Art for the Atayal

Fr. Song-Cing Ding, 丁松青, has been living with the Atayal community in Chingchuan for 35 years. He is not only their mentor and friend, but a very talented artist and inspirational leader in the community. This past weekend, he (and many volunteers) organized a beautiful art exhibit, auction, and benefit where all the proceeds are given to the Atayal community. There were many incredible Atayal children, teens, adults, and elders performing songs, dances, and playing handmade traditional instruments. The Atayal children's choir also performed more modern music too. I was very moved by the whole event for many reasons. There was such a strong admiration and respect for the work and vision of Fr. 丁松青 and his longstanding dedication to the Atayal community. There was such a sense of family and friendship at the event. I loved the soul and heart that was so apparent in the music that was performed and hearing it in the original Atayal language was extra special. The art alone is reason enough to see the exhibit but the strong sense of connection was wonderful to feel. The exhibit includes painted stained glass with LED backlighting to illuminate the images. There are also numerous oil and pastel paintings of Atayal friends.