: The Work of Chen Lok Lee exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Center. I would like to thank the entire Sachs Program for Arts Innovation team – John McInerney, Chloe Reison, and Tamara Suber – for their extensive support throughout the last few years as we worked to make this exhibit a dream come true. Elaine Lopez and Jaime Alvarez contributed their beautiful photography and graphic design skills to make sure we were memorializing our project. And of course, we wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without the generosity of Keith and Kathy Sachs, generous donors.
During the nine months (yes, an entire gestational period!) that the work was living at Penn, I had full hope that my father’s spirit would live on and continue to impact the many who were exposed to the bright, cheerful, powerful and comforting images that brought love and warmth into the light-filled Arts Lounge. The 18 pieces told a story — his story — and served to inspire other young artists along the way. Each work represented a different slice of his life, a different piece of the story. My job as the curator was to put them all together to show you his journey, and to allow you to experience the feelings that he felt along his path.
Growing up with not one, but two artists for parents, there were many difficult things that we experienced, including the uncertainty of success and income, the two usually tied to one another. For this reason, my parents never encouraged my brother and I to become artists. While we grew up around many artists, musicians and cultural practitioners, and were both musicians ourselves, we never fully leaned into our natural visual artistic talent.
However, one of the core skills and abilities that I did inherit is the ability to recognize good art. My father was a humble man, but he was especially pleased when he would show me a painting he created and I gave it my approval. That seemed to have meant the most to him.
My father made good art, and I knew how to recognize it.
While he is no longer here to produce more art, I continue to look for ways to make a positive impact on the world with the existing collection and his story.
As a curator, there are 150 more pieces that I have in the treasure chest that I will use to tell a fabulous next chapter of our family’s story. Follow us on Instagram for real time updates on our next adventure which starts in a few weeks!
