The HCCC Foundation Art Collection Celebrates Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber stated, “As we celebrate Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’re proud to showcase the experiences and talents of Asian and Asian-American artists within our HCCC Foundation Art Collection. Our collection is a testament to the vibrant mosaic of Asian and Asian-American culture, fostering understanding and appreciation within our community. Through art, we honor the contributions and stories of these remarkable artists, enriching the cultural landscape of our college and beyond.”

One remarkable piece that will catch any visitor's eye is the metal-clad, 38” tall, hand-carved wood horse in the STEM Building’s lobby, created in the Indian Mughal style (a style of art developed in the 16^th through 18^th centuries in India). While the creator of this untitled but stunning sculpture is unknown, it was created in Rajasthan, India during the 19^th Century.

On the subject of pieces by unknown artists, the sixth floor of 71 Sip Avenue is home to two antique porcelain figurines from China, including a horseback rider and a boy holding a dog.

Another highlight is a limited-edition plate of bone china created for the Azuero Earth Project, an organization that works to preserve Earth’s ecosystems. It is located in the Gabert Library and was created by Maya Lin, the Chinese-American artist and sculptor who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.

Jersey City is home to a large and proud community of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, so it’s fitting that the Foundation Art Collection is home to one of the largest permanently installed public collections of Filipino and Filipino-American art in the Northeast, if not the entire country.

Prominent Filipino and Filipino-Americans whose works appear in the Collection include Manuel Baldemor, Pacita Abad, and Manny Pangilinan. Baldemor has been an artist-in-residence in many countries, and his unique signature style combining both geometric designs and folk-art inspiration has been featured on greeting cards from UNICEF. Abad’s work has been exhibited in over 200 galleries and museums worldwide, with 75 solo shows including one currently on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Her work lives in public and private collections in over 70 countries. Pangilinan, who lives in both Hawaii and New Jersey and whose artwork is inspired by surfing and the aloha spirit, came to HCCC to speak with HCCC art students in 2018 and generously donated several of his own works to the Collection. Works by these Filipino and Filipino-American artists can be found on the third floor of the Gabert Library at 71 Sip Avenue.

The Collection also features seven colorful pieces by famed Vietnamese artist Nguyen Ducmanh, who left Vietnam and worked in Ireland and Paris in the 1960s before moving to New York City and becoming an American citizen.

An entire gallery is devoted to contemporary Japanese prints by artists such as Atsuo Sakazume and Hiroyuki Tajime, and antique prints by Hiroshige and Toyokuni III. Sorcerer’s Holiday, a 1972 lithograph by Japanese American artist Matsumi (Mike) Kanemitsu, is one of Collection curator Dr. Andrea Siegel’s favorite pieces. Kanemitsu was born to Japanese parents in Ogden, Utah in 1922 and lived in Japan with his grandparents as a child. After returning to the United States, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, but like many Japanese-Americans, was sadly detained in an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, Kanemitsu began drawing with art supplies donated by the Red Cross, and later worked at a military hospital in Europe during the War. He became part of New York City’s art scene in the 1950s, where he befriended Jackson Pollock, who gave him his nickname, Mike. You’ll find Kanemitsu’s vibrant Sorcerer’s Holiday on the first floor of the Joseph Cundari Center. Why is it one of Siegel’s favorite pieces in the entire collection? “In the words of legendary art collector Allan Stone, ‘Boom, talk about explosion,” she explained.

If you’d like to arrange a tour to see some of these incredible works by Asian and Asian-American artists, along with the Hudson County Community College Art Collection as a whole, please email Andrea Siegel at asiegelFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

If you’re interested in checking out the collection online, visit https://www.hccc.edu/community/arts/foundation-art-collection/category-collection-search.html.