Celebrating
20 years of ChinaFest and the life of founder Rose Nan-Ping Chen

To honor Rose’s memory, the VMFA is acquiring a new artwork to display and commemorate her 20 years of contributions to our community. We invite you to join us in this worthy cause.

By contributing towards the acquisition, you will be permanently recognized as a donor and a member of the ChinaFest community.

This unique opportunity creates a lasting bond between you, ChinaFest, and the VMFA—exactly the type of bond Rose sought to foster between Chinese and US cultures when she founded ChinaFest 20 years ago.

How it works

By contributing to the acquisition, you will:

  • Help co-fund the acquisition of a Chinese artwork commemorating Rose and ChinaFest

  • Receive news and special updates throughout the acquisition process

  • Be invited to special events, including the artwork’s unveiling

  • Be permanently recognized as a supporting donor of the artwork

All donors will be recognized online along with The Rose Group. Donors contributing $5,000 or more will be recognized individually on signage accompanying the artwork.

Donations of any amount to The Rose Group organization are also welcomed, as we will continue to support ChinaFest and fund worthy causes in alignment with our mission to foster cross-cultural understanding.

Rose Nan-Ping Chen, founder of ChinaFest

Rose Nan-Ping Chen was born and raised in Taiwan, and moved to the United States in 1971 to pursue her master’s degree. She was a proud global citizen and a long-time devotee of arts, spirituality, and community service.

Among her vast history of service, Rose served on the boards of the Arts Council of Richmond, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the International Committee of Science History Institute, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Multicultural Advisory Council.

She passed from pancreatic cancer on January 9, 2025.

The Rose Group

Rose founded The Rose Group in 2002 to fulfill her lifelong commitment to promoting multiculturalism in our society and fostering understanding and harmony between different cultures. 

The Rose Group’s flagship program is ChinaFest, an annual event at the University of Richmond and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that draws over 20,000 visitors over three days and is now in its 20th year.

 Frequently asked questions

  • VMFA will recommend several artworks in alignment with VMFA’s mission and the purpose of honoring Rose using their standard curatorial process. These recommendations will be shared and a final decision will be made by VMFA’s curatorial committees and Board. 

  • The curatorial selection process is expected to take several months but will occur in 2025. Once the final selection is made, all donors will be contacted and given the option to maintain their donation towards acquiring the artwork or converting it to The Rose Group general fund in support of ChinaFest. It is at that time that all donation elections will be finalized.

  • Yes! You can choose to contribute specifically toward the artwork acquisition or make a donation to The Rose Group’s general fund to support its mission and ongoing programs in memory of Rose. Every contribution counts, and we thank you.

  • Yes, donations to The Rose Group are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Contributions towards the artwork acquisition may be considered an investment and therefore may not be tax-deductible. We will provide you with a receipt for all contributions, which you can use for tax purposes and to consult with your tax professional.

  • We will keep you informed via email. You will receive progress reports on the artwork acquisition and the impact of your donation on the non-profit’s initiatives, so you can see firsthand how your support is making a difference. We will also send invitations to future events via email.

  • ArtShare is the world’s first company partnering with museums to enable public co-ownership of artworks in their collections. Through this new model, we enable a deeper, 1:1 relationship between museums and their communities, and a new source of funding for museums they control. 

    For this campaign, ArtShare is waiving all transaction fees and simply facilitating the transaction. To learn more about ArtShare, please visit artshare.io

  • Please direct all inquiries to info@artshare.io

Contribute towards the VMFA’s art acquisition or give to The Rose Group