Testimonials
Yvonne Nair
7/9/2016
The spirit in which you set up the art workshop was wonderful!
Your workshop provided great value to the front line workers who serve the most vulnerable, including the homeless and those at risk. You played a key role in fulfilling the mission of our Conference -- "how to survive and thrive in the trenches."
Thanks again, so much, for all you do for vulnerable people in our communities.
Wishing you all the best.
Natalie C.
June 15, 2016
Excellent mentorship - I received what I was looking for!
Saffron Strand Conference Workshop Evaluations
– The freedom to express yourself and the nonjudgemental evaluation of the artistic results.
– The release of worries while engaged the connection with the fellow participants.
– Breathe– Allow it to unfold as opposed to having a "PLAN"
– Soothing environment, clam empathic instructor – conducive to healing body, mind and spirit.
– Expression runs deep and comes in many colors.
Adisa Willmer, MD
Lifelong Medical Care East Oakland Clinic
July 3, 2014
Siu Ming is an exceptional and wonderful person. I have the pleasure of working with her on different levels at our East Oakland Lifelong Medical clinic. She graciously volunteered to be one of our artists for the Wellness Program Community Mural – a collaborative effort between patients, staff and community members – to create a peaceful and colorful spot for contemplation and wellness. Siu Ming also participates in our community Yoga program – where we work on movement, breath, and meditation. The yoga program helps our patients find a sense of self-awareness, family connection, and community healing. I feel that Siu Ming’s calm and nurturing presence helps our clinic be a better place.
Jan Donnelly
Feb 22, 2014
I am on the far corner couch by the front yard window. The walls glow- it is truly lovely. ...Thank you for bringing beauty into my life, Ming. It means so much to me, on many levels. It heals my broken heart from past situations and gives me hope for dreaming plans bright and new.
Gloria Faircloth
Superintendent/CBO
Canyon Elementary School K-12
April 6, 2013
Siu Ming Leung Garber has been a parent volunteer for the last seven years at Canyon School. During this time, she has dedicated herself to being the unofficial school filmmaker.
Siu Ming has spent countless hours producing, filming, editing and distributing copies of our twice yearly school performances. The sale of these videos brings needed funds to the school as well as documenting treasured memories for our families. Each film is professionally done and all have become valued additions to our school archives.
Along with the plays, she has also documented day to day life around the school. Last year, Siu Ming produced a short feature for the Canyon Education Foundation to use at their annual spring fundraiser.
Siu Ming’s dedication to her skills is an asset to the school.
Rosina Keren
Counselor
Longfellow Middle School
2013
Siu Ming Leung Garber very kindly volunteered her professional expertise at Longfellow Middle School towards the end of the academic year of 2011-2012.
Our school wanted to highlight the opportunities a college degree offers. We wanted to feature our own students, talking about their college and career plans and desires.
Siu came in, ready to work. She was organized, responsible and generous with her time. We had never done such a project, so there were not many guidelines. Siu created a template for this video project and helped storyboard, film and did all of the editings. Siu was smiling, despite occasional disorganization on our part, accepting of our middle schoolers and their randomness, and very positive about the whole project.
Even though English is not her first language, Siu worked diligently with our students and staff. She was encouraging, open to student and staff suggestions, and flexible with every aspect of the project.
The movie was completed in a timely manner, and all of the students and staff were very happy with our finished project. It is admirable that Siu dedicated so much time to this, and met our deadlines as a volunteer. I highly recommend Siu Ming Leung Garber for any video related project.
Angel Clifford
President, CEF
Canyon Elementary School
January 1, 2013
It is with immense pleasure that I present this letter of recommendation for Siu Ming Leung Garber. I have been President of the Canyon Education Foundation Board for our K-8 Public School in Canyon, California for the last two years and have worked closely with Siu Ming.
During my first year, I worked diligently to raise our tiny 73 student school nearly $100,000 to bridge our school’s budget deficit due to state cuts. This task could not have been met had it not been for the talent and efforts of Siu Ming.
For our annual 2012 Spring Auction, the Committee Chairs had collectively decided to have a video presentation made which would showcase our school, teachers, and students. This we knew would not be an easy task, as the school is quite an anomaly. A small school in a redwood grove with a creek running through it filled primarily with students from the surrounding urban areas. The school holds community and freedom to be who you are within a public school setting to be some of it’s strongest values while maintaining a level of educational excellence. Siu Ming captured all of these things brilliantly, showcasing our amazing teaching staff, having children highlight what they love most and capturing the spirit of who and what the school stands for. Her creativity was boundless and her work ethic was unparallel.
We ran the film just before the live auction and there were not many dry eyes in the room. This had set the stage for one of our biggest grossing live auctions. $100,000 for a school our size is quite an accomplishment and could not have happened without the talent of Siu Ming. She did this all on a volunteer basis and delivered a stellar product with the utmost level of professionalism. She is wonderful at understanding the vision of others and working to deliver what they want/need.
I would highly recommend her for any project and look forward to working with her again.
Marissa Aroy
Instructor
Digital Video Production,
Multimedia Department,
Berkeley City College
2009
Siu Ming has been very conscientious about being available and ready for the students and their needs. She conducts herself professionally and has a very positive and professional attitude when it comes to assisting me in the classroom.
Robert Sarison, MA, LMFT
Program Manager
Irene Swindells Alzheimer’s Residential Care Program at CPMC
2004
Ms. Leung Garber was employed at California Pacific Medical Center from June 1999 through May 2001 as an activity therapist, where she taught arts & craft and facilitated daily therapeutic activities with skilled nursing patients and people with Alzheimer’s Disease in our residential care program. Her interventions included using drawing, painting, and other creative arts modalities to improve quality of life and enhance psychosocial stimulation for the patients. Ms. Leung Garber exhibited tremendous compassion and patience in helping the clients she served. She was appreciated as a valuable team member, particularly in her ability to teach and train staff to use creative approaches.
I have known Ms. Leung Garber personally for approximately twelve years and can attest to her considerable talent as a fine arts painter, and to her character as a reliable, hard-working and dedicated individual.
Dr. Craig Garfinkel,
Activities Therapy Supervisor
California Pacific Medical Center
2004
Ms. Leung Garber served in the capacity of Activities Therapist. Her job duties included developing and executing an expressive arts program with hospitalized adults and seniors and their families, including children. This program included classes in fine arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage) and expressive movement.
Because of her therapeutic background, Ms. Leung Garber has a keen sense of how to tailor her teaching to meet the unique needs of each of her students. At CPMC, she worked with individuals with a broad range of physical and cognitive impairments. I was impressed with her ability to lead group activities which combined structure with flexibility in order to accommodate the diverse needs, interests, and capacities of the group members.
In my seven years as a supervisor, Ms. Leung Garber stands out as one of my most conscientious, skilled and hardest working employees. I recommend her to you without qualifications.
Pamela Hyland
Career Services Coordinator
The Art Institute of California – San Francisco
2000
Thank you so much for the wonderful talk about Art Therapy careers you and Craig gave to our students here at SFAI yesterday. It was so full of good information and good sense. I know the students (and staff!) benefited greatly by hearing your perspectives. It is so helpful to hear from people who are actually doing the work.
I particularly enjoyed the stories of progress made through your work with patients. They were wonderful illustrations of the value of the art therapist in a clinical setting like yours. Thank you for sharing those stories with us.
Anton Redzic
Cultural Services Director
Ville de Juvisy, France
1996
I have known Ms. Leung for a number of years and can attest to the seriousness and commitment of her artistic work. A British Hong Kong national, she has been a resident of France since 1986, and currently works as a set painter for Eurodisney, where she was hired for her technical skills as a professional painter.
Her creative talents came to the attention of our Cultural Services here at Juvisy, and with the Sponsorship offered her by the Mayor of our city, we organized a large exhibition of her work in a very successful one-woman show in November of 1993.
I know that Ms. Leung first came to France to explore new ways of artistic seeing and working. She came from Asia and, as she is a curious and open-minded person, she has been able to use this experience of living in the West to further both her career and her depth as an artist.
Veronique N’diaye
Painter-Technician
Euro-Disney, Paris France
1996
Ms. Siu Ming Leung served in the capacity of Painter-Technician at Euro-Disney in Paris France from May 15th1994 through September 30th, 1997.
Her responsibilities included: all technical sets, masks and costumes paintings, maintenance and restorations as well as event visual effect productions.
Ms. Siu Ming was appreciated as a contributing team member and was valued for her ability to assist other employees as needed.
Benny Chia
General Manager
Fringe Club, Hong Kong
1985
Joies, Leung Siu Ming, paints in our atelier at the Fringe Club. She is hard working and extremely talented. She has studied with Michael, Wong Cheung before she joined us. Our atelier is conducted on an informal basis be Yank Wong, Antonio Mak, and Josh Hon.
Leung Siu Ming is also highly regarded by art critics and collectors. Her work and biography have been included in renowned art dealer Petra Hinterthur’s book on Hong Kong artists.
Tsong-Zung Chang
Director
Hanart TZ Gallery
1984
Siu Ming Leung's painting is anthologies of vibrant energy. She captures the fleeting emotions of events, which are presented in a skillful and sensitive visual language. Siu Ming said, "I think every action is a means of communication. Every living organism has its own way of communicating with the world around it." And Siu Ming's way of communicating is her skill in abstract painting.
Siu Ming painting is fresh. They seem to have the urgency and freshness of a snapshot. She is also sincere and her work sparkles with genuine feeling. This exhibition will show over 20 recent paintings. Many of the works such as "Road", "The Stranger", and " Passing through Forest, Passing by Sea" is concerned with the theme of passage through time and place. The agility of her brush strokes and her sensitive colors have found in this theme a fitting vehicle for her art.