San Francisco Mayor Lee Unveils New Logo & Vision at SF’s Asian Art Museum

www.asianart.org

SAN FRANCISCO, September 29, 2011 — The Asian Art Museum introduced a new look and artistic vision Tuesday morning, as San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee joined museum director Jay Xu to unveil the museum’s new brand and logo that aims to engage a broader audience and spark connections across cultures and through time. The museum’s new look represents a bold step forward, as the museum repositions itself as a place for all to experience Asian art and culture from a new perspective, not simply through the presentation of art objects, but by delivering art experiences that spark new creativity and thinking.

Mayor Lee, Jay Xu, and Anthony Sun, Chair of the Asian Art Commission and Asian Art Museum Foundation, opened a bright red curtain to reveal the logo, developed by international branding consultants Wolff Olins. In introducing the branding, Director Jay Xu emphasized that, “The Asian Art Museum is for all people.” The logo, an inverted “A” accompanied by the word “Asian,” also references the mathematical symbol that denotes “for all.

Mayor Lee enthusiastically supported the museum’s new vision, and said, “San Francisco is a very special city, welcoming visitors from all over the world. We say to our visitors, ‘If you want a great experience, go to the Asian Art Museum.’ The Asian has great appeal for our international visitors, and especially here in our Civic Center area, inviting a greater audience to experience all the wonderful things the Asian has to offer.

Director Jay Xu described the museum’s new vision to act as a catalyst for engaging audiences in discussion and creativity, adding a contemporary dimension to exhibitions of traditional artworks that help audiences connect art to every aspect of their lives. He described how for the first time in its history the Asian will “craft a contemporary art program that makes new connections between masterpieces from our own collection and contemporary art, with concrete, active dialogue between art of the past and art of today.”

Introducing the program was Bay Area artist and Pixar animator Sanjay Patel, whose upcoming collaboration at the museum this fall perfectly illustrates the energy and vitality of the museum’s shift in focus, as it invites artists and audiences to actively engage with its world-renowned collection and innovative exhibitions. Associate Curator of South Asian Art Qamar Adamjee spoke about the upcoming exhibition “Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts” (opening October 21) and how the objects and ideas presented in the exhibition led the museum to invite Patel to respond by creating his own installation in the museum’s galleries. Patel’s installation, titled “Demons and Dudes with ‘Staches: Indian Avatars by Sanjay Patel,” opens in the galleries this November 11.

Akiko Yamazaki, President of the Asian Art Museum Foundation, introduced Nick O’Flaherty, Strategy Director of Wolff Olins, developer of the new branding, who described his work with the Asian as “a dream project.” He said that the design process considered “how visitors look to museums to provide a platform for discussion and interaction. The depths of the offerings of this museum show how it really can be a life-changing experience.”

Also present for the unveiling were San Francisco Supervisors David Chiu, Carmen Chu, and Eric Mar; Protocol Chief Charlotte Shultz; San Francisco Arts Commission President P. J. Johnston; Museum Board members and other representatives of City departments, nonprofit organizations, and numerous media outlets.

About the Asian Art Museum

The Asian Art Museum—Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is one of San Francisco’s premier arts institutions and home to a world-renown collection of more than 18,000 Asian art treasures spanning 6,000 years of history. Through rich art experiences, centered on historic and contemporary artworks, the Asian Art Museum unlocks the past for visitors, bringing it to life, while serving as a catalyst for new art, new creativity, and new thinking. The Asian Art Museum is located at 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco.

www.asianart.org

Mayor Lee announces Bank of Communications opening West Coast Branch in San Francisco

www.chinasf.org

San Francisco, CA— Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that the Bank of Communications (SEHK: 3328; SSE: 601328) is opening its U.S. West Coast Branch in San Francisco. ChinaSF began its relationship with the Bank of Communications (BoComm) in 2008, and has worked continuously to support the opening of the San Francisco presence. This is the most notable achievement of ChinaSF to date, as it establishes a significant financial relationship between China and San Francisco.

“The Bank of Communications is a game-changing addition to San Francisco’s financial industry,” said Mayor Lee. “Their presence resolutely affirms that San Francisco is the premiere gateway for trade between China and San Francisco. We enthusiastically welcome the Bank of Communications and look forward to a strong partnership in growing our local and regional economy.”

“San Francisco was a natural choice for the Bank of Communications,” said Bank of Communications San Francisco Branch proposed General Manager Shaohui Yang. “As the West Coast capital of finance, San Francisco is the ideal location to support the investment of Chinese businesses into the U.S. while supporting U.S. businesses accessing China’s markets. We thank Mayor Lee and his team at ChinaSF for all of their support.”

The Bank of Communications, headquartered in Shanghai, is the fifth largest bank in China and is the first Chinese bank to receive Federal Reserve approval after the financial crisis. BoComm’s San Francisco branch will occupy a signature space in San Francisco’s Financial District at 575 Market Street, beginning with 14 staff and expectations to grow in time. The Bank of Communications, San Francisco branch, will celebrate their grand opening in mid-November.

“Four years ago, the City brought together the public and private sector to launch ChinaSF which has been dedicated to bringing jobs and investment to San Francisco by capitalizing on China’s rising economic strength,” said Assessor-Recorder & amp; ChinaSF Board Chair Phil Ting. “Through these efforts, San Francisco is quickly becoming the location of choice for Chinese firms looking for a North American presence – driving much needed job growth and economic activity.”

“This is one of the most exciting accomplishments for ChinaSF,” said ChinaSF Executive Director Ginny Fang. “Not only does the Bank of Communications bring jobs to San Francisco, but, in close partnership with ChinaSF, they will continue to bring more Chinese investment and business to our great city, state, and country. We heartily congratulate the Bank of Communications on this achievement.”

About Bank of Communications

Founded in 1908, Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. (the “Bank”) is one of the oldest banks in China as well as one of the note-issuing banks in modern China. The Bank was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2005 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in May 2007.The Bank currently has 128 domestic branches (including Head Office), comprising 30 provincial branches,7 branches directly managed by Head Office and 90 provincial branches. It has also established 2,643 operating locations in more than 220 cities nationwide. The Bank has also set up 11 overseas institutions, comprising of branches in Hong Kong, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Frankfurt, Macau and Ho Chi Minh City and representative offices in London, Sydney and Taipei. According to the “Top 1000 World Banks 2011” published by the British magazine “The Banker”, the Bank was ranked number 35 based on its Tier 1 capital such that it was ranked among the top 50 banks worldwide for the third consecutive year. In addition, it was also among Fortune global 500 in 2011 in terms of annual sale revenue with its ranking of number 398. The Bank is one of the major financial services providers in China. The Bank’s business scope includes commercial banking, securities services, trust services, financial leasing, fund management, insurance and offshore financial services. Its wholly-owned subsidiaries include BOCOM International Holdings Company Limited, China BOCOM Insurance Co., Ltd and Bank of Communications Finance Leasing CO., Ltd. Subsidiaries controlled by the Bank include Bank of Communications Schroder Fund Management Co.,Ltd, Bank of Communications International Trust Co., Ltd, BoCommLife Insurance Company Limited, Dayi Bocom Xingmin Rural Bank Co., Ltd and Zhejiang Anji BOCOM Rural Bank Co., Ltd. In addition, the Bank is also the largest shareholder of Jiangsu Changshu Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. The Bank’s development strategy is to become “a first class listed universal banking group focusing on international expansion and specializing in wealth management.

About ChinaSF

With offices in Beijing, Shanghai and San Francisco, ChinaSF is a public-private initiative of the San Francisco Center for Economic Development (SFCED), in close partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), supported by funding from private sector partners. Its goal is to attract and retain Chinese investment and business expansion into San Francisco and the Bay Area, and to also support San Francisco Bay Area businesses in their business efforts in China.

Between 2008 and 2011, amidst one of the worst financial crises in history, ChinaSF successfully facilitated the expansion of 13 companies to San Francisco, and helped over a dozen Bay Area-based companies make important business connections in China. In addition to the financial investment into the Bay Area, ChinaSF’s efforts have directly created over 130 jobs for the Bay Area not counting any resulting multiplier effects and benefits. For more information, go to: www.chinasf.org.

Asian Art Museum Launches New Brand to Engage Broader Audience

www.asianart.org

SAN FRANCISCO, September 27, 2011 – The Asian Art Museum, one of the City of San Francisco’s premier arts institutions and home to a world-renowned collection, announced today that it is reinventing itself with a new brand to engage a broader audience. The brand aims to deliver on the museum’s new artistic vision to spark connections across cultures and through time, making Asian art and culture more relevant and meaningful for all.

The museum, which in 2003 moved from Golden Gate Park to San Francisco’s Civic Center, is shifting its focus from presenting artworks to delivering art experiences centered on artworks.

“The Asian Art Museum is a portal to worlds of unbound imagination, creativity and beauty. We explore these themes in a global context and invite all to discover their connections to Asian art and culture,” said Jay Xu, Director of the Asian Art Museum, also officially known as the Asian Art Museum—Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. “Our new brand promises to awaken the past and inspire the next. It means we’ll unlock the past for visitors and bring it to life by sparking connections. We’ll also be a catalyst for new art, new creativity and new thinking.”

The Asian Art Museum’s brand transformation will occur in stages, with initial efforts that include an expanded focus on contemporary Asian art. One example is an exhibition currently on view through January, Poetry in Clay: Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. In addition to more than sixty traditional ceramic masterworks from Korea, the exhibition includes works composed of ceramic shards, and even more startling, “ceramics” that pass at first glance as traditional East Asian pieces, yet are actually made of lightly fragranced soap, an unexpected medium that triggers questions about viewers’ notions of the permanence of ceramics.

The point of emphasizing these connections, said Xu, is to deliver stimulating, sometimes unexpected art experiences that entice visitors to discover more, and to view art from different perspectives.

Contemporary expressions will play a large role in two of the museum’s upcoming exhibitions, Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts, opening October 21, and Phantoms of Asia: Contemporary Awakens the Past, opening in spring 2012. Playing on its strengths, the Asian Art Museum will link contemporary works to objects from the museum’s collection of historic art spanning 6,000 years.

Maharaja is the first exhibition to comprehensively explore the rich culture of India’s great kings and their artistic patronage. It features 200 spectacular works of art including elaborate jewelry, ornate weaponry, royal costumes, and exquisite paintings. For a contemporary perspective, the Asian Art Museum is partnering with local Bay Area artist and Pixar animator Sanjay Patel. Maharaja inspired Patel, who has published three books featuring his vibrant illustrations of Hindu deities, to create his own joyful and striking interpretations, which will be displayed inside the museum as well as in exhibition promotional material. This commissioning of contemporary works to add a new dimension to a primarily historical art exhibition is a first for the museum.

Taking Asian cosmology and spirituality as its theme, Phantoms of Asia seeks to rediscover invisible interconnectivity through the histories, cultures and religions of Asia. A pan-Asian collection of contemporary works will be shown in tandem with historic works from the museum’s collection to spark imaginations beyond space and time. Visitors can experience Phantom’s presence throughout the building — another first for the museum — including its first-floor special exhibitions galleries, the second- and third-floor collection galleries, and one installation that will fill the museum’s North Court.

Bollywood dancing lessons, ceramic pot throwing, and even a taste of Asian aphrodisiacs are on the rich menu of performances, demonstrations and events planned for coming months.

International brand consultancy Wolff Olins helped to redefine the brand and designed a new logo to directly reflect the museum’s bold vision and new perspective. Its graphic, upside down A mark, accompanied by the word “Asian,” also communicates the museum’s desire to engage all: in mathematics, an upside down A denotes “for all.”

“We were attracted by the museum’s ambitious vision and desire to build a brand to unlock the potential of its vast collection and thought leadership. Beyond visual expression, the new brand will transform the visitor experience over time to create new ways of connecting the collection and the community, ultimately leading to more visitors and support for its vision,” said Nick O’Flaherty, Strategy Director at Wolff Olins.

The launch of the museum’s new brand is well-timed. The Asian Art Museum, which successfully restructured its long-term debt earlier this year, is on sound financial footing and eager to expand its reach and impact. Moreover, the growing global influence of Asia makes the museum’s mission—to lead a diverse, global audience in discovering the unique material, aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture—ever more relevant.

“More than half of the world lives in Asia,” said Xu. “Here in San Francisco, one-third of the population identify themselves as Asian. Opening our minds and hearts to the arts and cultures of this part of the world is an important step in better understanding the people, politics and influences that drive this vast, dynamic region of diverse cultures.”

“We’re on a life-long journey to raise the bar in delivering stimulating, relevant and inspiring experiences,” added Xu. “There are many stories to tell, important artworks to reveal, and new ideas to be developed and shared. We’re ready to lead the discussion.”

About the Asian Art Museum

The Asian Art Museum—Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is one of San Francisco’s premier arts institutions and home to a world-renown collection of more than 18,000 Asian Art treasures spanning 6000 years of history. Through rich art experiences, centered on historic and contemporary artworks, the Asian Art Museum unlocks the past for visitors, bringing it to life, while serving as a catalyst for new art, new creativity and new thinking.

Information: (415) 581-3500 or www.asianart.org.

Location: 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. From January through October, hours are extended on Thursdays until 9:00 pm. Closed Mondays, as well as New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

General Admission: FREE for museum members, $12 for adults, $8 for seniors (65+), $7 for college students with ID, $7 for youths 13–17, and FREE for children under 12 and SFUSD students with ID. Admission on Thursdays after 5:00 pm is $5 for all visitors (except those under 12, SFUSD students, and members, who are always admitted FREE). Admission is FREE to all on Target First Free Sundays (the first Sunday of every month). A surcharge may apply for admission into special exhibitions.

Access: The Asian Art Museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information regarding access: (415) 581-3598; TDD: (415) 861-2035

Cal State East Bay’s Oct. 29 ‘Discovery Day’ kicks off Bay Area Science Festival

October 29

www20.csueastbay.edu/csci/festival

In late October, Cal State East Bay’s Hayward Campus will become the center of science for the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

On Saturday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., CSUEB’s College of Science will host the first event in a 10-day series of science-related programs making up the Bay Area Science Festival running through Nov. 6 at locations throughout the region. The university’s Hayward campus is located at 25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard.

“Discovery Days” at Cal State East Bay will feature experiments, demonstrations, exhibits, hands-on activities, and lectures “to delight everyone young and old,” said Michael Leung, dean of CSUEB’s College of Science.

Although science festivals are not new to Cal State East Bay – they’ve been a biennial tradition since 1974 – this is the first time that CSUEB will participate in a regional festival with other leading science organizations from throughout the Bay Area and Northern California. The purpose of the Bay Area festival is to show how the region is an unparalleled world leader in science and technology, said event organizers.

“The Bay Area has long been a worldwide leader in science and technology innovation, and this region remains an incubator of countless breakthroughs,” said Susan Desmond-Hellman, chancellor for the University of California, San Francisco, which received a grant from the National Science Foundation to create the regional event.

For CSUEB’s festival, approximately 50 activities – including a chemistry magic show – are scheduled, and many will encourage participation from the audience and school-age children. Selected presentations featured include: “Life of a Criminalist;” geophysical prospecting; observing the sun through a telescope; computer simulation; robot in action; sea slugs; mathematical puzzles; fossil casting; potpourri of physics; bugs and other creatures.

Health screenings also will be offered to those in attendance.

In addition to CSUEB faculty-led activities, demonstrations and experiments are planned that will be facilitated by scientists and other world renowned experts from Chabot Space and Science Center, Lawrence Hall of Science, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Sandia Labs, The Tech Museum and UC San Francisco.

“California State University, East Bay’s College of Science has a tradition of opening its facilities to the community with the goal of bringing science awareness to the largest possible audience,” Leung said. “By joining forces with the Bay Area Science Festival, we will make that happen. The Science Festival is an important event to the university, as Cal State East Bay is committed to an increased focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education as a way of preparing our students to fill the current and future workforce needs of this region.”

Previous festivals at CSUEB each have drawn more than 5,000 attendees, and a similar size crowd is expected this year, said Charlene Lebastchi, festival coordinator and College of Science staff member.

Find additional information about CSUEB’s Discovery Day festival online. For details about scheduling and locations of other events in the Bay Area Science Festival visit www.bayareascience.org.

San Francisco Fleet Week Benefits from Fundraiser at Academy of Art University Classic Car Museum in SF

Thursday, September 8

Lodi Appellation Wines to be Poured at Vin d’Elegance

www.fleetweek.us

5 September 2011 — SF & Lodi, CA: San Francisco Fleet Week 2011 (www.fleetweek.us) celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, with a mission dedicated to teaching emergency preparedness and honoring our men and women in uniform. On Thursday, September 8, the nonprofit Fleet Week Association will be the beneficiary of a fundraising event, Vin d’Elegance, at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University Classic Car Museum (www.academyart.edu). The Classic Car Museum will serve as the backdrop for this prestigious event highlighting award-winning Lodi appellation wines. At Vin d’Elegance, the Fleet Week Association will unveil a photographic exhibit showcasing the heroic efforts of the U.S. military providing humanitarian assistance throughout the world. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased online or by calling 415.673.6672 ext. 248. Proceeds support Fleet Week’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Programs. Lodi Wine Country is thrilled to be the exclusive wine appellation featured at the Fleet Week Association’s Vin d’Elegance, as part of its 30th Anniversary Celebration to be held next Thursday, September 8th from 6pm to 9:30pm.

“Lodi wineries are honored to support such a meaningful organization.” says Charlene Lange, owner of LangeTwins winery in Lodi. “We are excited to share our wines with Bay Area wine lovers at Vin d’Elegance and at our upcoming Lodi’s Treasure Island WineFest.”

Following Vin d’Elegance Lodi vintners will return to the city for Lodi’s Treasure Island WineFest, which will be held on Saturday, October 8th on Treasure Island from 1pm to 5pm. The event will feature 45 Lodi wineries paired with gourmet bites and stunning views of Fleet Week’s aerial shows. Tickets are $55 in advance, $65 at the door and $25 for designated drivers. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit tiwinefest.com.

Lodi Wine Country is home to over 100,000 acres and produces approximately 20 percent of California’s total winegrape production—more than Napa and Sonoma combined! The region has experienced exponential growth since the early 1990s, with over 80 boutique wineries garnering top awards at major competitions. Centrally located between Sacramento and the greater Bay Area, Lodi Wine Country is the idyllic wine tasting destination.