Prof Leong Lampo, head of the Centre for Arts and Design at the University of Macau (UM), attended the opening ceremony for the First Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area University Art Exhibition and the Third Biennial Academy Awards of Guangdong College Art Works, held at the University City Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts on 6 July 2018. Hosted by Guangdong Provincial Education Department and Guangdong Artists Association, and organised by the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and Guangdong’s Fine Arts and Design Education Specialised Committee, the two events aimed to promote the exchange in art education between higher education institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It paved the way for art education reform in Guangdong, training of high-quality artists and designers, and fostering development of art education in the Greater Bay Area.

Nearly 1,000 pieces of outstanding artwork from 81 universities were selected for the exhibition, which covered a wide range of media, including oil painting, ink painting, calligraphy, sculpture, mixed media, photography, digital art, and video. Through this event, the Guangdong Provincial Education Department brought together universities in the Greater Bay Area to create a unique academic branding in art profession that allowed participants to express, realise and improve themselves. Three institutions from Macao were invited to this exhibition, namely the Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau Polytechnic Institute, and UM. UM’s participation was coordinated by its Centre for Design. 15 pieces of artwork by instructors and students from the Department of Communication and the Faculty of Education were selected for the exhibition, including works of Benjamin Hodges, Hugo Lok, Harriet Wong, Zhang Zexun, Lo Yuenyi, Fanny Wong, Xu Hengjia and several other students.

The exhibition opening ceremony was followed by the First University Art Education Development Forum. After five keynote speeches, the forum was divided into two sub-panels, titled ‘Management and Collaboration’ and ‘Theory and Innovation’, respectively. Over 70 well-known experts, professors, scholars, chairs and deans participated in the forum. The five keynote speakers were Prof Lin Lan, vice president of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art; Prof Cao Xudong, vice secretary general of Guangdong Provincial Hong Kong-Macau Basic Law Research Committee; Prof  Leong Lampo, Distinguished Professor at UM; Prof Cheng Pei-kai, chairman of the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee; and Prof Cao Yiqiang, dean of the College of Art and Humanities at the China Academy of Art.

Participants also exchanged ideas on collaboration, reform and innovation  in art education in the Greater Bay Area. Natalie Wong and Zhang Ke from UM also presented their research findings. Event organisers will publish an exhibition catalogue and a conference proceedings for essays presented.

In addition, Prof Sun Li from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Prof Cheng Pei-kai from Hong Kong, and Prof Leong Lampo from Macao were also invited to join a videotaped Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao three-person panel discussion to promote the exhibition and the symposium. Topics related to further exchange and collaboration in art education between institutions in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao were explored.