Short Bio
Visual artist & life enrichment specialist believe in community building and Art can bring people together to create a better future.
Biography
Born in Hong Kong
Lives & works in San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Fine Arts painter, printmaker, muralist and designer of multimedia art related projects. Her passions blossom in the imagistic fields of visual expression. Siu Ming was born in a Chinese family celebrated local cultural traditions and Western cultural traditions as British Colonial subjects. Like many who came of age in Hong Kong from 1960-1990, Siu Ming’s early educational roots received nourishment from both cultural streams.
In 1975, at age 12, she was selected for a long-term apprenticeship at Atelier 341 by its Director, Michael Wong Cheung (Master of Realism, Professor of Fine Arts at Chinese University and The Polytechnic School of Hong Kong). Siu Ming assisted Wong Cheung teaching art at the University and at the Atelier 341. In 1985, she joined The Fringe Club, Hong Kong’s governmentally sponsored cultural arts collective, comprised of painters, actors, photographers, musicians, and writers.
Between 1987 and 1990, Siu Ming studied engraving with renowned printmaker, Stanley William Hayter (Master of Abstract Expressionism) at Atelier 17 n Paris, France, where artists from around the world gathered to learn the same secret printmaking techniques and theories he had taught the 20th Century masters of Surrealism/Abstract Expressionism.
In the summer of 1990, Siu Ming completed an Animated Design Production course in Hong Kong. For the next four years, while continuing her artwork, she studied Linguistics and Communications in Paris at the Sorbonne Nouvelle.
From 1994-1996, she worked at Euro-Disney in Paris as a Scene and Character Head-Painter before relocating to the U.S. in 1996 with her American husband, Paul Garber, Writer and Coach. After arriving in San Francisco in 1998, Siu Ming worked for several Antique Furniture Restoration and Reproduction companies, and a French-owned Decorative Painting/Interior Design shop, applying fine antique finishes for furniture dealers and importers, custom furniture designers, and interior décor studios.
From 1999 to 2001, Siu Ming accepted a job offer from Dr. Craig Garfinkel to join his team as an Activity Therapist at California Pacific Medical Center, where she designed and facilitated individual and group art therapy programs for post-acute patients, and trained and supervised new therapy interns. Thereafter, Siu Ming became very interested in multimedia projects. She completed a 2-year Certification
Training at Berkeley City College’s Multimedia/Digital Video Arts Program. While continuing to work on personal projects, she taught Computer Arts Classes and Educational Programs at Adult Senior Centers in San Francisco, and Digital Video Productions Workshops at local schools, and with Oakland’s Park and Recreation Department. She has also worked on several educational projects and film productions to encourage and promote lifelong learning and education.
Since 2013, under the direction of Edythe Boone (SF Women’s Center “Maestrapeace” Muralist), Siu Ming collaborated with a team of professional artists and community members to create new murals in the Bay Area that beautify while raising awareness of public health, social justice, and safety issues. Siu Ming (肇明) continues to share her vision and passion for the Visual Arts with communities the world over. She finds that using art to help others is a great way to contribute to building community. She has since participated in designing and implementing multiple arts-related recreational programs for schools, community health centers, city parks, and recreation programs, Skill Nursing facilities, and neighborhood
organizations.
