Dong Kingman

After having nurtured an interest in art during his youth spent in Hong Kong (1916-29), Dong Kingman matured as a watercolorist upon his return to his native Oakland, California, and enrollment at the Fox Morgan Art School in 1931. He soon emerged as a promising artist, working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and actively exhibiting his land and cityscapes in the San Francisco Bay Area between 1935 and 1945. Kingman's extensive travels through Guggenheim fellowships, features in national magazines, and relocation to New York City (1946) further promoted his paintings to reach a greater audience. In addition to teaching at Columbia University, Hunter College, as well as the Famous Artists School he co-founded with Norman Rockwell and others, Kingman worked as an advisor and designer for Hollywood between the 1950s and 1960s. His wide recognition as an artist led Kingman to serve as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and became the first American artist to hold a solo exhibition celebrating the resumption of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (1981).

Authored by Anna Lee, curatorial assistant for Asian American art, 2025.