The Terra Foundation for American Art Awards Museums at W&L a $50,000 Grant The funds will support ‘Stephanie Shih: LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見),’ an exhibition born out of the 2023 inaugural Artist-in-Residence program.

By Brian Laubscher
August 26, 2024

The Museums at Washington and Lee University have been awarded a $50,000 collections grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art (TFAA) to support the exhibition “Stephanie Shih: LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見)” that draws from the Museums’ renowned Reeves collection of Chinese export porcelain. The exhibition debuts in the Reeves Museum of Ceramics on Aug. 28 and lasts through June 7, 2025.

Stephanie Shih is a second-generation Taiwanese Chinese American photographer, visual artist and linguistics professor, who in 2022 was invited to mine the Reeves Collection and serve as the inaugural artist-in-residence.

“LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見)” is a new still life photographic series consisting of 15 life-size photography and video-based installations inspired by the Museums’ collection of Chinese ceramics, both export and domestic. Through this series, Shih seamlessly blends still life traditions with Asian American perspectives and juxtaposes altered still life photographs with ceramics drawn from the Reeves Collection, creating a dynamic interplay between the tangible and the photographic. Shih’s work reimagines these coveted ceramics as vessels of diasporic history, prompting reflection on belonging, migration and cultural identity in the United States. Shih’s thought-provoking series encourages visitors to consider the complexities of possession, desire and cultural heritage.

“LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見)” was organized by Isra El-beshir, director of the art museum and galleries at W&L, and Shih. They worked on the exhibition and the accompanying publication in collaboration with Nalleli Guillen, associate director of curatorial affairs; Elizabeth Spear, former curator of academic engagement; and curatorial consultants Rachel Du, a specialist in Chinese art and history, Kelly Fu, Stanford Ph.D. candidate in history, and Jacqueline Chao, Cecil and Ida Green Curator of Asian Art ay the Dallas Museum of Art.

The Terra Foundation for American Art, established in 1978 and having offices in Chicago and Paris, supports organizations and individuals locally and globally to foster intercultural dialogues and encourage transformative practices that expand narratives of American art, through the foundation’s grant program, collection and initiatives. The Terra Foundation Collections Grants provide support for organizations to reinterpret and present their collections again through temporary installations or exhibitions drawn from their permanent collections.

The funding received from the TFAA is assisting the Museums in creating an interdisciplinary and cultural lens for interpreting the legacy of the Asian export ceramics trade will be essential in expanding the programming and workshops surrounding Shih’s exhibition, and it will help to produce digital and printed exhibition guides and an exhibition catalogue.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Terra Foundation for its generous grant in support of Stephanie Shih’s residency project, ‘LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見),’” said El-beshir. “Shih’s residency project introduces new knowledge and a fresh perspective to our renowned Chinese export porcelain collection, brings visibility to Asian narratives and embodies the bold and innovative spirit that the Terra Foundation champions.”

The exhibition creates a transformative narrative that reflects the diversity of American art and its histories, centers marginalized voices and actively commits to inclusive and equitable practices in art interpretation and curation. The support provided by the TFAA grant enables the Museums to advance its mission of fostering interdisciplinary engagement with the permanent collection, deepening the appreciation of art, history and culture.

“The cultivation of engaged citizenship is essential to W&L’s mission,” said Provost Lena Hill. “We aim to help students become not only personally successful but also thoughtful difference-makers in their communities. The Museums at W&L and this important exhibit help advance our mission, and we deeply appreciate the Terra Foundation for its support and recognition of the significance of Shih’s artwork and our commitment to equity and inclusion.”

The Museums at W&L consist of three sites: The Reeves Museum of Ceramics, University Chapel & Chapel Galleries and Watson Galleries, and are open to the public Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information on exhibitions and programming, visit the Museums at W&L’s website.

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