This
project is the culmination of a cultural exchange that began in 2005 when Don
and his wife Nina Weber Worth met the lead architect for the Shanghai World’s
Fair who was in charge of preserving historic Art Deco buildings in Shanghai.
This fortuitous convergence occurred as part of a delegation visit to Shanghai
organized by President and Vice President Duane Finger and Jill Dye of the
Sarasota Chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association (USCPFA) and
hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign
Countries (counterpart to Sister Cities International).
An additional achievement of this historic 2005 delegation was our first official meeting with the Xiamen (Fujian Province) government, pursuant to negotiating a sister city relationship, arranged with the assistance of Dr. Carolyn Bloomer, Chair of Sarasota Sister Cities China Study Committee. Sarasota’s Chinese Sister City relationship with the Siming District of Xiamen Municipality, which became official in 2007, is now celebrating its 10th anniversary year.