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November 19, 2013 <br /> To Whom It May Concern: <br /> I am writing to express support for Barbara Tyroler's grant application and <br /> her continued photographic exploration of social-political trends in contemporary <br /> China. <br /> Over the past several years I have served as an adviser to the Beijing <br /> series, offering consultation on the broader political and cultural context in China. <br /> In this capacity I have admired the work and watched as it evolved in exhibits <br /> throughout the Washington, DC area at the National Institutes of Health, <br /> University of Maryland, and the Strathmore Arts Center. <br /> With each new iteration of the series, I have appreciated the way in which <br /> Barbara uses mural images of people, street scenes, and abstract color and <br /> forms to capture the nuance of the complex transformation underway in Chinese <br /> society. Her experimental collages contribute a unique voice and perspective to <br /> the growing body of text and image-based discussion of the challenges facing <br /> China as the political leadership seeks status as a global power, and the impact <br /> this has on ordinary people grappling with rural-urban migration and <br /> environmental degradation. <br /> I look forward to seeing how the newest installation of the series deepens <br /> and builds on these themes as Barbara partners with a paper collage artist. The <br /> result of this new collaboration will provide the community with an important <br /> multimedia resource to inform our understanding and debate around China as we <br /> look to make sense of this pivotal country. <br /> The timing could not be better for an addition to the Beijing series; this fall <br /> the Chinese government held a once in a decade meeting to chart the future <br /> course the country will take, setting a new political agenda that will change the <br /> experience of urban migration and seek to stop off the charts pollution. Now is <br /> the time for a renewed artistic reflection on what this might mean for millions of <br /> people. I could not think of a more effective vehicle to voice these complex issues <br /> transforming the landscape than the powerful mural collages of Barbara's Beijing <br /> series. <br /> Thank you for your consideration. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Rebecca Samm Sacks <br /> China Analyst, Eurasia Group <br /> 149 Fifth Ave 15th Floor <br /> New York, NY 10010 <br />