This summer, the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival returns to the Barra District, featuring the exhibition “The Magic of Lines: Serge Bloch’s Wonderland of Picture Books”—a collaboration between MGM and the Cultural Affairs Bureau showcasing the work of renowned French illustrator Serge Bloch. To extend the exhibition’s educational outreach and foster community engagement, MGM hosted the “Art Canvas．Study Tour Palette” symposium today. The event brought together children’s book authors, publishers, and study tour professionals from mainland China and Macau for a cross-disciplinary dialogue on picture books, exploring how arts education can be integrated into the cultural and creative industries as well as study tour programs, and how it can be commercialized through innovative approaches.

Held at Navy Yard No.2 in the Barra District, the symposium was anchored by an esteemed panel of cross-industry experts, including Wu Binrong, a veteran researcher and picture book author; Solene Xie, Consultant for Shanghai international Children’s Book Fair; Charles Tam, Director of the Macao Study Travel Development Association; and Catarina Lio, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing of MGM. The symposium attracted over 60 professionals from the field of culture, academia, tourism, and the arts, sparking insightful discussions on the multifaceted development of arts education.

Catarina Lio said, “Picture books are often a child’s first encounter with literature—they spark a love for reading and serve as a gateway to art education. By bringing this exhibition and symposium into the community, we are transforming imagination into shared experiences in spaces that feel familiar and welcoming, enabling families to discover the joy and inspiration of art together. Macau’s rich cultural heritage makes walking through the city feel like leafing through a living storybook. This symposium encourages us to reflect on how we can harness the city’s cultural strengths to extend arts education into tourism and study travel, opening up new opportunities for art-based tourism development.”

Wu Binrong added, “Picture books are culturally rich and inherently interactive. Beyond being educational tools, they can evolve into marketable products. Picture books have the power to inspire exhibitions or bring intangible cultural heritage to life. The stories from picture books are rich in narrative, fun, and educational value, making them ideal for integration into study tours that enhance learning, promote aesthetic education, and even open doors to professional creative careers.”

Solene Xie emphasized, “Cross-industry collaboration is key to commercializing picture books. By partnering with cultural and creative brands, educational institutions, and travel operators, we can create integrated offerings that combine picture books with creative merchandise and immersive study tours. This strategy boosts market appeal and brand identity, redefining picture books as more than just reading materials—they become cultural carriers and educational tools that enrich everyday life.”

Charles Tam said: “Macau has a unique advantage as a cultural crossroads between East and West. This distinct identity is part of the city’s soft power and can be transformed into diverse cultural products. We should seize this opportunity to tap into Macau’s artistic resources and reimagine them as study tours or tourism experiences that attract visitors and deepen cultural understanding.”

The exhibition “The Magic of Lines: Serge Bloch’s Wonderland of Picture Books” is now open to the public free of charge. It spans three venues: Navy Yard No.1 and No.2 in the Barra District (until September 14), and the “•ART Space” on the first-floor terrace of the Macao Cultural Centre (until October 7). Featuring over ten themed sections, the exhibition showcases Bloch’s signature humor and expressive line art, blending artistic displays with interactive games to create a playful and educational picture book playground.

As part of the extended activities of the exhibition, a series of picture book workshops will be held at Navy Yard No.2 from July 12 to August 31, 2025. Centered around 16 of Bloch’s works, the workshops will include interactive games, storytelling sessions and hands-on craft activities, inviting children to play with lines and explore storytelling as they discover the art woven into everyday life.

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About MGM

MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in Greater China. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai. 

MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. The POLY MGM MUSEUM spanning almost 2,000 square meters, is constructed in accordance with Chinese national standards for the exhibition of Grade-One cultural relics. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities also include conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.

Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, MGM COTAI offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings, food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience.  MGM has joined hands with renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou to set up the “Macau 2049” residency in MGM Theater. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:    

Jessie Kuan

Executive Director of Public Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3412

Email: jessiekuan@mgm.mo

Karen Lam

Assistant Director of Corporate Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3421

Email: karenlam@mgm.mo