Volunteers are often in short supply for many organizations.

Too often, rocks have to be turned over to find them.

So, Vicki Pritchett was taken a-back when a young woman walked into the Johnson Center for the Arts last August and offered her services as a volunteer.

“You can imagine how surprised and delighted I was,” said Vicki Pritchett, JCA executive director. “Not often does someone just walk in and volunteer.”

Feng Ping Xiong had come to Troy with her husband, who was attending Troy University and wanted to volunteer.

“I realized very quickly that Feng Ping Xiong would be a tremendous asset for the Johnson Center,” Pritchett said. “She was a graduate of the China Academy for the Arts in Beijing, which is an outstanding school for the arts. She had taught art for two years in China before coming to America.

“I told her we had been looking for someone to teach an art class at the Johnson Center and asked her if she would be interested.”

Feng Ping Xiong’s answer was “Yes, I would love to.”

Now, almost a year later, Xiong is preparing to leave Troy and go home to China for several months and then return to the United States where her husband has a job in San Francisco.

On Thursday afternoon, the Johnson Center for the Arts hosted a reception for Xiong to wish her all the best as she leaves Troy to write another chapter in her life. But most of all to say, “thank you” for all she has meant to the Johnson Center.

“Feng epitomizes the volunteer spirit,” Pritchett said. “She came to a country where she knew no one and had not yet mastered the language and she wanted to volunteer. I was, and continue to be, amazed at her giving spirit.”

The plan was for Xiong to teach art classes two days a week at the Johnson Center. There would be no fee involved and the classes would be open, meaning that the students could attend class as many times or as few times as their schedules allowed.

“Feng is an incredibly talented artist,” Pritchett said. “Her students were in awe of her talent and had nothing but praise for her as an artist and as a teacher.”

At times, Xiong would have as many as 10 students “in class” and sometimes as few as three but there was always someone there to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from her.
“Grandparents would often bring their visiting grandchildren to take a few lessons in drawing,” Pritchett said. “We had two people from Argentina to come for lessons. We laughed at about that – someone from Argentina taking lessons from an art teacher from China in Troy, Alabama. I don’t think a lot of people realize the positive impact the international students are having on our community.”

Feng Ping Xiong and her students have a piece of artwork on exhibit at the JCA. Each student contributed his or her talent to the piece.

“The piece was done in the ancient Oriental way and it is amazing to see what she and her students did individually and how it all came together as a whole,” Pritchett said. “Anyone who see this six-foot piece should be impressed.”

As Feng Ping Xiong leaves Troy, she will leave behind the memory of one who is unusually gifted and extraordinarily giving, Pritchett said.

“San Francisco will be fortunate to have her and we are going to miss her terribly here in Troy,” Pritchett said. “We wish Feng all the best wherever she goes.”

Xiong expressed appreciation to Johnson Center director Vicki Pritchett for giving her the opportunity to teach art at the JCA and to all of her students from whom she also learned. She has enjoyed her time in Troy and will long remember the kindnesses shown to her.