China Institute in America

For nearly a century, China Institute has served as the United States’ leading platform for authentic and genuine knowledge and insight regarding China. It deepens understanding of China’s past, present, and future through a broad range of initiatives. These include educational services for students of all ages and backgrounds; innovative exhibitions of Chinese art masterpieces that delight general audiences and advance art history scholarship; humanities-based public programs that illuminate China’s culture and history; family-friendly festivals; professional development opportunities for K-12 schoolteachers; and unique forums for dialogue in the business community.

In 2015, China Institute underwent a transformational change by moving from a cramped townhouse on the Upper East Side to an expanded, state-of-the-art headquarters in Lower Manhattan. Occupying the ground and second floors of 100 Washington Street, this space is undergoing a phased renovation that significantly expands both our service capacity and the scope of the Institute’s programming and services. The move was made in conjunction with the following strategic goals:

• To expand the Institute’s role as the United States’ premier educational and Informational resource on China
• To maximize the quality, range, and reach of its programming
• To serve as a cultural anchor for Lower Manhattan, both as a key tourist destination and as a provider of cultural services for our city’s most dynamic residential neighborhood

As of this writing, the Institute’s upper level (more than 21,000 square feet) has been completely built out, and includes an auditorium suitable for presenting lectures, scholarly conferences, film screenings, and performances; China Institute Gallery, which places on view Chinese art masterpieces of the highest quality; seven classrooms outfitted with state-of-the-art teaching technology that can repurposed to host public events; and administrative spaces.

Please refer to the description below of the Institute’s organizational progress for information regarding facility renovations currently underway and how these will further support the fulfillment of our mission and programs.

Established in 1926, China Institute was the first bicultural organization devoted exclusively to deepening understanding of China in the United States through scholarly and cultural exchange. It has unrivalled experience in transmitting a deep and nuanced understanding of Chinese history and culture to American audiences. The Institute’s Lower Manhattan headquarters is the largest space in New York metropolitan area solely dedicated to that purpose.

Key to the organization’s success is its staff and programmatic leadership. For example, China Institute Gallery Director Willow Weilan Hai, in the words of The New York Times’ Carol Kino, “put [the Gallery] on the map by mounting small, strategically focused exhibitions that illuminate different aspects of Chinese art and life.” Since 1995, Hai has curated and produced more than 60 exhibitions. For the last 11 years, Director of Education Shenzhan Liao has managed and implemented all activities at our School of Chinese Studies. Her accomplishments include the development of award-winning curriculum guides and innovative professional development programs that provide best practices for K-12 educators to teach China in the classroom.

China Institute also strengthens its institutional capacity though collaborations with notable cultural, educational, and government institutions. For example, New York State has accredited our School as a provider of certificate-issuing professional development programs for K-12 educators. In partnership with East China Normal University—one of China’s leading institutions of higher learning—new educational and cultural initiatives are being inaugurated at our facility’s East China Normal University Center at China Institute. In 2019, the Institute and The US-China Music Institute at Bard College Conservatory of Music co-launched the MUSIC at China Institute initiative. Prominent artist/educators lead music classes and appear in performance. Our Gallery teams with major museums—especially those located in China—to bring to New York Chinese art masterpieces that never have been seen before in our area.

The thoughtfully curated programming organized by our Public Programs Division and China Institute Center for Business features the participation of some of the most important thought leaders and creators from China and from the Chinese diaspora. These include actors, architects, authors, entrepreneurs, fashion designers, filmmakers, historians, musicians, scholars, and visual artists who provide unique perspectives on all things China.

China Institute has long been New York City’s premier educational and informational resource on China. Each of its programmatic pillars is built upon decades of experience and thought leadership in its areas of activity:

Established in 1933, our School of Chinese Studies helps students of all ages and from all walks of life to gain fluency in Chinese; become proficient in studio arts (i.e, calligraphy, brush painting) and Tai Chi; explore the touchstones of classic Chinese literature; and more. Generations of educators have utilized its resources to attain best practices for teaching the Chinese language and Chinese history and culture in the classroom. It has provided in-classroom, standards-based cultural workshops to thousands of underserved youths attending the region’s public schools. The evocative and authentic representations of Chinese culture they present counter negative stereotypes regarding Asian peoples that perpetuate bigotry and hate.

Over the last half-century, China Institute Gallery has presented 116 thematic exhibitions. Each has spotlighted specific facets of China’s rich artistic traditions, utilizing masterpieces from private collections and major cultural institutions from across the globe. These are curated by renowned international scholars; their expertise also informs the Gallery’s publications and symposia. For nearly three decades, school groups have explored aspects of Chinese culture and created artworks in traditional Chinese media through its “Discover China through Art” field-trip program.

The roots of the Institute’s cultural public programming go back to 1930, when the Institute sponsored the first performances in the United States by the renowned Chinese opera singer Mei Lanfang. Today, the slate of programs produced by our Public Programs Division includes appearances by leading minds in the worlds of cultural scholarship, literature, and the visual and performing arts.

With the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the Institute expanded its outreach by migrating its education, cultural, and business programming to online. In so doing, our organization gained new constituents from across the globe and attracted record-breaking audiences. Now, our organization follows a hybrid model—offering both in-person and online programs/services—thereby making a greater impact on U.S.-China understanding and interaction than ever.

Improvements to the Institute’s physical plant are continuing. Our 6,500-square foot ground-floor unit is undergoing a white-box renovation that will support an expanded roster of public offerings. By 2023, the Institute will have established a prominent street-level entrance, and a new staircase will link our two floors of public services. Build-out of new permanent programming infrastructure is also underway, including a demonstration and teaching kitchen that will support a wide range of culinary programs.