Washington and Lee University
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In honor of Gerry Lenfest’s contributions to the arts, artist Deena Gu Laties created a bronze bust and donated a copy to Washington and Lee as part of the celebration for the 20th Anniversary of the Lenfest Center for the Arts. The original resides at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
After moving from China to the United States, Laties attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Since that time, she has spent the past decades establishing her reputation as a well-known artist covering subjects from sculpture to landscape to portraits and to paintings of flowers and birds. Her art has been displayed in a number of shows throughout the United States and abroad. Her knowledge and understanding of Chinese art has led to her selection as a member of the East Asia Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In addition, she now serves on the board of her alma mater, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
Laties is an avid contributor to the art scene. She has taught master classes at artists’ guilds and has established a special school in Philadelphia where she teaches painting technique to Chinese girls adopted by American families. Calling them “my girls,” she enjoys helping them learn about their own cultural traditions: She has even taken three of the girls on a trip back to China to help trace their ancestral roots. Laties’ artistic interests are broad and carry over to the world of music. She has established special connections to the Curtis Institute of Music and has sponsored in-home concerts to share her appreciation of music with others.