Cheng Shiang Kuo

Surrounded by her family, on the evening of April 1, 2025, San Francisco time, our beloved Professor Ann C. S. Kuo passed away peacefully. Professor Ann C. S. Kuo was an outstanding international scholar in art education who dedicated her life to the advancement of the field. She had a profound influence on countless students worldwide. Through art, her teaching conveyed love, warmth, and care. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1935, Professor Kuo was the eldest daughter of renowned Taiwanese gouache painters Kuo Hsueh-hu and Lin A-Chin. Continuing her parents' artistic legacy, she became a distinguished gouache painter and served as a judge for numerous art competitions in Taiwan. She held solo and joint exhibitions with her parents in Taiwan and the United States. Her leadership earned her widespread recognition, and she was affectionately regarded as "the big sister" among many descendants of artists in Taiwan. In the late 1980s, after earning dual master's degrees from Southern Illinois University and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a doctorate in art education from the University of Illinois, Professor Kuo brought with her 26 years of experience teaching art at various grade levels in the United States. She joined the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University and contributed to curriculum reform and textbook review as a member of the Ministry of Education's committee. Understanding the critical role of art educators, she pioneered and established the Department of Fine Arts and Graduate Program of Art Education at National Changhua University of Education. She also founded various professional development organizations, including the Art Education Research and Development Association of the Republic of China and the Taiwan Art Education Association. Dedicated to fostering international academic exchange, she established the Cross-Strait Art Education Exchange Association and the World Chinese Art Education Association, promoting art education research in Chinese-speaking societies. Her work profoundly influenced art education in Asia and Southeast Asia. She also played a significant role in global art education, serving as a World Council (1993–1999) and President (2006–2011) of the UNESCO-affiliated International Society for Education through Art (InSEA). Committed to advancing research, she founded the International Journal of Arts Education, published in both Chinese and English. Professor Kuo received numerous prestigious awards, including the Golden Goblet Award for Art Education from the National Painting Society of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Cultural Education Award from the Ministry of Education, the Edwin Ziegfeld Award for Art Education in the United States, recognition in the International Who's Who of Professionals, and the Taiwan Art Education Lifetime Achievement Award. Her contributions to art education as a researcher and leader were exceptional. An advocate for love and peace, Professor Ann C. S. Kuo devoted her life to connecting leading scholars in art education worldwide. She provided her students with opportunities to broaden their perspectives, transcending borders, political barriers, and ideologies. She championed cultural vibrancy, dialogue, and meaningful connections through art, culture, and education. Let us remember Professor Ann C. S. Kuo as a scholar who excelled in teaching, research, and artistic creation. May we continue her legacy with boundless smiles, peace, and warmth, honoring her love for art education.
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