On October 1, “Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom: Selected Artworks from the Creations and Collections of the Beijing Fine Art Academy”was opened to the public at the National Museum of China.The exhibition is jointly held by the National Museum of China, China Artists Association and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. It organized by the Beijing Artists Association and Beijing Fine Art Academy.

On May 14, 1957, the Chinese Fine Art Academy in Beijing (the predecessor of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, or the BFAA) was officially established, with Qi Baishi as its honorary director and Ye Gongchuo as its director, bringing together Chen Banding, Yu Feian, Xu Yansun, Hu Peiheng, Wang Xuetao and other famous artists. It was the earliest and largest national-level fine art academy since the founding of New China. At the inaugural meeting, Premier Zhou Enlai clearly stated the three major tasks of the Academy, namely creation, research and teaching. He also expressed the hope that the establishment of the Academy would promote an environment that would “let a hundred flowers bloom and compete with each other” in the field of Chinese literature and art. These are the exact principles the BFAA has adhered to since its establishment. For more than 60 years, the BFAA has always emphasized the combination ofcreation and innovation, research and collection, and teaching and practice. Focusing on building a comprehensive team of creative, research and art management experts, it has become an important force in the world of Chinese art.

Shouldering a societal mission, taking cultural responsibility and having an artistic attitude are the core principles and practices of the Beijing Fine Art Academy. On the basis of respecting the ontology of art, strengthening responsibility is a central requirement for creation within the BFAA, as well as the main criteria for evaluation. The BFAA is always present at China’s major festivals, celebrations and conferences.

This exhibition presents the achievements of the Beijing Fine Art Academy in the fields of research, collection, creation, and culturalexchange through four sections. In the initial period following the establishment of the BFAA, a painting entitled “Hundred Flowers Blossoming in the East Wind” was collectively created by painters from the Chinese flower-and-bird painting group, which embodied the artists’ expectation that one hundred flowers in full blossom would bring spring into the garden. The one hundred precious flower paintings on displaytoday originated from all over the country. It is not only an emotional expression of the BFAA in the new era, but also a sincere tribute to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

The exhibition is located in Galleries S8, S9 and will last one month.