Xiao Feng & Song Ren Art Museum

Xiao Feng & Song Ren Art Museum

The “Xiao Feng & Song Ren Art Museum” is located on the second floor of the east tower of the New Wanfu Bridge in Yangzhou Eco-Tech New Town. It officially opened to the public on April 24, 2016. As a key project in the city’s cultural museum construction initiative, the museum was developed under the responsibility of Yangzhou Eco-Tech New Town. Covering a total area of 2,900 square meters, the space is thoughtfully planned and clearly categorized, featuring functional areas such as the collection exhibition zone, academic exchange zone, art salon zone, studio zone, education and training zone, and library resource room.

At its opening, the museum simultaneously launched the exhibition “Footprints of Time, Devotion to Hometown — The Art of Xiao Feng & Song Ren” and the feature column “The Artistic Bond Between China Academy of Art and Yangzhou.” These showcased dozens of representative works by Xiao Feng and Song Ren, and introduced several influential artists from the China Academy of Art who have deep ties to Yangzhou since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, including Huang Binhong, Mo Pu, Xiao Feng, Xu Jiang, and Wang Zan.

Born in Jiangdu, Xiao Feng and his wife Song Ren are both senior professors at the China Academy of Art, and are revered in the art world as “red artists nurtured by the Party.” They are artists who grew up during the revolutionary war period and spent their lives creating a significant body of revolutionary historical paintings. Their works are vivid and authentic, serving not only as a visual record of their own revolutionary journey but also as a heartfelt expression of their artistic passion. These artworks reflect one facet of China’s historical progression in the 20th century and have become an important part of the history of modern Chinese art. They have had a profound impact on 20th-century Chinese art, holding deep social significance and exceptional artistic value.

The “Xiao Feng & Song Ren Art Museum” serves as a permanent exhibition space for the artworks of Xiao Feng and Song Ren. To contribute to the cultural development of their hometown, the couple generously donated nearly 200 treasured pieces from their personal collections, including prized Russian artworks, calligraphy and paintings by notable figures, as well as cultural relics and antiques. The museum will break away from the traditional single-exhibition model and will incorporate multiple functions such as international and domestic art exhibitions and exchanges, training of high-end art talent, public art education, art appreciation and critique, as well as academic exchange and research. The aim is to develop it into a cultural and artistic hub directly serving the public, establishing it as a high-quality public cultural service institution in Yangzhou. At the same time, the museum is committed to promoting art both nationally and internationally, fostering the exchange and integration of Yangzhou’s local culture and art with the wider world.