Highlights
Paul Kikuchi’s Portable Sanctuary” led by drummer/composer Kikuchi perform as part of Earshot’s Jazz: The Second Century on July 22 at the Chapel Performing Space. For details, visit http://www.earshot.org/Events/2nd_Century/html.
Akiko Izumitani’s documentary film, “Silent Shame” will have its North American premiere in Pasadena, CA on July 23 at 2pm at the Regency Academy Theatre. It is the journey of a Japanese-born filmmaker trying to uncover the hidden truth behind her country’s involvement in war crimes during WW II and the impact on today’s society. IE contributor Yayoi Winfrey worked on this film. Nominated for Best Documentary & Best Political Statement Movie at Active on Film International Film Festival. For details of screening schedule, go to www.silentshamedocumentary.com.
The 64th Annual BAM Arts Fair takes place July 23 – 25. Work by artists & craftspeople such as Gerald & Kelly Hong, Marc Matsui, Aki Sogabe, Cal Ling, Karen Shi, Kurumi Conley, Boyd Sugiki, Bob Kim, Souphan Manikhong, Nha Vuu, Cynthia Chuang, Lin-Hua Wu, Yoshiko Yamamoto, Seong-Hea Lee, Yumi Ueno, Kiwong Wang, Vivian Chao, Vic Lee, Daniel Ng, Liang Wei and Lin-Hua Wu are included. Besides the art, enjoy kids activities, performance, food & entertainment. At Bellevue Square and Bellevue Arts Museum. Free. (425) 519-0770.
Noted North Indian Classical singer Archana Bennur performs with Ask The Ages on Sat., July 31 at Chapel Performance Space at 8 p.m.
The Cullom Gallery, a Seattle gallery specializing in Japanese prints & paper and work by artists inspired by the Japanese print tradition has officially relocated from Pioneer Square to the Japantown area of the Chinatown/ID neighborhood. Their new show “Cuttin’ It Up” features Ryohei Tanaka’s mischievous, irreverent take on the “kirigami” (folded and cut paper) tradition is the perfect prescription for summer. Bold colors and zany figures abound. On view through Aug. 14. 6035 Main. For more information, go to www.cullomgallery.com.
La Connor Quilt & Textile Museum presents a pair of exhibits that focus on the Japanese quilt. “All That Blooms” looks at the use of blossoms, flowers and plants by quiltmakers. “Japanese Textiles” shows the variety of materials used in the quilt-making process from the perspective of the quilt-maker. Both shows on view through Sept. 26. 703 A. Second St. in La Connor, Wash. (360) 466-4288 or visit www.laconnorquilts.com.
“Windfall” is a temporary installation by Seattle artists Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo of Lead Pencil Studio. A thousand wind chimes have been hung from newly planted trees on the walkway that leads to Seattle Rep and Intiman Theatre at Seattle Center. Stroll by and wait for the wind to conduct this leafy orchestra. Up till Sept. 17. Second Ave. n. at Mercer St. For details, go to seattlecenter.com.
The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) will hold their 13th biennial national conference in Seattle July 22 – 24 at Seattle University. Talks by Filipino American scholars, historians, authors, filmmakers, educators, archivists, community researchers and student activists will fill the program. There will also be a tour of Filipino American historic sites in the Seattle area. Special guest is 11 year old Marcela Del Fierro Owens, the student who stood by President Obama during the signing of the health reform bill. “Dance Down Memory Lane” is a unique fundraising event that will re-create the Filipino dance hall tradition. Participants are asked to dress up in 1940’s or disco-era 1970’s attire. Curtis Choy’s recent documentary film on the late Bay Area community activist/poet Al
Robles will be shown during the conference. For information, call (206) 322-0203 or visit www.fanhs-national.org.
“The Wing” presents “JamFest!”, a summer festival of live music on First Thursday Gallery Walk nights through September from 6 – 9 p.m. at four different venues in the ID. Go to www.wingluke.org for complete details.
In Stephen B. Nguyen’s installation entitled “Migration” (see review elsewhere in this issue), prepare for some visual sleight of hand and the magic of flight through an enclosed space as you watch the flight pattern of birds. The Brooklyn-based artist’s work continues on view through August 6. Free to the public. Suyama Space is at 2324 Second Ave. within the offices of Suyama/Peterson/Deguchi Architects. Visit www.suyamapetersondeguchi.com/art OR www.stephennguyen.com for more information.
“Show of Hands – Northwest Women Artists 1880 – 2010” is a new group show that takes an in-depth look at northwest women artists from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. More than 90 works by 63 area artists. Curator Barbara Matilsky (originally from the East Coast) says “she became conscious of many ‘unseen artists’ regarded highly in their lifetime that have since been forgotten.” The work of Diem Chau, Elizabeth Jameson, Margot Quan Knight, Norie Sato, Maki Tamura and Patti Warashina is included. Well worth the trip to Bellingham to see this beautiful, new contemporary art facility. On view through August 8, 2010. Whatcom Museum at the Lightcatcher. 250 Flora St. (360) 778-8930 or log on to www.whatcommuseum.org.
Visual Arts
The work of Diem Chau is included in a Summer Gallery Artist Exhibit at G. Gibson Gallery through August 14. 300 S. Washington. (206) 587-4033 or www.ggibsongallery.com.
Work by Mark Aoyama is included in a group show entitled “Breast” at Ouch My Eye Gallery. Ends July 25. 1022 First Ave. S. (206) 381-8457 or visit www.ouchmyeye.com.
“This Old Piano” documents a recently completed project by local pianist Tiffany Lin at Jack Straw in which she took broken down pianos and re-constructed them to make a different kind of music. The exhibit depicts collaborative and mixed-media works by Lin and wood worker Joel Kikuchi along with designers Colin Ernst and Hugo Solis and composers Jherek Bischoff and Tom Baker. Through July 25th. South Seattle Community College Gallery. 6000 – 16th Ave. S.W. (206) 764-5300 or visit www.southseattle.edu.
The work of Wanxin Zhang is included in a group show entitled “Narrative Ceramics Survey” on view through July 30 at Pucini Lubel gallery. 207 – 2nd Ave. S. (206) 326-5555 or visit www.pacinilubel.com.
The current trend towards abstraction is shown in contrast to the use of the figure in a group show of photography entitled “Contemporary Works from the Monsen Collection” on view from August 5 – Nov. 28 in the North Galleries of the Henry Art Gallery. The work of Weng Fen is featured. 15th Ave. NE & NE 41st St. (206) 543-2280 or visit www.henryart.org.
The Burke Museum on the UW campus is hosting two Ainu interns from Japan. It’s part of a program that includes the first ever cultural exchange between the indigenous Ainu people and Native Americans in Washington state. Akira Kikuchi and Masashi Kawakami will be here through July and will learn museum curatorial skills. They will also develop an educational kit about Ainu heritage for use by museum educators. The tour ends with the two and eight more Ainu tribe members coming together for the annual Tribal Canoe Journey to Neah Bay. For details, go to www.burkemuseum.org.
“With Our Hands – Folk Art Treasures”. Vietnamese paper folding is just one of the many folk arts gathered from across the state for this exhibit that attempts to answer the question, “What is folk art?”. On view through December with various folk art demonstrations and activities planned. Washington State History Museum. 1911 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. (253) 272-3500.
Seattle Asian Art Museum has a series of “Summer Art Talks in Volunteer Park” that will enrich your understanding of Asian art. Sonal Khullar talks about “Three Artists, Three Traditions of Modernism in India”. July 22 is about artist Amrita Sher-Gil and “The Village and the People of India”. July 27 looks at K. G. Subramanyan and “The Art School and the Living Tradition.” July 29 looks at Bhupen Khakar and “The City and the World of the Bazaar.” All talks begin at 7 p.m. A special event entitled “Mystic Arts of Sarawak, Borneo” takes place July 24 from 1 – 4 p.m. Artists from Malaysian Borneo share traditions of ikat weaving, blowpipe technique, basket-making, music and dance and a video that offers glimpses of longhouse life. Ping-Kwan Wong was a calligrapher/poet who emigrated from Hong Kong to Seattle in 1996. He used the McCaw Foundation Library at Seattle Asian Art Museum for years to study calligraphy and classic poems. He created hundreds of bookmarks featuring famous Chinese poems and well-known sayings before passing away in February of 2010. A small show of his bookmarks will be on view August – October 2010 in the library. Also “First Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. feature programs that connect your family with the arts and cultures of Asia. Free and no registration is required. The August 7 program will have a workshop on painting landscapes of the amazing imaginary places you want to go. Visit seattleartmuseum.org/gardnercenter for details. 1400 Prospect in Volunteer Park. (206) 654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org.
“Order and Border” is an on-going exhibit on the third floor World Textiles Gallery at Seattle Art Museum downtown. The selection from SAM’s permanent collection puts stripes in the spotlight with Japanese bedcovers and undergarments, a meditation cloth from Laos, an African teacher’s disguise and items from many other global cultures. Also worth noting, a series of tea ceremony demonstrations in the teahouse on the Third Floor. Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. and Sept. 19 at 2:30 p.m. Instructors are Bonnie Soshin Mitchell, Mitsuko Soki Gale and Naomi Somi Takemura. Free with museum admission but seating is limited so registration is suggested. Call (206) 654-3121 or visit seattleartmuseum.org to register.
Seattle Center For Book Arts has classes and workshops all summer. Lisa Hasegawa teaches a workshop on “Spontaneous One Hour Books” on Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Naomi Kasumi does a workshop entitled “Creating Altered Books” on Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For a full schedule, go to seattlebookarts.org.
“A Refugee’s Journey of Survival And Hope” is the latest show to open at the “Wing”. See life through the eyes of a refugee through personal stories, photographs and multimedia. Show continues on view till Dec. 12, 2010. “Cultural Transcendence is a group show at Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience curated by Lele Barnett that “explores the importance of technology in our modern experience and technology’s influence on contemporary installation art.” Features the work of Robert Hodgin, Eunsu Kang, Heidi Kumao, Horatio Law and Brent Watanabe. Show continues through Sept. 2010. “Paj Ntaub – Stories of Hmong in Washington State” remains on view through Oct. 17. 2010. “Return Home From War – Remnants of War Through Recent Asian Pacific American Veterans’ Perspective” continues through August 15. www.wingluke.org or call (206) 623-5124.
KOBO at Higo presents the following. Japanese ceramic artist Keizaburo Kubodera has a show of new work now through August 15. (206) 381-3000.
Architect and photographer Phuong Phan-McManamna shows photos of Northwest landscapes through the seasons. “Changing Landscapesz’ on view through July. Café Paloma at 93 Yesler Way. (206) 405-1920.
Chinese artist Long Gao shows his paintings, scrolls, prints and sculpture. Also his 2009 commission for the City of Woodenville is documented. Opening reception June 3 from 5 – 7 p.m. On view through Sept. 4. Jeffrey Moose Gallery at 1333 – 5th Ave. in Rainier Square. (206) 467-6951 or www.jeffreymoosegallery.com.
Performing Arts
ReAct Theatre presents the World Premiere of Seattle playwright Maggie Lee’s “Kindred Spirits” as directed by David Hsieh. It is a modern ghost story that sheds new light on the restless spirits from our past. Through August 8 with several “pay-what-you-can” performances. At Hugo House on Capitol Hill. 1634 Eleventh. (206) 364-3283 or log on to www.reacttheatre.org.
“WOD (World of Dance) – The Ultimate Dance Festival” comes to Auburn Performing Arts Center on July 24th at 5 p.m. 700 East Main in Auburn. Go to www.worldofdancetour.com. Presented by UW Filipino American Student Association.
Miho & Diego Duo perform at Artist Trust’s Annual Art-B-Que set for August 1 from 2 – 5 p.m. Open to Artist Trust members only. To find out how to join and get arts events information in Washington State, go to www.arttrust.org/events/view.
The “Images of China Puppet Show” takes place on July 24 at 10:30 a.m. Free. Chinatown/ID Community Center. 718 – 8th Ave. S. (206) 233-0042.
Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival is a 13-concert festival of chamber music throughout July. Individual musicians (most internationally or nationally known) form small ensembles to play classic chamber music as well as newer pieces. Benaroya Hall at 200 University downtown. (206) 283-8808 or visit www.seattlechambermusic.org.
Don Daryl Rivera takes the part of Sancho Panza in the new Taproot Theatre production of “Man of La Mancha” now on stage through August 7. 204 N. 85th St. Go to www.taproottheatre.org or call (206) 781-9707 for details.
“Beacon Rocks!” is a music series that stroies to bring music and community together. Takes place on Lander Festival Street next to the Beacon Hill Light Rail Station in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. August 8 and 29 from 1 – 5 p.m. For details, go to [email protected] or rockitspace.ning.com.
The Blue Scholars (July 25th) are one of the many headliners performing at the Capitol Hill Block Party July 23 – 25. E. Pike St. & 12th Ave.
Film/Media
“Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo” recently was screened at SIFF 2010. Now it returns for a regular run at the Grand Illusion. Written, directed & produced by Jessica Oreck, this documentary film looks at Japan’s obsession with the beetle in its various and many forms. July 30 – August 5. 1403 – NE 50oth St. in the University District. (206) 523-3935.
“Enemies of The People” is a documentary film by Thet Sambath and Rob Lemkin that attempts for the first time to expose the truth about the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rogue. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance 2010. Opens in L. on August 6 with plans underway to screen it nationally. For details, go to http://enemiesofthepeople/movie.com.
“Tales From Earthsea” is a new film from Japan’s Studio Ghibli as directed by Goro Miyazaki (son of Hayao Miyazaki) loosely based on the series by Ursula K. LeGuin. This adventure follows the journey of a character as he attempts to find the cause for an imbalance in the land of Earthsea. Set for release by Walt Disney Studios/Studio Ghibli on August 13 nation-wide.
Call for entries for the Couch Festival Films 2010. Films must be under 6 minutes and will be screened in people’s houses. For details go to http://www.couchfestfilms.com. The Festival happens on Nov. 7, 2010.
Seung-heon Sog and Nanako Matshushima are set to star in an Asian remake of the Hollywood smash film, “Ghost”.
The hit comedy “3 Idiots” directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Aamir Khan swept the awards at the annual Bollywood “Oscars” held this year in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The story revolves around the lives of three engineering students. It nabbed 16 out of 31 total awards, including one for best director. Kareena Kapoor won “Best Actress” for her role in this film.
Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi who made her debut in Zhang Yimou’s “The Road Home” and subsequently starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is working on a new film about a couple with AIDS to be directed by Gu Changwei entitled “A Tale of Magic”. Gu received the Silver Bear Award for his 2005 debut film, “Peacock” at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Bollywood screenwriter Shibani Bathija (a San Francisco State University M.A. graduate) latest film, “My Name is Khan” is breaking box office records in India. The film highlights racial profiling in California. It grossed $1.9 million during its opening weekend, a worldwide record for a Hindi film.
Art News/ Opportunites
The idea for a collective art gallery in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District neighborhood is in the planning stages. Plans call for a gallery space that will showcase visual art by new & emerging artists of color. If you want more information or want to attend a meeting, email Carina at [email protected] or log on to www.flickr.com/photos/cadelrosario.
WESTAF’s Visual Arts Touring Grant awards grants to visual arts organizations to support the preparation and touring of visual arts exhibitions of important regional artists. Deadline is 8/1/10. Visit http://amp.cgweb.org for details.
Anacortes Arts Commission is accepting artist’s proposals for a new sculpture that will welcome people to Anacortes. Deadline is 7/23/10. Visit http://bit.ly93QnNM for details.
A call for essays on the dance process for a book by choreographers and dance improvisers in the Northwest. Deadline is 7/15/10. Email [email protected] for details.
A call for entries to the 37th NW Film & Vidoe Festival. Deadline is 8/2/10. Visit www.nwfilm.org/festivals/nwfvf for details.
“NOTHING TO DECLARE’ is an International Contemporary Art Exhibition in Manila. To participate, send proposal of artwork you would like to show or new work you will make. Deadline is 8/30/10. Visit http://bit.ly/bkxyuY for details.
Berliner Liste takes place from 10/7-10. You can apply as a gallery, an artist or as a project. Over 100 international galleries and artists will exhibit. No deadline but visit www.berliner-liste.org/app07 for details.
The 2011 Multnomah Arts Center Gallery is looking for Oregon (Portland area) and Washington artists to submit proposals for group or solo shows. Deadline is 9/1/10. Visit www.multnomahartscenter.org for details.
A grant manager is sought by a Seattle museum to generate significant grant funding resources and maintain adequate financial oversight. No specific deadline. Go to http://bit.lybdEcnv for details.
On my bookcase sits a small poster of a uplifted foot. The skin is wrinkled with creases along the heel and you can see the strain of muscles coming down from the lower calf. It is no ordinary foot but belongs to the body of Japanese Butoh dancer/founder Kazuo Ito who passed away recently at the age of 103. Ohno’s influences were numerous but his real inspiration was the human condition. Forged by the horrors of WW II and Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Ono’s work reflected the chaotic, turbulent post-war era. It is said that Ohno continued to dance even down to his frail last years, on hands and knees. He came to Seattle once courtesy of On The Boards with his son and fellow dancer Yoshito and mesmerized audiences. I have never seen a dancer move so slowly and yet mean so much. It was as if dancing was his very breath. Somewhere out in the universe, Kazuo Ono dances amongst the stars.
Congratulations to Cuong Vu, Assistant Professor in Jazz Studies and Anu Taranath, Senior Lecturer in English who both were recipients of UW’s 2010 Distinguished Teaching Awards.
Anne Chu and Mary Lum were some of the fine arts recipients of the 2010 Guggenheim fellowships.
Wing Luke Asian Museum changes its name and gains a new nickname. The museum recently announced it has expanded its name to Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience to better reflect the community that it strives to serve. Recognizing that this new name is a mouthful, it has also created a new nickname which is simply “The Wing”.