The Woon brothers developed a foundation that awards monetary prizes to worth artists in a art school graduation competition. All but one of the brothers are the owners of a well-known group of coffee shops. The fourth is a former lawyer.
The former lawyer, Wee Teng, is a connoisseur of Buddhist artwork and historical pieces, collecting his initial works when he was still young. It was this love of art and history, along with an impressive collection of masterpieces, that led him to create Singapore’s very first museum dedicated to such artifacts.
With the profits they earned from both the chain of coffee shops and the museum, the brothers created the Woon Foundation, an organization aimed at making a difference in the art world and the lives of artists. This includes promoting education in the creative arts as well as developing a collection of work from the very artists the foundation is looking to support. The brother who started the chain of coffee shops, Teck Seng, said he has even been buying artwork from budding artists himself as a way to bolster them on their creative journeys.
In this vein, the Woon brothers have amassed a small fortune in artwork from both the Buddhist world and the art world right here in Singapore. While the bulk of the masterpieces are kept safe in storage spaces around the world, the brothers regularly donate pieces from their collection to museums in both Singapore and other countries.
The Woon brothers credit their monetary support of artists as a way to inspire young creative minds to elevate their artwork. In another charitable gesture for students abroad, winners of the foundation’s award get a large monetary award, as well as complimentary studio space and a mentorship from an established older artist. The brothers say their foundation is a way to push young artists to seize the next step in their careers and achieve a higher level of success. The brothers’ point is that young people don’t have to embrace the “starving artist” persona. They can aspire to actually earning a living through the use of their creative skills.
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To read more about the Woon brothers’ artistic mission, go to http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/woon-brothers-do-their-bit-budding-artists.