Impact Stories

The Liu Shiming Art Foundation recently made a gift to AUB to establish the Liu Shiming Endowed Scholarship, one of 100 scholarship funds that it plans to establish in countries around the world to support art and sculpture students. Preference in awarding the scholarship at AUB, which will provide partial tuition support, will be given to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in studio arts. Undergraduate students pursuing degrees in art history or graphic design and graduate students pursuing degrees in art history and curating will also be eligible. In addition to providing financial aid to a student majoring in the arts, the donation will also benefit the graduating cohort of BS students in studio arts by supporting the purchase of art material for the final-year exhibition. “We are delighted to receive this generous gift that will benefit undergraduate students pursuing degrees in studio arts,” said Professor Walid Sadek, the Philippe Jabre Endowed Professor in Art and chairperson of AUB’s Department of Fine Arts and Art History.

Liu Shiming (1926-2010) was a revered Chinese sculptor whose works have been exhibited around the world. The foundation, which was established in his name less than a year ago, has an ambitious vision: not just to establish 100 scholarships at universities around the world, but also to create a platform where scholars can exchange and communicate ideas to inspire the creation of art, to encourage collaboration among universities, and to introduce students to art and culture in China and the US.

Liu Shiming especially loved working with young people – and encouraging them to work with each other. This is something the foundation wants to do as well. It hopes to widen scholars’ horizons, give them opportunities to understand a wider variety of art and culture and meet new people and friends. The foundation’s ultimate goal is to aid students in their journey as artists as they create works that allow others to see the beauty of our world more deeply.

For Liu Shiming, sculpting was a language in which he expressed his inner feelings and thoughts and documented the period he lived in. Thanks to the support of the Liu Shiming Art Foundation, students at AUB and around the world will have the same opportunity. “We are grateful to donors like the Liu Shiming Art Foundation that are continuing to invest in the arts during these especially challenging times,” said Associate Vice President for Development Walid Katergi.