Artists Bring the Art of Chinese Kite-Building to UM

A&D faculty members Anne Mondro and Matt Shlian spent the month of June in Beijing working with Ha Yiqi, one of China’s most distinguished and skilled kite artisans. Now, Master Ha will visit the UM campus for the first annual Kite Festival.

He gave them a big machete-like knife, a bunch of bamboo strips and a box of Band-Aids. Then the Chinese kite master left University of Michigan artists Anne Mondro and Matthew Shlian alone in his Beijing home to create their own wispy pieces of aerial art.

Read the full article: Artists bring the art of Chinese kite-building to U‑M

Mondro and Shlian will share their newfound kite-making skills with U‑M students in a series of workshops, culminating in the first annual Kite Festival, a one-day jubilee with community competition, master kite fly-offs, lion dancing and kite-building workshops. The event, inspired by the traditional Asian craft of kite flying (feng zheng), will take place on September 25, 2011 at the Arboretum.

Kite Festival: Master kite demonstrations, competitions & challenges, and community art table, with a garnishing of entertainment: Chinese ribbon dancing, yo-yo demos, lion dances, taiko drumming, and zithers. Kite aficionados are invited to participate and bring their own self-crafted kites. No experience necessary — kite building workshops and lessons will be 
Sunday, September 25^th 1:00 — 5:00 pm
U‑M Nichols Arboretum
1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor

Kite Fly-a-thon: Master kite flying demos; enjoy kite fliers showcasing their skills.
Friday, September 23^rd 5:00 – 7:00pm
U‑M Ferry Field (outdoor track)
1150 S. State St., Ann Arbor

For more information on these events, visit the Center for Chinese Studies’ Kite Festival page.