Tu Huynh

“There are as many different forms of art as there are artists. Beyond the canvas and traditional means of creativity is the power to move and inspire people through compassion, empathy and understanding. It’s represented in the works of artists like Rembrandt and Alice Neel; writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Harper Lee; activists like Gandhi and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and people in my personal life…like my own mother!”

Tu Huynh has over 25 years of experience as an arts professional.  Born in Da Nang, Vietnam, he was a child when he escaped to America during the Fall of Saigon in 1975. He grew up in Miami and graduated from the University of Florida in 1995. Since that time, Tu has been affiliated with various galleries throughout Florida and the D.C. area. He was a member of the International Artist Support Group, Vietnamese Artists in Exile project, and a contributor for art events at the Vietnamese Embassy. He has written for an online Vietnamese literary magazine, reflecting on the Vietnamese American experience.  He has worked as an exhibiting and commercial artist, a muralist, a faux finisher and curator. For the past 16 years, he has shared his genius for expanding cultural awareness and access in Philadelphia. Organizing and facilitating Art in City Hall, Tu has created a venue for Philly’s diverse cultural communities. In so doing, he has amplified creative and cultural voices that explore social themes. Simultaneously, he has showcased the positive role and impact of the arts on communities and helped close the gaps in access to art. Currently, Tu has returned to his personal work as a painter while he plans his next steps as a community arts leader.

what did you consider to be genius as a child?

“Everyone has exceptional natural ability, and I would argue that "genius" isn't something you're born with, but it's a realization in time that within each person is the potential to develop and do extraordinary things. And I would stretch that notion beyond the canvas and traditional means of creativity, expanding it into life experience. It's a matter of finding it for ourselves. When I was a child, "genius" to me was the power to move and inspire people through compassion, empathy and understanding. I saw it represented in the works of artists like Rembrandt and Alice Neel; writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Harper Lee; activists like Gandhi and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and people in my personal life like my own mother. There is no greater form of intellect, no worthier gift to possess and nurture your soul than that of love - for with it, you can move mountains.”

what big ideas have propelled your career?

“Art is the way, and there are as many forms of art as there are artists. For nearly 17 years, I ran the Art In City Hall program holding a huge umbrella, seeing art not just in terms of object-making, but also as opportunities to gain insight into who, how and where we are, and where we go from here. As much as I value the importance of education and history, the world around us is useful only as starting points for how we decide to live our lives and impact others. The blank canvas, the void of creativity, is a platform that mirrors life, a constant conversation of give and take, presence and absence that explores our place in the world. So, I have a great respect for anyone who's on that personal journey, who's taking a path of self-discovery and exploration that's meant only for them.”

Biography:

Tu Huynh has over 25 years of experience as an arts professional. He was born in Da Nang, Vietnam and as a child, escaped to America during the Fall of Saigon in 1975. He grew up in Miami and graduated from the University of Florida in 1995. He has been affiliated with various galleries throughout Florida and the Washington D.C. area, and was a member of the International Artist Support Group, Vietnamese Artists in Exile project, and a contributor for art events at the Vietnamese Embassy. He has also written for an online Vietnamese literary magazine reflecting on the Vietnamese American experience. His professional experience includes working as an exhibiting and commercial artist, muralist, faux finisher, a contractor to the National Gallery of Art and Corcoran Gallery of Art, and an Assistant Curator/Exhibits Assistant for the African American Museum in Philadelphia. For the past 16 years, he ran Art In City Hall, organizing and facilitating exhibits and cultural events in Philadelphia’s historic City Hall, transforming nontraditional spaces into a platform for the arts by providing opportunities, voice and representation for Philly’s diverse cultural community in the city’s most important civic space. He sees art as an opportunity to gain insights into the creative process and to engage in contemporary social issues. In the past few months with the recent elimination of the City‘s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Tu has returned to his personal work as a painter.