Welcome Address by Professor SHIH Choon Fong, NUS
President & Vice-Chancellor, at the Official Opening of NUS Museums, 26 February
2002, NUS Museums
President S R Nathan, Chancellor of NUS
Your Excellencies
Major Benefactors
Distinguished Guests
Ladies & Gentlemen
Good evening and welcome to the official opening of NUS Museums.
The inauguration of NUS Museums is a proud moment and a landmark event for the
National University of Singapore. We are pleased to have you here with us as we
celebrate this momentous occasion.
NUS has a history of having art collections on our campus. In 1990, the Lee Kong
Chian Art Museum was housed in Block AS6. Four years ago, the Ng Eng Teng
Gallery officially opened at the Central Library Building. Our third art
collection, the South & Southeast Asian Collection, will be unveiled tonight.
A university with one art collection on campus is uniquely privileged. Hence,
NUS is indeed honoured to own three collections. Tonight, we gather to celebrate
the coming together of our entire collection of art and artefacts in one museum
complex, the unveiling of the South & Southeast Asian Collection, and the launch
of the Arthur Lim Concourse and the ST Lee Atrium.
We will also take this occasion to launch three museum publications, and to
remember the late Dr Ng Eng Teng for his generous donations of artwork to NUS
Museums.
NUS Museums was formed in 1997 with a mission to bring vital change into the
museum scene here at NUS. I would like to congratulate its staff on its success
in managing, conserving, exhibiting and expanding NUS' art holdings. More
importantly, NUS Museums has brought strategic renewal. Its dynamic efforts have
resulted in the growth in number and breadth of coverage of the University's
collections, with an appreciation in their value. Its number of visitors has
climbed significantly from 2000 in 1996 to more than 20,000 in early 2001.
NUS Museums' publishing activities have increased from one publication between
1990 and 1997, to six publications between 1998 and this year. From just three
shows between 1990 and 2000, NUS Museums plans to have an exciting exhibition
schedule of at least 6 shows a year from this year onwards. It has established a
strategic link with a leading overseas museum - the Islamic Arts Museum,
Malaysia - and looks forward to a strategic alliance with a leading regional
contemporary art gallery in Japan in the near future. Other linkages are in the
pipeline, as we seek to bring forth to our community a diverse array of art
collections.
It is my great pleasure to share with you the exciting highlights of this
evening. We begin with the inauguration of the museum complex - the physical
space and premises named the NUS Museums. This will be followed by the unveiling
of what was the Southeast Asian Collection, now housed in our new South &
Southeast Asian Gallery. Including this new collection, four exhibitions will be
proudly opened this evening - one each for the three permanent galleries and
another one for the Visiting Exhibition Gallery. The show which celebrates the
opening of this Visiting Exhibition Gallery has a strong Singapore flavour which
I believe you will enjoy.
This official opening also launches the Arthur Lim Concourse and the ST Lee
Atrium, which are dedicated to Professor Arthur Lim and Dr Lee Seng Tee
respectively. Full citations of these two major benefactors will be read out in
a while, together with that of the late Dr Ng Eng Teng, who presented NUS
Museums with his third donation prior to his death late last year. On behalf of
the NUS Community, I would like to express our deepest appreciation for their
generous support. I am also confident that NUS Museums will enjoy the support of
more members of our community, and this will enable our art collections to
expand and flourish.
Another highlight of this evening is the launching of three publications. Two
are show catalogues and the third, an Annotated Bibliography of Ng Eng Teng.
Tonight, we also introduce a new logo for NUS Museums, a new corporate video on
NUS Museums, as well as the museums' Volunteer Guides Programme through which we
engage with community to promote life-long learning.
These are many firsts for NUS Museums. NUS Museums is a microcosm of NUS, going
through vital change to remain vibrant and move forward with the times. Through
active engagement with the NUS community, it has also surfaced as a major
university museum establishment in the Asia Pacific. NUS Museums, our visual art
component, complements our performing art component led by the Centre for the
Arts together with the University Cultural Centre, and in time to come, the
activities of the Singapore Conservatory of Music.
The inauguration of NUS Museums has a far-reaching impact beyond our campus
community. It is a happy event to be shared by all Singaporeans, because NUS
Museums will contribute to the realization of our nation as a "Renaissance City
of the Arts in the 21st century." I am confident that NUS Museums will grow from
strength to strength and will establish itself as a center for quality
exhibitions.
On behalf of NUS, I would like to thank President Nathan for gracing this
occasion as our Guest-of-Honor. I would also like to commend all who have played
a part in organizing this happy occasion, and to express our warmest
appreciation to all donors and benefactors for their support. Last but not
least, a big thank you to all guests and friends for joining us today.
I wish all of you a very enjoyable evening. Thank you.