In August 2004, the Arts Center of Kao Yuan University (KYU) was established to accomplish the educational objective of “The Equal Importance of Humanism and Technology.” Lecturer Chang Huei-Lan (張惠蘭), a renowned artist and exhibition planner, was hired to head the Arts Center. She has excelled in creating harmony within one unified, single exhibition (“Interconnected” art form) by integrating various genres of art. Her artistic style has infused a vibrant spirit into the arts community in southern Taiwan. Since August 2008, Lee Jiun-Shyan (李俊賢) took over the chair’s position, he retain the traditional and continue the promotion of the art center.
The Center was primarily founded to enhance the human faculties of humanities, arts, and aesthetics. It has also provided the members of KYT with an ideal environment to showcase theme exhibitions, forums, creative presentations, arts-related research, and student associations’ works. In addition, the dynamics of the Arts Center has brought about an aesthetic aura within which students’ sensibility, and creativity in arts are inspired and demonstrated. Students are also formally trained to appreciate the modern arts and to broaden their global views. In short, the core feature of the Center is to encourage students to pursue creativity and practical skills in aesthetics.
The Arts Center has proudly exhibited various genres of arts on a monthly basis. In spring 2003, “Lakeside Arts Season” (湖畔文藝季) made its debut at KYU, and since then has become the school’s prominent arts event of the year. In tune with the atmosphere on campus, “Lakeside Arts Season” unites different themes such as music, literature, drama, architectural style, dance, and environmental landscape. Eventually, against the backdrop of KYU’s lakeside, the arts exhibitions and music emit a humanistic spirit that symbolizes the harmony of the campus and its surrounding natural landscape.
The “Interconnected” art form demonstrates an interesting, if still preliminary, interface for arts and the campus, particularly from the education-oriented exhibition perspective. The Arts Center serves as a bridge between arts and the campus, and may gradually set in motion the participation of the local people in arts and aesthetics.