Hello friends, art family, and kind supporters,

My name is Ying Ye 叶荧, a bilingual, Fuzhou-born Chinese working-class immigrant artist working in interdisciplinary, socially engaged, public, and performance art in Hartford, Connecticut, USA .

I’m incredibly proud to share that I’ve been accepted into the MFA program at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) – one of the most prestigious art and design schools in the world. This is a lifelong dream come true and a major step in my journey to becoming a professional artist dedicated to community and cultural work. And Here I am, raising funding for my MFA study! 

For people who may not know me, there is short introduction about me and my work: 

Through food, farming, and shared rituals, I honor my family’s traditions and use the language of everyday life to bridge cultures and communities.

My website

I have a background in painting and sculpture (BFA) from the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School. As a first-generation college student and the first in my family to study art, pursuing an MFA has been both a personal and cultural journey.

I’ve spent 15 years working in my family Owned Chinese and American restaurant as a waitress, cook, and food preparer to support my parent (while I have been building my art career). Food is not only the center of my life and childhood, but also a core part of my artistic practice.

My Chinese parents still scratch their heads, wondering why I’m continuing down this path—making art, and creating work that often centers around food, family, and restaurant life. But for me, it’s a way to honor where I come from, bridge communities, and tell stories that matter.

About My Practice 

As a cultural worker and woman artist, I create art that foster connection, collective joy, and cross-cultural understanding and racial, economic, and food justice in art and labor. I focus on making art accessible by moving beyond traditional galleries and into everyday public spaces. Much of my work takes place outside of galleries—rooted instead in public spaces and everyday encounters. Whether it’s in my family’s restaurant, inside an elevator where I moved a couch to invite intimate conversations in a shared space, or on the streets of Boston’s Chinatown where I handed out soybean sprouts from my tofu tricycle to pedestrians, I strive to transform ordinary environments into spaces of reflection and fun social gathering/idea to connect people or bring people together. My installations and performances have appeared in unexpected places: school entrances, residential and business building, street pop up installation and performance, community green spaces,

With the support of non-profit institutions and skillful artists, my work has included solo and group exhibitions, community engagement projects, educational workshops, and events at Real Art Ways, New Britain Museum of American Art, Pao Arts Center, The Alternative Art School, Yale-China Association, Hartford Art Space, Ely Center of Contemporary Art, Middlesex Community College and fellowships through the Artist of Color Accelerator Fellowship and Trinity Studio Art Fellowship in Hartford, CT. 

I am especially dedicated to representing and empowering immigrant, Asian and Asain American and working-class experiences, and to building solidarity and better future and world in the communities.

RISD’s MFA program will allow me to deepen my work in food-based and public art, develop immersive performances, and collaborate with an extraordinary community of artists. I’ve been working toward this for over five years – and now, I’m ready to take the next step.

Why I’m Fundraising

Although I’ve received good financial support from RISD, I’m still facing major out-of-pocket costs that are not covered by financial aid, including:

• Art materials and studio supplies

• Early Housing and living expenses in Providence, RI

• Initial relocation and setup cost

This program is intensive and immersive. To fully dedicate myself and succeed, I need a solid financial foundation to begin with.

How You Can Help

I’m raising $7000 to cover up front essential art materials, housing, and living expenses at RISD.

Sorry, No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.

Every contribution, no matter the size, helps build the future I’ve been working toward. If you can’t donate — or if you know like this kinda of community engagement work, public art, love food art — please consider sharing this with friends who might be interested to support. Sharing this campaign truly means the world to me. Thank you so much!

I wouldn’t be here without the love, encouragement, and trust I’ve received from my community. I carry that with me into every piece I make.

Thank you for reading, supporting, sharing, and being part of this creative food sensory journey with me.

With deep gratitude,

Ying Ye 叶荧

我叫叶荧 Ying Ye，是一位在康涅狄格州哈特福德和波士顿华埠从事跨学科、公共艺术和社会参与艺术的出生于福建福州华人移民艺术家。

我非常荣幸地宣布：我被世界著名的罗德岛设计学院（RISD）研究生艺术项目录取！

这对我来说是实现艺术梦想的重要一步。但尽管我获得了全额学费奖学金，我仍然需要帮助来支付：

• 生活和住房费用

• 工作室材料

• 搬迁和安置费用

我正在持续得筹集 $60,000 美元，以支持我在 RISD 两年的学习生活。

任何捐助，无论金额大小，都是对我艺术之路的支持。
感谢您的支持，信任，与鼓励，让这段自我成才学业旅程成为可能！