Reported by Weng Shun-li, Tainan
Cultural Affairs Bureau Celebrates Pilots' Day with Aircraft Art Exhibition
To celebrate World Pilots' Day on April 26, the city government's Cultural Affairs Bureau joined hands with the FLOMO Education Foundation to open the "Soaring Through the Clouds | Virginia's Flights of Imagination" exhibition at Shuijiaoshe Cultural Park on April 25. The show presents the aircraft-themed series by Canadian artist Virginia from the Foundation's collection, echoing the history of Shuijiaoshe as an air force military dependents' village and paying tribute to the brave pilots who once soared through the skies.
Presiding over the opening, Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan noted that Shuijiaoshe Cultural Park was originally an air force dependents' village and remains a key site for preserving Tainan's military village cultural heritage. This collaboration between the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the FLOMO Education Foundation, combined with school outreach education, brings together government, private enterprise, and schools to fully demonstrate the power of cross-sector connection and to help more people understand Tainan's historical context.
Shen Ching-jung, Vice Chairperson of the FLOMO Education Foundation, said that since its founding in 2004, the Foundation has devoted itself to English-language and arts education and has collaborated with the Cultural Affairs Bureau on numerous arts and cultural activities, planting the seeds of art in children's hearts. As Shuijiaoshe is hailed as the "Hometown of the Thunder Tigers," FLOMO specially used its own eraser products to craft an aircraft design of the Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team, hoping to introduce more people to Tainan's air force history and culture.
Bureau Director Huang Ya-ling remarked that the works of the Canadian artist reveal how aircraft are portrayed artistically across different cultures. In partnership with nearby Zhikai Elementary School and Zeren Kindergarten, the "Paint My Flying Dream" educational outreach activity encourages children to use their creativity to depict their own visions of flight, in the hope that the varied perspectives and artistic styles will spark public interest in aircraft, aviation, and related themes.
The "Soaring Through the Clouds | Virginia's Flights of Imagination" special exhibition runs through June 28 at the Special Art Exhibition Hall of Shuijiaoshe Cultural Park, open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free and no reservation is required.
