Honourees

Year Activities
Champion of Freedom of Speech Award
Spirit of Tiananmen Award
1989 VAG artist Tom Van Sant with help from members built replica of goddess of democracy and placed on the pedestrian bridge in downtown LA in front of LA City Hall on June 12, one week after the Tiananmen Massacre of June 4.
Art & Democracy art exhibition, Diana Wong, Merging One Gallery
   
1990 Goddess of democracy statue stood in front of the Westwood Federal building for the annual commemoration.    
1991 VAG president Ariel Heart and member Tom Van Sant received commendations from the city honoring them and VAG for building the replica of the goddess of democracy statue. Presented by LA Councilmembers Michael Woo and Zev Yaroslavsky.    
1992 LA City Council presented commendations to Hei Feng, Amy Ai Chiang, Song Leng, Wu Yenhua, participants of the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement. Presentation made by Councilmember Michael Woo's assistant, George Yin. Hei Feng, Amy Ai Chiang, Song Leng, Wu Yenhua, participants during Tiananmen pro-democracy movement and tried to stop the soldiers' advance.
Wallace Hsieh, US radio broadcaster, was in Beijing to support the movement in 1989.
1993   Wan Dan, Tiananmen student leader (still in China at the time.)
Tony and Claire Maglica (Croation Christian couple who adopted a Bosnian Muslim boy during the conflict of Yugoslavia).
1994     Arnold Schifrin, past President of Visual Artists Guild, was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. as California's first "Maestro of Painting".
1995   Harry Wu, activist who visited China to expose China's prisoners labor camp and also exposed China's use of prisoners organs on China's organ trade. Todd Carrel, foremr ABC News bureau chief and foreign correspondent in China 1985-1992 until he was severely beat up by the Beijing secret police on June 3, 1993 City of LA also presented commendations to Todd Carrel and Harry Wu.
1996   Emily Lau, Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator. Amy Biehl, Stanford student and Fulbright scholar who was murdered by blacks in South Africa while on a mission of voter education during South Africa's first democratic election for all races.
1997

Museum of Tolerance: Documentary film, "Hong Kong in Transition" produced by Visual Artists Guild

Emily Lau as Resident Scholar at University of Southern California

 

PEN Center USA West, (PEN -Poets, Essayists, Novelists) accepted by Sherrill W. Britton, Executive Director.

1998 Museum of Diversity - Art & Photo Exhibition: Tiananmen Spring.
Hei Feng (Black Wind) Mural, oil on canvas.
Museum of Tolerance - "Tiananmen Revisted" Gary Gach, Zhang Min, Debbie Gates.
Wei Jingsheng, considered as father of China's modern democracy. Harry Wu, human rights activist.
1999 Musical "Beijing Spring" preview sponsor and Memorial to Tiananmen.
Art & Democracy II art exhibition at El Publo de Los Angeles Historical Gallery.
Hei Feng built 15 ft statue of Memorial to the Victims of Tiananmen - Los Angeles City Hall.
  Tom Van Sant, artist who built the replica of goddess of democracy statue VAG received a commendation from the city of Los Angeles, presented by Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky on the tenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre.
2000 Speaker Li Lu, former Tiananmen student leader.    
2001 Speaker Ho Pin, publisher of the Chinese language version of "The Tiananmen Papers".    
2002   Li Shaomin, professor on economics and researcher on China economy, previously had been invited to lecture in China. Convicted of spying on China and deported. Helie Lee, author who brought her family out of North Korea.
2003   Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) accepted by Sophie Beach, Asia Research Associate.  
2004   Ding Zilin, founder Mothers of Tianamen, a Beijing Based orgnization that seeks justice for missing children of Tiananmen. Accepted by friend. Chief Anthony Enahoro, elder statesman in Nigeria who dedicated his life to a democratic system of government in Nigeria. Accepted by friend.
2005 Documentary "International Appeal for Ching Cheong" produced by Visual Artists Guild. Han Dong Fang, China labor activist. Ethan Gutmann, author of "Losing the New China".
2006   Yongyi Song, researcher on the Cultural Revolution, went to China to collect documents on the Cultural Revoltion. Hungarian Freedom Fighters.
2007 Protest the planned Beijing Olympic float at Pasadena Rose parade. Mak Yin Ting, Hong Kong advocate for journalistic freedom. June Pulcini, human rights activist.
2015   Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) - Berta Soler leader.
Su Changlan, women's rights activist.
Hong Kong Umbrella Movement; Women's Rights in China; Posthumous: Lucas Kamp of Amnesty International.
2016   Albert Ho, Chair, Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Concern Group.
Zya Ya, Burma 8888 student leader.
Jim Roberts, Amnesty Group 175.
Simon Billenness, U. S. Campaign for Burma.
2017 El Sexto art exhibitiion;
Museum of Tolerance: "Patria O Muerte: Cuba, Fatherland or Death" documentary hosted by Visual Artists Guild.
Lam Wing Kee - Hong Kong book seller;
Human Rights lawyers Xie Yang , Li Heping, Wang Quanzhang, Jiang Tianyong
Vietnam Human Rights Network
2018   Zhang Lin, pro-democracy activist in China, recently released.
Li Wenzu, wife of human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang.