Gypsy Road Trip

Yan Sun Art Museum & Gallery Features Ohio

Yan Sun’s paintings come from inspirations he receives from nature, people, and historic sites. He captures nature in a beautiful symphony of colors whether he is painting the harbor, a horse, or a landscape. Visit Yan Sun Art Museum & Gallery in Zanesville to learn more about his work.

Serving the community has become foremost in his plans. He feels there are many excellent artists with a wide variety of styles and talents here in Ohio. Many of his paintings show Ohio people, places, and events.

Over the years, his artwork has received many awards in national and international juried exhibitions too numerous to list. Recently, Yan Sun and his wife, Hong Yin – a talented artist in her own right – were selected by the America 250-Ohio Commission to have five of their paintings on display in Columbus as part of the 250^th Anniversary of the United States of America. These artworks showcase the wonders of Ohio and include:

New Philadelphia

Courthouse of Guernsey County

The Wonder of Longaberger

John Glenn American Hero

Hometown Ohio Landscape

Art provides him opportunity to share his inner vision. “My artworks are composed of three main issues: Life, Time, and Space. Life means being alive, the life of the artist, and the life of all humans. Time means moments in real time, as well as psychic time to bridge past and present. Space is not only real space, but psychic, illusionary, and unlimited space.”

His best paintings are visualizations of his true feelings. They are made up of “Reality, dreams, transients, and eternity.” He likes to examine and visualize his dreams, thoughts, and emotions. His special love for music and dancing appears in many of his paintings as he remembers those wonderful days when he was 14-24 years old dancing in the ballet.

Yan Sun was a professor in China in those early days. After he wrote several papers on the History of Art, his work became known internationally. That brought him in 1989 to the United States, where he received his Master of Fine Arts degree at Texas A&M University Commerce in Dallas.

After graduation in 1997, Yan Sun applied to several colleges for a teaching position. When he arrived at Muskingum University, he found the people were so warm and friendly that he felt welcomed. So he agreed to stay for one year. His love for the area has continued and he now is in his 28^th year there as Professor of Art and Director of the Louis Palmer Art Gallery.

In 2014, one of his most rewarding ventures began when he co-founded Yan Sun Art Museum & Gallery at 604 Main Street in downtown Zanesville. They have breathed new life into the 1929 Art Deco building by displaying a great collection of artworks created by talented artists. “We want to create a place for our community to enjoy artworks by talents near and far,” said Yan Sun.

This beautiful building has several floors that are well used. One floor displays the art of Yan Sun, Hong Yin, and her father, Jianmin Dou, who was a renowned Chinese professor and artist. This is where displays for First Friday can be found. A large conference room can be found on the second level while the third floor contains a special permanent collection of paintings by various artists.

Each month, a different themed art exhibit always provides something new for you to see. On the First Friday of every month the gallery is open to the public from 5 pm – 8 pm. There is no charge for admission. Otherwise, they are open by appointment and can be contacted at yan.sun.art.gallery@gmail.com.

Some of those interesting themes this past year included:

October – An Artistic Tribute to Autumn

November – Let Art Spark Joy This Season

December – Local Holiday Gathering

January – Local Charms Unveiled in Art

A First Friday exhibit one February featured a Journey to Tibet, which was near the region where they grew up. It included paintings that showed the rich culture and spirituality of the Tibetan people.

Also available are private lessons, and painting workshops with Yan Sun as the instructor. Here’s a great opportunity to bring alive the artistic abilities hiding inside you! The Salt Fork Arts & Crafts Festival is also pleased to have Yan Sun as one of their judges.

In recognition of the contributions of Yan Sun to their museum and its community, Zanesville Museum of Art named a special gallery the “Yan Sun Diverse Cultures Gallery.” His paintings are collected by many museums and organizations throughout the United States.

In the future, Yan Sun would like to focus on the lives of residents in the area to capture their feelings and spirits in his paintings. He enjoys hearing the stories behind the emotions that make them the person they are at this time of their life.

When Yan Sun is not teaching or painting, he enjoys fishing for relaxation, and travel to learn more about the beautiful world that God has created.

For more information about the Yan Sun Art Museum & Gallery visit their website www.yansun.us or visit their Facebook page for updates. Plan a visit soon to see the fantastic art works presented. First Friday of each month is the perfect time to step inside and enjoy the beautiful building as well as the creative paintings.