ARCATA
- Accomplished artist, Martin Wong, a 1968 graduate
of Humboldt State University, has left a legacy of
art and scholarships to his alma mater.
HSU
is a beneficiary of the San Francisco-based Martin
Wong Foundation, an organization formed by his mother,
Florence Wong Fie, in honor of her son. Two annual
scholarships have been created: a $1,000 scholarship
for painting students and a $500 scholarship for ceramics
students.
According
to Elizabeth Boone, Chair of the HSU Art Department, "Martin
was an important creative presence during his years
as an art student at HSU, and he went on to become
an important player in the art world at large. The
new Martin Wong Scholarship offers us the opportunity
to ensure that Martin's influence will continue to
impact students of painting and ceramics for years
to come."
Wong
came to Humboldt County in 1964 to attend HSU and study
ceramics. After graduating, he stayed in the area through
14 years, becoming a significant contributor to the
vibrant Humboldt arts scene.
The
artist's career soared when he later debuted in New
York, making him one of Humboldt County's greatest
success stories. His work is in numerous museum collections,
including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, and the Bronx Museum of Art, all in
New York. Wong died in 1999, at the age of 53.
At
the time, an exhibition of Wong's work from his "Eureka
Years" was coincidentally presented by HSU's First
Street Gallery and curated by friend and artist Mimi
La Plant.
"The
legacy of Martin Wong, as proven by his paintings,
is profound and far-reaching. The Martin Wong exhibit
had a poignant power that people still speak to me
about. At that time he gave a wonderful painting ("Portrait
of Bill McWhorter in Convertible with Boy and Dog")
to Humboldt State. It now hangs in the Library," said
La Plant.
