History

Our History

The history of CFAS has been a true “American Dream” success story, beginning when Barbara Tiao, a Shanghai native who fled the country in 1949, eventually settled in Chicago in 1984. She established herself as a piano teacher and a “cultural ambassador,” sharing her beloved culture with other students and the surrounding community. This passion was Barbara’s inspiration to start the Chinese Fine Arts Society. Barbara passed away in 2008, having realized her dream: an organization that has bloomed into a professional entity in Chicago’s artistic scene.