United States: "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" Art Exhibition Held in Manhattan Federal Building

From July 6 to 8, 2005, visitors to the Manhattan Federal Building could not miss an eye-catching poster advertising the "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" International Art Exhibition.

The "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" International Art Exhibition was held for three days in the Federal Building. It was cooperatively held by the US Eastern Falun Dafa Association and the Falun Dafa Practitioner Art Centre. The federal building hosts 8,000 federal government employees and is located in an important place between the New York City Government and courts.

The exhibition was held in a large hall. More than 40 traditional Chinese paintings and 3 sculptures were exhibited. The exhibition was divided into four sections, Assimilation to Dafa and Returning to Our True Selves, Life Witness and Righteous Belief Forever, Spreading the Truth and Calling for Justice, and Retribution and Justice. A Buddha sculpture was placed facing the entrance. Large paintings on the left showed the grace of Falun Dafa. The paintings on the right exposed the persecution in China. A total of ten paintings depicted the brutal torture of practitioners in China.

On the morning of July 6, an opening ceremony was held.

Guests make speeches and officials send letters to wish the event's success

Practitioner Levi Browde, representing the US Eastern Falun Dafa Association, gave the first speech and emphasised that real stories are portrayed in the art exhibition. Facing the China state machinery's systemic brutal persecution, Falun Gong practitioner artists demonstrated the might and dignity of righteous belief through their art.

James Aldon, Chairman of the National Art Club, then gave a speech. He said that the National Art Club twice held the "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" Art Exhibition and received several intimidating phone calls. Based on freedom of artistic expression, Mr. Aldon insisted on having the scheduled exhibition, which was welcomed by local residents. In his speech, Mr. Aldon highly praised the art level of the practitioner artists and expressed his pleasure with Falun Gong practitioners.

Chairman of National Art Club James Aldon gives speech	Artist Li Yuan gives speech

Artist Professor Zhang Kunlun from Canada and artist Li Yuan from Japan, representing the artists, also gave speeches. Prof. Zhang expressed his appreciation to the host organisation and pointed out that the inspiration for artists came from their personal experience and the brutal persecution occurring in China. The paintings expressed the artists' respect and admiration to God and Buddha, their personal cultivation experience and practitioners' uncompromising courage in the face of brutal persecution. Prof. Zhang mentioned his personal experience of being imprisoned, beaten, shocked with electric batons and subjected to brainwashing in China.

The three-day exhibition opened after the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The exhibition received congratulatory letters from three New York State Assemblymen and a proclamation praising the exhibition from the New York city council. A representative of State Senator Serphin Maltese said in his speech that the paintings moved, inspired and encouraged him, even though he did not know much about Falun Dafa.

The exhibition moves people's hearts

In the morning, staff working in the building viewed the exhibition and said that they would tell their colleagues and come back during their break. Some people came with the exhibition flyer. Everyone was shocked at the brutality of the persecution. They expressed sympathy for the victims, felt it inconceivable that it would occur in the contemporary era and wished it would end immediately. Everyone said that the paintings were graceful and vivid. Many of the visitors did not know about Falun Gong but came to know more from talking to a guide. Some even asked for locations of practice sites and wanted to learn the practice.

After learning the truth, the federal building hosts the exhibition

There was a similar exhibition scheduled in April this year in the same building that was cancelled for various reasons. Practitioners shared their views and looked inside for shortcoming and attachments. At the same time, they explained the facts of Falun Gong and the persecution to officials in the building, and described the support of Falun Gong from the US government and people.

With the support of all practitioners' righteous thoughts, staff of the building accepted the application of the Falun Dafa Art Centre and cooperated actively to host the exhibition.