The Sammamish Arts Commission presents the “East Meets West Through Art, Poetry and Revolutions,” exhibit from July 8 through Sept. 30 in the Commons Gallery of Sammamish City Hall.

This exhibition displays similarities and differences in the experiences of Chinese and Chinese Americans during turbulent times. The work reflects the effects of various revolutions and movements on the young artists in both countries, such as the Cultural Revolution in China, the women’s movement and civil rights in the United States.

It will include the prints and poetry of artists known as “Pre-Misty Poets,” painter Lu Yansheng and poet Lu Shuangqin. Northwest artist Cheryll Leo-Gwin, a fourth-generation Chinese American, will also exhibit her multi-media artwork, a combination of painting and digital media based on her own history and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

An exhibit tour, reception and panel discussion will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12. Each artist will present their work in lecture and slide format and a panel discussion will be moderated by Pacific Lutheran University Professor Dr. Paul Manfredi, Chair of Chinese Studies. The events are free and open to the public.

Lu Yansheng was a member of the Underground Arts Movement during the Cultural Revolution. He has experienced every aspect of the tumultuous history of contemporary art in China. He has been at the forefront of the emergence of a multi-cultural yet distinctly Chinese art scene that took modern and traditional elements as its building blocks to create a novel Chinese art style. His work is bright with a special appreciation of color and elegance, complex yet integrated. Lu Shuangqi, and her brother Lu Yansheng, together provided the home where the underground salons of the Pre-Misty Poets were held. It was here that the beginnings of the movement toward western art and writing practices began in China. The salons were held under threat from authorities.

Lu Shuangqui is a poet whose work will be featured in the exhibition. She is also a contemporary Northwest artist. Cheryll Leo Gwin, a close friend of the Chinese artists, will exhibit her work that is informed by her personal history and that of the two Chinese artists. Her work has been exhibited across the US, in China and Europe. She is known for her development of professional and cultural exchanges between the US and China. She was recently named as a Fulbright Scholar for Tsinghua University in Beijing where she will do research and present her artwork in 2014.

The exhibition and related program are sponsored by the Sammamish Arts Commission, the City of Sammamish, 4Culture, Pacific Lutheran University and the Experience Music Project.