For Arts’ Sake: Memoirs of a Singapore Arts Manager

On 28 August 2023, I launched my memoirs “For Arts’ Sake: Memoirs of a Singapore Arts Manager” at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, at the invitation of my former colleague and dear friend Joyce Teo who is now the Associate Dean, School of Arts Management, NAFA Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practices.

“For Arts’ Sake: Memoirs of a Singapore Arts Manager” consolidates my stories in this blog and frames it in the larger context of arts development in Singapore. I published it with the encouragement of playwright- librettist Robert Yeo and playwright-director Chong Tze Chien both of whom felt I should share these behind-the-scenes stories. Law professor, writer-editor and publisher Kevin YL Tan mentored me through the publishing process, most importantly, expunging my angst as he edited, so my story shone through. We turned “Ashes into Gold”, as he beautifully put it,

My book was launched by my friend and fellow arts volunteer Low Sze Wee who is now Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. In his speech, Sze Wee recounted how we first met 20 years ago, as volunteers on the Council of the Southeast Asia Ceramic Society; and shared our later journey in developing the National University of Singapore Society’s Legacy Wall of 23 portraits of the Society’s past presidents. After his speech, we jointly unveiled the book which had been beautifully draped by a vintage sarong by NAFA lecturer and visual artist Joshua Yang. After that, I shared my arts management journey, using the opportunity to thank my former art advisors, bosses and colleagues from each of my job. The event culminated in a Goose bump Moment, a surprise rendition of the inspiring song “You Raise Me Up” by my friend, soprano Dr. Wong Su Sun who sang it in gratitude to the over-a-hundred art stalwarts in the room. We turned the Grief (I felt on leaving the arts sector too suddenly, in 1997), into Gratitude as I wrote in my Preface.

You can purchase your copy of “For Arts’ Sake: Memoirs of a Singapore Arts Manager” at Epigram and Kinokuniya bookshops and on-line on Amazon, Lazada and Shopee. Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy the read!