TASHI DELEK
Projectguggenheim warmly congratulates the Jamyangling Academy of Traditional Tibetan
Arts and Crafts for having attained the status of a financially auto-sustainable institution.
Founded in 1997 by Projectguggenheim and fully supported by us till 2003 the Academy
has graduated over 22 students who are continuing their studies elsewhere or are making
a living from the skills they acquired. The Academy has proudly received certification by
the authorities, so that its graduates in Thanka painting, woodworking and textile art can
work and teach anywhere.
All this has been made possible through the financial contributions of our donors and
the imaginative hard work and persistence of the school's director, Namgyal Jamyangling
with the sage guidance he received from Soenam Jamyangling.
This is above all an opportunity for us to thank our many friends,including my dear Tibetan
friend in Boston, Yeshey Palsang, and then in particular Luo Ga, the former mayor of Lhasa who
asked me to build the Academy, Dr. Marjorie LeMay who first provided funding for the project,
Erica Stone and Eileen Moncoeur whose faith in us and great generosity allowed us to sustain the
operation, Shelley and Donald Rubin, who provided funding at a critical moment to develop the
tanka teaching program, and sustain and grow the operation, I want to mention with great
appreciation Lobsang Sharlhokhansar and Walter E. Knox who helped us build the Academy out of
the rubble and Antoni Ansarov whose artistic insights allows us to have a record of its development
and my partner of many years Walter Szysitka who introduced me to Mr. S. Miyao who traveled with
me from Tokyo to Tibet and who gave the children bon-bons and the Academy substantial financial
support. And last but by no means means least, I want to express my warmest personal thanks to
Gail Seneca who has shown a wonderful generosity and understanding for what we were doing and
without whose help many youngsters would not have had the opportunities we were able to give them.
We wish the Academy, its wonderful teaching staff of talented crafts persons and artists staff
continued success. But at the end it is the students whose pride in their work and intense
dedication to their studies has allowed them to graduate. I wish them all a brilliant future
and continuing success in maintaining alive the ancient traditions of Tibetan arts and crafts.
Projectguggenheim feels that its goals for the Academy have now been accomplished and that we
should move on and seek to continue our mission to promote Tibetan art and artists in places
where we see the greatest need and opportunities.
Projectguggenheim will of course seek to continue to provide support for special projects at
the Jamyangling Academy.
Hans Guggenheim, Ph.D.,
Founder of the Jamyangling Academy
President of Projectguggenheim,Inc
Boston, May 1, 2005
