On November 1st, the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion Association (WIHPT) and the US-China Cultural and Artistic Exchange Association, together with three intangible cultural heritage masters from China, presented a public performance and interactive workshop at the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago during Family Saturday. The event, themed “Paper and Light: Intangible Cultural Heritage × Contemporary Art,” showcased various traditional crafts, including paper cutting and 3D paper-cut clothing (cheongsam, Hanfu), sugar blowing (non-cooking demonstration), dough sculpting, and interactive puppet/shadow puppetry segments, attracting enthusiastic participation from many families and students.
From left: Zhang Yueying, a paper-cutting master, and Bill Michel, holding paper-cut portraits.
The event opened with a 3D paper-cutting costume fashion show: red and black contrasting cheongsams and Hanfu outfits were clearly defined under the lights, showcasing a contemporary expression of paper-cutting and stage aesthetics. Following this, three masters took turns on stage, offering immersive interactive experiences.
• Paper cutting: Showcase classic long scrolls and reinterpretations of world-famous paintings, with participants completing the auspicious **”Eight Fish”** on-site;
• Sugar blowing: Using electric heating and a flameless campus safety solution, it demonstrates images of zodiac animals and dragons and phoenixes;
• Clay Sculpting: Demonstrating the process from shaping to adding details using safety paper clay;
• Puppet/Shadow Play: Short segments that interact with the audience, enhancing stage fun and engagement.
Dominique Boyd-Riley (Second from left, Associate Director of Education and Family Programs) holds a paper-cutting artwork; John Hou, founder of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion Association, is on her right.
Children holding 3D paper-cutting works
On that day, Bill Michel, Executive Director of the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, Emily, Chair of the Department of Arts, and Dominique Boyd-Riley, Head of the Family Program, attended the event and participated in interactive experiences. They took photos with the three intangible cultural heritage masters, students, and families, creating a lively atmosphere.
From left, sugar sculpting masters Jiang Zisheng and Bill Michel hold sculpted animals.
Three participating masters
• Zhang Yueying (Mary Zhang Yueying) – Paper-cutting/3D Paper-cut Clothing
• Peter Jiang Zisheng – Sugar blowing/sugar painting + puppetry (not a cooking demonstration)
• Thomas Ron Licheng – Dough Sculpting
Children experience the steps of dough sculpting
John Hou, founder of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion Association, said: “We hope to bring tangible, learnable, and participatory intangible cultural heritage into schools and communities, so that traditional skills can ‘come alive’ in the hands of children.”
The exhibition also features exquisite paper-cutting works, including Chinese and Western themed pieces and a 33-foot-long scroll (such as “Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll” and “Along the River During the Qingming Festival”). Visitors can interact with the exhibits and systematically appreciate the narrative depth and spatial expression of paper-cutting.
The World Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion Association (WIHPT) is dedicated to the protection, dissemination and innovation of intangible cultural heritage worldwide, and builds an intangible cultural heritage ecosystem that is accessible to the public through touring exhibitions, workshops and educational collaborations.
The US-China Cultural and Arts Exchange Association promotes people-to-people exchanges, public cultural projects, and community arts practices between the US and China, bringing intangible cultural heritage into schools, communities, and public spaces.
Media Contact John Hou
John Hou
Email: useagle007@gmail.com | Phone: (773) 899-6269
Renowned paper-cutting artist Zhang Yueying’s paper-cutting art & fashion show V1 GHYTV.com (USA)