Incorporated Sept. 17, 2002 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, TransCultural Exchange’s mission is to foster a greater understanding of world cultures through high-quality art exhibitions, cultural exchanges and a biennale conference. Since its grassroots inception in 1989, TransCultural Exchange has worked directly with hundreds of artists, arts organizations, foundations, galleries, museums and cultural centers in 60+ countries to produce over 350+ exhibitions. The organization also provides professional development resources, new markets and career opportunities for hundreds of artists; creates additional revenue streams, including for TransCultural Exchange’s home state of Massachusetts*; and facilitates new partnerships and exchanges between international organizations and educational institutions, leading to increased visibility, cultural understanding and economic activity. TransCultural Exchange’s website also is a major source of information for artists and those who support them. Featuring links to dedicated portals documenting the organization’s exhibitions, exchanges and biennale conferences and to other organizations, funders, exhibition calls and employment opportunities, by April 2011, the website’s monthly hits averaged over 1.5 million. In 2010, TransCultural Exchange expanded its range of resources to include an international advisory board. This over 2 decades history of service has earned TransCultural Exchange awards from institutions such as the International Art Critics Association and support from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Asian Cultural Council, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, Boston Foundation, Swedish Embassy, numerous consulates and the Netherland-American Foundation, among others. Specific Activities: TransCultural Exchange’s first exhibition and artist exchange was Reverse Angle (Chicago’s Ludwig Drum Factory and Vienna’s WUK Kunsthalle 1989-1990), followed by exhibits at such venues as NYC’s Trans Hudson Gallery (1998 and 2000), Seoul’s Kwanhoon Gallery (1999) and the London Biennale (2000, 2008 and 2010). More recently, from 2002 to 2004, over 100 artists participated in The Coaster Project’s 200 exhibitions stretching across all seven continents, resulting in over 10,000 art works freely given away and a 1st place award from International Art Critics Association. For its UNESCO-sponsored The Tile Project (2002-04), hundreds of artists donated tiles to 22 world sites to create 22 site-specific, permanent public artworks throughout the world. Harvard’s Kennedy Fellow Nolan Bowie described it, “As a testament that global cooperation is possible in this increasingly fractured world, this project is indeed it.” For Here, There and Everywhere (2008-11), again, hundreds of artists collaborated with individuals from 60+ countries, resulting in 100+ exhibits in galleries, major museums (e.g. the MIT Museum, Shanghai’s Zendai MoMA and Switzerland’s Luzerne Kunsthalle) and public spaces. Additionally, TransCultural Exchange has produced three Boston biennale Conferences (2007, 2009 and 2011), referred to “as one of the best things in the art world today,” by London Biennale Director David Medella. As evaluations over the past 6 years prove, the conferences have consistently met TransCultural Exchange’s goal to produce tangible benefits to Americans working in the field of visual arts.
* TransCultural Exchange’s 2007 and 2009 conferences combined created a total state economic impact of $1,163,075 and 11 full-time jobs. Preliminary 2011 conference figures suggest an additional state economic impact of $1,112,794 and 12 full-time jobs. [New England Foundation for the Arts’ CultureCount Calculator].
