Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society McFgs
Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society McFgs
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About this organization
Mission
WE HAVE A SMALL, DEDICATED ALL-VOLUNTEER 12-MEMBER BOARD THAT HAS PUT IN THOUSANDS OF HOURS TO FURTHER ITS MISSION AND RESEARCH CHINA GARDENS IN THE US AND CHINA. OUR BOARD IS DIVERSE AND IS COMPOSED OF HMONG, CHINESE, AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS. OUR 11-MEMBER HONORARY ADVISORY COUNCIL, INCLUDES AMONG OTHERS, FORMER MAYOR GEORGE LATIMER, FORMER MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART ASIAN ART CURATOR ROBERT JACOBSEN, FORMER ST. PAUL PARKS & REC LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT BILL PESEK, DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL ORGANIZER BRENDA FONG. WE HAVE A 9-MEMBER CHINESE ADVISORY GROUP AND A 9-MEMBER HMONG ADVISORY GROUP TO ADVISE THE BOARD TO ENSURE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL AUTHENTICITY.
About
THE FOCUS OF 2018 WAS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF A MULTI-PHASE MULTI-YEAR LANDMARK PUBLIC ART PROJECT, THE ST. PAUL-CHANGSHA CHINA FRIENDSHIP GARDEN OF WHISPERING WILLOWS AND FLOWING WATERS AT PHALEN REGIONAL PARK. WE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF MOST OF THE FIRST PHASE IN 2018, WHICH MARKED THE 30-YEAR SISTER-CITY ANNIVERSARY BETWEEN ST. PAUL AND CHANGSHA, HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA. THE MINNESOTA CHINA FRIENDSHIP GARDEN SOCIETY ASSUMED SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUNDING OF THIS PROJECT. THIS FIRST PHASE INVOLVED THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION IN 2018 OF THE FIRST 3 ELEMENTS OF THE CHINA GARDEN: THE XIANG JIANG TING, ALONG WITH A SMALL SURROUNDING PLAZA WITH LANDSCAPING, A HMONG HERITAGE WALL SCULPTURE, AND A TEMPORARY DONOR WALL. THE CENTERPIECE, THE XIANG JIANG PAVILION, IS A GIFT FROM THE CITY OF CHANGSHA TO ST. PAUL. IT WAS FABRICATED IN CHINA AND SHIPPED TO MN IN SEVERAL SHIPPING CONTAINERS THAT ARRIVED IN ST. PAUL IN EARLY AUGUST. A TEAM OF CHANGSHA ARTISANS TRAVELED TO MN TO SUPERVISE ITS CONSTRUCTION IN AUGUST. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PAVILION WAS COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER 2018. THE HMONG HERITAGE WALL SCULPTURE (PINK GRANITE) WAS INSTALLED IN THE SUMMER OF 2018 AND INCLUDES CULTURAL SYMBOLS OF BOTH THE MINNESOTA HMONG AND THE CHINA HMONG, AND WILL EDUCATE PARK USERS ABOUT THE CULTURAL AND ANCESTRAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE 80,000 HMONG IN MINNESOTA AND THE NEARLY 2 MILLION HMONG IN THE CHANGSHA AREA. THE TEMPORARY DONOR WALL FORMS THE EAST ENTRANCES TO THE CHINA GARDEN. 2018 WAS A CRITICAL YEAR FOR FUNDRAISING AND GRANT WRITING AND WORKING WITH ST. PAUL PARKS & REC AND THE CHANGSHA CONSTRUCTION TEAM TO COMPLETE THE 2018 CONSTRUCTION.THE MN CHINA FRIENDSHIP GARDEN SOCIETY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE GROUNDBREAKING EVENT IN JULY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ANNUAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL AT PHALEN PARK. ST. PAUL MAYOR MELVIN CARTER AND OTHER DIGNITARIES ATTENDED. WE ALSO HOSTED AN OPEN HOUSE ON NOVEMBER 3 TO WELCOME THE PUBLIC TO THE NEWLY COMPLETED CHINA GARDEN. THIS IS A UNIQUE SISTER-CITY PROJECT INITIATED AND FUNDED BY THE EFFORTS OF THE MN CHINA FRIENDSHIP GARDEN SOCIETY. WE ARE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF ST. PAUL PARKS & REC, SISTER CITY CHANGSHA IN CHINA, CHANGSHA YANGHU WETLANDS PARK (SISTER PARK OF PHALEN PARK), AND THE CHANGSHA PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION FOR FRIENDSHIP WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES. CHANGSHA ARCHITECTS JENNIFER JUNFANG FAN AND JON YOUHUA WEN, OF HUNAN JIAN KE LANDSCAPE CREATED THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS IN 2016 AND THE 2018 CONSTRUCTION DESIGNS AND CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.THE MN CHINA FRIENDSHIP GARDEN SOCIETY ALSO ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR CREATING AND FUNDING THE SISTER-CITY GIFT TO CHANGSHA ON BEHALF OF ST. PAUL TO MARK THE 30-YEAR SISTER-CITY ANNIVERSARY. ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF ST. PAUL, THE MN CHINA FRIENDSHIP GARDEN SOCIETY CREATED AND SENT AS AN EXCHANGE GIFT TO CHANGSHA A SET OF 5 LIFE-SIZE PEANUTS STATUES THAT WERE CREATED BY TIVOLITOO. THE STATUES WERE SHIPPED TO CHANGSHA IN THE SPRING AND INSTALLED AT PHALEN PARK'S SISTER-PARK, YANGHU WETLANDS PARK IN CHANGSHA IN THE SUMMER OF 2018. WE HOSTED SEVERAL LARGE SCALE EVENTS IN 2018 AS PART OF A SERIES OF "BON VOYAGE" EVENTS BEFORE SENDING THE PEANUTS STATUES TO CHANGSHA.
Interesting data from their 2019 990 filing
The purpose of the non-profit is stated in the filing as “The minnesota china friendship garden society was founded in 2005 with the mission to create china friendship gardens in minnesota for the enjoyment, education, and benefit of the public, and to enhance the friendship and understanding between the peoples of china and minnesota.”.
Their activities were defined as: “We have a small, dedicated all-volunteer 12-member board that has put in thousands of hours to further its mission and research china gardens in the us and china. our board is diverse and is composed of hmong, chinese, and other community members. our 11-member honorary advisory council, includes among others, former mayor george latimer, former minneapolis institute of art asian art curator robert jacobsen, former st. paul parks & rec landscape architect bill pesek, dragon boat festival organizer brenda fong. we have a 9-member chinese advisory group and a 9-member hmong advisory group to advise the board to ensure cultural and historical authenticity.”.
- As per legal requirements, the non-profit's state of operation is reported as MN.
- The non-profit's address in 2019 as per the filing is 1280 BELMONT DRIVE, ST PAUL, MN, 55125.
- The form of the non-profit organization shows 0 employees as of 2019.
- Is not a private foundation.
- Expenses are less than $100,000.
- Revenue is between $250,000 and $500,000.
- Revenue less expenses is -$20,054.
- The organization has 12 independent voting members.
- The organization was formed in 2005.
- The organization pays $0 in salary, compensation, and benefits to its employees.
- The organization pays $50 in fundraising expenses.
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