Highlights
- Town Hall presents “MAYDAY! – A NEW MUSIC MARATHON” on Sunday, May 1 from noon – 10 p.m., featuring Michael Lim, Eyvind Kang, Jessika Kenney and music by composer Mamoru Fujieda plus a whole host of talented local musical improvisers. For tickets go to www.brownpapertickets.com or 1-800-838-3006 or at the door. For more information, go to www.townhallseattle.org/mayday.
- Artist Trust and Hugo House celebrate the book launch of EDGE graduate and Gap Recipient Harold Taw’s debut novel, “Adventures of the Karaoke King”, a karaoke grail quest about the transplanted people from around the world who keep falling just short of their dreams. Wednesday, April 27 at 7pm. Elliott Bay Book Company also brings some exciting new world literary voices to Seattle via PEN. Nathacha Appanah reads on May2. A French-Mauritian of Indian origin, “The Last Brother” explores the bond between two young boys and the risks taken for freedom and friendship. This book has won all the major literary prizes in France. May 4 brings a double reading hosted by Seattle writer Sherman Alexie. He will introduce Rahul Bhattachary and Yan Lianke. Bhattachary’s novel, “The Sly Company of People Who Care” is the story of a young man who goes to Guyana to escape boredom and embarks on an adventure with a diamond hunter. The author reads with a island patois to evoke the dialect of that country. Yan Lianke’s “Dream of Ding Village” tells the story of selling blood for cash and how that turns fatal for a village stricken by a mysterious illness later detected as AIDS and how the government suppresses the secret to make money. 1521 Tenth Ave. (206) 624-6600 or www.elliottbaybook.com.
- Seattle’s own resident gamelan orchestra, Gamelan Pacifica will perform with dancer Didik Niwithowok, two classics of Javanese court dance on April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at UW’s Meany Hall. Guest drummer, Heri Peranto, will also perform. See www.gamelanpacifica.org for more details.
- The state of Asian American poetry would be vastly different without the major pioneering efforts of poet Lawson Fusao Inada who had the first book by an Asian American poet published on a major press. He makes two appearances in the northwest in this poetry with jazz program. First on Friday, April 22 at First Unitarian Church at 1211 SW Main St, in Portland and again on Saturday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at Daniels Recital Hall at 811 Fifth Ave. in Seattle. The event features a jazz group with Larry Nobori on saxophone. For tickets, go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/163198. For more information, go to www.petersonentertainment.com.
- Want to broaden your musical horizons and help out with Japan earthquake relief? Do both by attending the following events – Seattle Kokon Taiko performs a “Benefit Concert for Japan” with shakuhachi player Hanz Araki. All proceeds benefit Mercy Corps. Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Seattle Art Museum auditorium on 1300 lst Ave. “Songs of Hope – A Benefit Concert for Japan Earthquake Relief” features professional musicians from Seattle Symphony and from Greater Seattle. Program includes Japanese folk songs, a koto ensemble and classical favorites. The event is free but donations are accepted. The event takes place on May 1 at 3 p.m. at Daniels Recital Hall, located on 811 5th Ave. Go to www.gofeisty.com/ hope for details.
- Music from Okinawa seems to resonate with the spirits and influences from the many countries that occupied that small island nation such as China and Japan. There is a mournful, bittersweet tang to the music that still resonates with a lilting joy. A good introduction to the tradition can be had by attending the “20th Anniversary Charity Concert” by Ryuku Sokyoku Koyokai of Washington. All ticket sales benefit Japan relief. Sunday, May 1 at 1 p.m. Highline Performing Arts Center at 401 South 152nd St. in Burien. Call (425) 308-1878 for more information.
- “What remains: Japanese Americans In Internment Camps” is a show that features quilts by Cathy Erickson and poetry by Margaret Chula. This exhibit is on-view through June 26 and is open Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and by appointment only on Monday and Tuesday at La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum in the Historic Gaches Mansion located on 703 S. Second St. in La Connor. Call (360) 466-4288 or visit www.laconnerquilts.com.
- Local UW ceramics professor and internationally known ceramic artist Akio Takamori (see review in this issue) has a show of new work scheduled for the month ofApril at James Harris Gallery. Takamori’s work crackles with a wry wit that satirizes both history and the human condition. James Harris Gallery is located on 312 Second Ave. S. Call (206) 903-6220 or go to www.jamesharrisgallery.com for more information.
- SIS Productions presents “Sex in Seattle 19 – The One That Got Away” (see review elsewhere in this issue), the latest set of comedic misadventures of Seattle’s Asian American singles as written by Kathy Hsieh. April 1 – 30 at Hugo House. For reservations, call (206) 323-9443 or go to [email protected]. To buy tickets in advance, go through the Brown Paper Tickets website.
- “Struggling Cities: Japanese Urban Projects in the 1960’s” is an exhibition that takes a fresh look at proposals on the city that were put forth by noted Japanese architects. By looking at these proposals now, we can look ahead to the challenges all cities face in global architecture and what works best for its citizenry. The show will remain on view April 11 – 29 during weekdays by appointment at Mulvanney G-2 Architecture in Bellevue. Mulvanney G-2 Architecture is located on 1110 12th Ave. NE #500. Call (425) 463-2000 for more information.
- Ceramic artist Wanxin Zhang responds to China’s unearthed army of terra cotta soldiers with life-size ceramics of his own. “Warhol/Mao” is just one of many contemporary responses by this artist in “Wanxin Zhang: A Ten Year Survey” at Bellevue Arts Museum located on 510 Bellevue Way N.E. This exhibit runs through August 4. Also noted is the show entitled “Master of Deception – the Furniture of John Cederquist” in which this furniture maker makes free-standing cabinets in the shapes of kimonos. Through May 15, 2011. For more information, call (425) 519-0770 or visit www.bellevuearts.org.
- “Shadows of a Fleeting World: Pictorial Photography and the Seattle Camera Club” looks at the primarily Japanese American Seattle Camera Club and the role it played in the pictorial style. With over 100 works by Seattle Camera Club members, Dr. Kyo Koike, Frank Kunishige, Iwao Matsushita and Imogene Cunningham will be presented through May 8. “Cherry Blossom” is an all-ages celebration of the rich history and practice of the Seattle Camera Club. Includes guided tours, art activities, readings and a hands-on photo adventure. The exhibition is curated by Henry Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown and presented in partnership with the University of Washington Press and Special Collections at the University of Washington Libraries. The Henry Art Gallery is located on 15th Ave. NE & NE 4lst Street. Call (206) 543-2280 or go to www.henryart.org for more information.
- “RED” is a new show by Pakistani artist Humaira Abid that explores the symbolic meanings of that color such as love, passion, anger and death. Using carved wood sculptures and miniature paintings, she examines the roles of women in social/religious culture and the state of a changing homeland. The exhibit will be on view through April at the ArtXchange Gallery at 512 First Ave. S. For more information, call (206) 839-0377.
- Frye Art Museum presents a new exhibit by Degenerate Art Ensemble led by Haruko Nishimura and Joshua Kohl held March 18 through July 5. The show features props, photos, videos from past performances with various live mini-events and artist tours throughout the run of the exhibit with the premiere of a new work entitled “The Red Shoes” (set for performance on May 12 through June 2). Nishimura & Kohl talk to Deputy Director Robin Held on April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Frye Auditorium. Haruko Nishimura presents a Butoh dance workshop entitled “Embodiment and the Committed Presence Through Imagery on Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on April 16, 23 and 30 in the Frye Art Studio. Register online at fryemuseum.org/tickets or call (206) 423-8200. The museum is located at 704 Terry Ave. Call (206) 622-9250 or visit www.fryeart.org for more information.
Visual Arts
- Seattle artist Romson Bustillo’s latest site-specific installation entitled “Dinhi sa Paraiso – Here in Paradise” can be seen through July at Hing Hay Park on the corner of S. KingSt. and Maynard Ave. S. Go to http://romson.tumbir.com/ for more information.
- Each member of the art collective SOIL has invited a guest artist to exhibit work at the gallery resulting in the group show “DUG: Soil Invitational 2011”. Includes work by Bo Choi and Rumi Koshino. The exhibit is on view through April and located at 112 3rd Ave. S. Go to www.soilart.org for more information.
- Seattle Art Museum Members Art History Series presents “Northwest Orient: Connections Between Japan and Seattle in the Jet Age” by Catherine Roche, Interim Assistant Curator of Asian Art. This exhibit is on view April 20 at 7 p.m. at the Seattle Art Museum downtown auditorium.
- “Blossom: Develop. Mature. Thrive” is a group show featuring contemporary Asian-inspired works by Northwest artists, including work by Barry Wong, Aki Sogabe, Chiyo Sanada, Makiko Ichiura, Linda Hoshide, Kay Hirai, Toshiko Hasegawa, Malpina Chan and Carina del Rosario. This show is on view through April 24 at the NW Craft Center at Seattle Center, located 305 Harrison. For more information, call (206) 728-1555 or www.northwestCraftCenter.com.
- Maki Tamura, Zhi Lin, Roger Shimomura, Dean Wong, Flo Wong and others have work in the joint exhibition entitled “Cultural Activism in a Time of Crisis” on view through May 6 at the M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery at Seattle Central Community College. This event is free. For details, visit www.seattlecentral.edu/artgallery.
- “Paradoxes of Living on Holy Land” is a series of photographs of Jerusalem and the West Bank by Rajiv Kapoor. The series is on view through May 1 at the Columbia City Gallery at 4864 Rainier Ave. S. Call (206) 760-9843 or visit www.columbiacitygallery.com.
- Local artist Suiren (Renko Ishida Dempster) is presented by Deep Listening Institute in an on-line show “Art on the Wall” as part of “Women & Identity” during April at www.vimeo.com/21467571.
- “I Waited a Long Time For You” is the title for Mugi Takei’s series of personal drawings at times wistful, charming and then ironic done in bright colors. A DVD of the drawings also viewable in the gallery makes her personal visions come alive. Takei’s work is on view through April at the Cullom Gallery. Closing party on Saturday, April 30 from 6 – 8 p.m. The Cullom Gallery, located at 603 S. Main Street. Call (206) 340-8000 for more information.
- Local artist Romson Bustillo shows his media print collages in a group show of ten local artists entitled “The Chair Project” now on view at Seattle Design Center located at 5701 Sixth Ave. S. until August. For details go to www.romson.tumblr.com.
- The work of Diem Chau is included in a group show entitled “The Mysterious Content of Softness”. The show brings together national and international artists in an exploration of the transformative power of fiber and its connection to the human body. Chau’s work is on view through June 26 at the Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE. Call (425) 519-0770 or go to www.bellevuearts.org for more information.
- Local photographer Carina del Rosario has work in issue #46 of F-Stop, a photography magazine online. Visit www.fstopmagazine.com.
- Together with Nicholas Nyland and Maki Tamura, Saya Moriyasu has created a collaborative installation work entitled “A Clearing in the Clouds”. Works may be viewed at Seattle’s ACT Theatre at 700 University Street. This event is ongoing.
- An exhibit entitled “History of Pacific Northwest Japanese Restaurants” is on view until June 1, 2011 at the Northwest Nikkei Museum in the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington. Included are excerpts from interviews with those who owned, worked and grew up with the restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center is located at 1414 S. Weller. Call (206) 568-7114 or visit www.jcccw.org for more information.
- KOBO Gallery at HIGO has a show of new paintings by Japan-born Junko Yamamoto are on view through April 16. Yamamoto’s painting references nature and pop culture to delightful effect. Also a new group show entitled “Pottery Northwest Showcase 2011” features the work of Jessi Lie, Alya Khan and others from April 30 – May 20. Opening Saturday, April 30 from 6 – 8 p.m. KOBO Gallery at HIGO is located at 604 South Jackson St., Seattle. Call (206) 381-3000 or www.koboseattle.com for more information.
- “Wang Huaiqing: A Painter’s Painter in Contemporary China” traces the artist’s development through 23 innovative works. Recognized as one of China’s leading contemporary artists for his ability to blur the line between abstract and naturalistic art, his work is on view through July 17. “Artful Reproductions” looks at how Chinese fabricate complex objects in great quantity. On display are pairs and sets of similar objects that are a result of that productivity. This opens on April 1. On April 30 through September 9 is “Modern Elegance: The Art of Meiji Japan”. “Books on Meiji Art” is an installation that showcases book selections from the McCaw Foundation Library’s collection on Japanese art during the Meiji era. On view from April through June, 2011.“Golden Week Lectures” is set for April 30 from 10 a.m. – noon, including the following: Susan Whitfield talks about “Discovering Lost Cultures of the Silk Road” and Mimi Yiengpruksawan speaks on “Michinaga’s Peacocks: The Heian World in Global Perspective”. All of these events are at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 Prospect Ave. For more information, call (206) 654-3100 or visit www.seattleartmuseum.org.
- “Born Into Identity: The Asian Pacific American Adoptee Experience” includes 13 APA Adoptee artists and oral histories from community members explore the complexities of being an APA adoptee, which is on view through June 19. “Sacred Seattle” is an exhibit that traces spaces, places and paths where Asian Pacific Americans both belong to and long for the sacred. This will be on view through March 20. “Cultural Confluence: Urban People of Asian & Native American Heritages” will also be on view. The historic legacies and contemporary lives of people who are both Asian and Native come together for the first time in this exhibit and is on view through Sept. 18. An exhibit entitled “New Years All Year Round” that looks at Asian traditions for the New Year from various Asian cultures will be on view through June 26. Family Fun Day on begins at 1 p.m. and features. For details on all of the above, go to www.wingluke.org or call (206) 623-5124.
- “New Gifts And Acquisitions: Collections Selections Two” is a group show with much of the featured art coming via a donation of the Safeco Art Collection to the Washington Arts Consortium. This show includes work by George and Gerard Tsutakawa and will be on view through June 5. Whatcom Museum at the Light catcher located on 121 Prospect St., Bellingham, WA. Call (360) 778-8930 for more information.
- The work of Seattle jewelry artist Ron Ho and nationally known ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu is included in a group show of handmade objects entitled “Process and Presence” on view through July 4 at Maryhill Museum of art in Goldendale, WA. For more information, call (509) 773-3733 or visit www.maryhillmuseum.org.
- A retrospective show of Ken Lum, one of Canada’s most well-known modern conceptual artists is on view through Sept. 25, 2011 at Vancouver Art Gallery located on 750 Hornby. For more information, call (604) 662-4719 or www.vanartgallery.bc.ca.
Performing Arts
- SCRAPE is a string orchestra with harp that performs the original music of Eyvind Kang and Jim Knapp on April 29 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space on the 4th floor. 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. Go to www.artisttrust.org for details.
- Asian Pacific Islander Festival takes place on May 1 at Seattle Center from noon to 5 p.m. Expect performances, cultural activities, food booths and more on 305 Harrison.
- The Washington State Association for Multicultural Education (WSAME) presents a concert series entitled “Intersections – Cross-Cultural World Music Experiences.” The first concert is on Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. with Shiho Kurauchi on koto, Stephen Stubbs on Italian Chitarrone guitar and Maxine Ellander on Baroque flute. Seattle Asian Art Museum’s Garden Court, located on1400 E. Prospect in Volunteer Park. For more information, call (206) 522-5483 or e-mail [email protected].
- STG presents “Synergia Northwest 2011 – A Music Concert For All That Brings Rock, Pop, Cultural Artists And Classical Music Community Together to Benefit to Aid Northwest Music Education”. This event takes place on Friday, May 6 at 8 p.m. at the Moore Theatre, featuring Kokon Taiko. Go to www.stgpresents.org for more information.
- “Three Parts for Two Boats” is a collaboration for piano, toy pianos, electronics, ferries and violin. Combines the explorations of Seattle pianist Tiffany Lin and Brooklyn sound artist Ranjit Bhatnagar. The Seattle performance took place April 16 and the New York performance on May 6 at the Stone. Go to www.tifflin.com for details.
- Seattle jazz vocalist Primo Kim holds down a weekly gig at El Gaucho in Bellevue. Catch him there every Sunday and Monday at 6 p.m. at 555 110th Ave. NE. For more information, call (425) 455-2734.
- Jazz group, the Killerbees co-led by Bob Antolin plays weekly on Thursdays at Waid’s Hatian Cuisine at 1212 E. Jefferson.
- Jazz bassist Steve Kim is part of a weekly jam with the trio, Mock, Kim & Willis at MIX every Tuesday at 8 p.m. on 6006 – 12th Ave. S. For more information, call (206) 767-0280.
Film/Media
- “ZeroBridge” is the debut feature of Tariq Tapa, a US born filmmaker of Kashmiri/Jewish American descent. The film tells the story of a Kashmiri teenage pickpocket who longs to re-unite with his adoptive mother in Delhi only to find his life complicated when he falls for a woman whose passport he has stolen. Check the film out April 22 – 28 at NW Film Forum.
- New York artist turned film director Julian Schnabel’s newest film entitled “Miral” looks at the origins of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Stars Indian actress Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) in the lead and is coming to Seattle shortly.
- “Made in India” is a new documentary film produced and directed by Rebecca Haimowitz and Vaishali Sinha that explores the topic of reproductive “outsourcing”. To learn more about the film, go to www.madeinindiamovie.com.
- Director Cary Joji Fukunaga (“Sin Nombre”) switches gears and geography moving from the tropical heat of the Americas to the dark, brooding moors with his adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s classic, “Jane Eyre”. Opening soon at various Seattle theatres.
Art News/ Opportunites
- Teenagers interested in the connection between art and environment can apply for a free arts program for teens called “Earthworks: The 2011 Youth CAN Summer Cultural Arts Experience.” Takes place July 5 – august 6. Applications are due by Friday, April 29. Email [email protected] or call 106-623-5124×115.
- Noted local architect George Suyama has a new book about his work entitled “Suyama: A Complex Serenity” (UW Press) by Grant Hildebrand.
- The 2011 Edge Professional Development Program for Visual Artists offers a hands-on approach to artists so they can build entrepreneurial skills to achieve personal career goals. Deadline for application has been extended until April 22. Grants for Artist’s Projects or GAP as it’s better known provide financial assistance to artists in the developmental stage of projects. Deadline is May 10, 2011. For details, go to www.artisttrust.org.
- Seattle artist Diem Chau has had her work published in two recent books: “Juxtapoz Handmade” and “Indiecraft” by Jo Waterhouse.
- Deanna Fei’s debut novel entitled “A Thread of Sky” tells the story of generations of women in a Chinese American family. It was a New York Times editor’s choice and is now published in a new paperback edition. Go to www.deannafei.com for details.
- The Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Award for smaller museums, libraries, collections and exhibitions in book design went to Yasufumi Nakamori for “Katsura: Picturing Modernism in Japanese Architecture: Photographs by Ishimoto Yasuhiro” which accompanied an exhibition at the Houston MFA and was last shown at the Portland Japanese Garden.
