"The reception has been tremendous," said David Thomas, the (Art) Center's vice president. "People have been incredibly enthusiastic." The opening gala's tickets sold out three weeks in advance, and the center has seen strong attendance for a related film series and workshops on cooking, calligraphy, paper cutting and painting. "China has been in the public eye for quite some time, often in a negative sense," Thomas said. "What this program is about is what we have in common (rather) than our differences."