Yesterday marked the end of our art association’s exhibition period at the Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery. Everyone had worked hard to prepare for it, from the painstaking setup to yesterday’s hurried dismantling and retrieving of artworks to take home. Sometimes, I wonder: what is it all for? Some do it for interest, some aspire to become artists, while others simply enjoy the sense of participation that comes from being part of a group.

No matter the reason, becoming an artist is truly a challenging journey. It requires continuous creation, constant pursuit of excellence, and enduring the pressure of having no stable income. Yet many people embrace it wholeheartedly.

During the exhibition, one member asked me why our association doesn’t have a unified artistic style. I believe that an art association should maintain a central focus—like Muguang, which primarily emphasizes Western art. However, with so many members, it’s natural for artistic styles to vary. It’s impossible to require all members to create similar works, as that would strip away the true essence of creativity. The primary purpose of a joint exhibition is to showcase the results of everyone’s hard work over the past year, foster exchange, and learn from each other’s strengths.

I’ve watched Muguang grow over the years, and I’m proud that our members’ works have reached a consistently high standard. As a result, we’ve progressed from exhibiting in cultural centers to being featured in art galleries. We’ve successfully completed this year’s objectives, and up next is our annual general meeting. This year marks the association’s 10th anniversary and the third year since its official registration. We’ll also be electing a new chairperson. I look forward to the emergence of a new leader to guide us toward even greater heights.

昨天是畫會在佛光緣美術館的展期結束，大家充分的準備，辛苦的佈展、然後昨天匆匆忙忙的卸展取件回家。有時候想一想真不明白，大家為的是什麼？有些是興趣、有的人想成為畫家，也有人只是認為參加一個團體的參與感。但是不管目的為何、要成為一個畫家真的非常辛苦。要不停的創作、不停的求精進、還要忍受沒有經濟收入的壓力。但還是有很多人甘之如飴。展覽期間有一位師兄問我為何畫會沒有一個整體的畫風，我認為一個畫會抓住一定的主軸，像沐光就是以西畫為主，由於會員眾多本來畫風就會不同，不可能去規定所有的會員要畫一致的作品，這樣子會失去創作真正的意義。而畫會聯展主要的意義是透過大家辛苦創作一年以後共同的展出、彼此的交流，欣賞學習彼此的優點。沐光我看著他長大，大家的作品具備了一定的水準以上了，所以我們的申請展場已經從文化中心躍升到美術館。我們又完成了今年度的階段性任務，緊接著是我們一年一度的會員大會今年剛好屆滿10年以及立案的第三年，我們又要重新選理事長了。期待新的理事長誕生以及帶領我們走向更高的舞台。