Visual Arts
Highlights
Seattle artist Etsuko Ichikawa does a “Glass Pyrograph on the Beach” on Thursday, August 8th from 6 – 8:30pm. After the performance at 7pm, a short film of her recent residency at Satsop Nuclear Base entitled “Echo at Satsop” will be screened. This event celebrates the artist’s 50th birthday (Happy Birthday, Etsuko!), her 20th year here since she moved from Tokyo and her tenth year as a working artist. Event is free but you must RSVP by August 1st. Go to www.etsukoichikawa.com for details. Shilshole Bay Beach Club at 6413 Seaview Ave. N.W. (206) 728-1980. Free parking available.
Honolulu-based fashion designer Anne Namba will be in Seattle on July 31 for a trunk show of her latest designs. Born in Hawai’i, she spent her youth in Thailand and Iran. After graduating from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with honors, she stayed in the city honing her craft in the costume department of the famed Radio City Music Hall. Returning to Hawai’i, she started her own fashion line out of her mother’s home. She was one of the first Asian Americans to establish a fashion business using vintage Japanese fabrics and obi sashes for her collections of one-of-a-kind pieces as well as ready-to-wear clothing. She will be at Japanese Cultural & Community Center from 10am – 6pm. 1414 S. Weller St. (206) 568-7114.
“Gen Hayashida: Handled With Care”. In a world of emails, bills and junk mail, it’s a rare event to get a handwritten postcard. Santa Fe-based artist Gen Hayashida makes sculptural postcards which he sends to friends. Laced with humor and made from a variety of materials that take into account texture and sound, the cards will be on display from August 1 – Sept. 28th. The artist comes from New Mexico for the opening reception on August 1 from 5 – 7pm. At Paper Hammer downtown at 1400 – 2nd Ave. Hours are M – Sat. from 11am – 6pm. Go to http://paper-hammer.com/ for details.
“Empowering Women: Artisan Cooperatives that Transform Communities” (see related article in this issue). All over the world, female artisans are creating grassroots cooperatives to reach new markets, raise living standards and transform lives. This exhibit looks at ten such enterprises in ten countries including India, Thailand and Mongolia. At the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on the Seattle UW campus. The “Empowering Women Artisan Market” set for the weekend of July 20-21 gives you a chance to talk with artists from cooperatives featured in the exhibit. Exhibit curator Dr. Suzanne Seriff will speak. On view till Oct. 27, 2013. 17th Ave. NE & NE 45th St. (206) 543-5590 or go to http://burkemuseum.org/empowering.
“Leaves From A Different Tree” brings together three interesting Northwest multi-media artists in dialogue. Encaustic and acrylic paintings by Lucia Enriquez, sculpture and 2D work by Portland artist Kanetaka Ikeda and a modern look at “abstract expressionist” painting by Mark Takamichi Miller. Through Aug. 16. M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery at Seattle Central Community College. Gallery hours are M – TH from 9am to 3pm and Fridays from 9am – noon. Free. (206) 934-4379 or go to www.seattlecentral.edu/artgallery. Full disclosure- this show was guest-curated by me.
Though IDEA Odyssey Collective lost their physical gallery space in the ID, they continue to do interesting projects all over town. Here are a couple. “This Place Called Home” is a collaborative art project with Asian elders from Legacy House, an assisted living care facility. Artists Kathy Liao and Darius Morrison worked with the elderly to use their memories to create art. On view during regular business hours from M – F. SCIDpda’s IDEA Space is at 409 Maynard Ave. S., Plaza Level. “History X, Contemporary Y” is a group show juried by Seattle artist Mark Takamichi Miller on view through July 31 at Tougo Coffee in the Central District. The theme is exploring how our histories shape the contemporary understanding of representation and identity. Open during regular business hours. Tougo Coffee is at 1410 – 8th Ave. Their # is (206)860-3518. Want to know more about what IDEA Odyssey Collective is up to? Log on to http://ideaodysseygallery.com/blog.
Congratulations to Seattle artist Norie Sato, a recipient of the 2013 Irving and Yvonne Twining Humber Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. The award goes to a Washington state female artist aged 60 or over who has dedicated 25 or more years to creating art. Videos on her recent public artwork done for universities in Iowa are available for viewing on the web.
New and recent shows due to open at the Wing include the following – “SWEET” opens July 20 during Family Fun Day and explores the role of sweets in the traditions and celebrations of Asian cultures. Definitely a kid-friendly exhibit. Julia Harrison leads the Family Fun Day activity “Sweet Shapes!” where participants get to make fun sweets from styles found in Japan, Korea, China and Tibet. Saturday, July 20 from 1 – 3pm. Free. Opening August 8 is “War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art”. Preview for members is 6 – 7pm. To RSVP, contact [email protected] or call (206) 623-5124×107. 7 – 8pm will be open to the general public with free admission. The curators for the exhibit give a lecture on Sat., August 10 at 1pm. Join Laura Kina and Wei Ming Dariotis as they talk about their project that incudes a book on UW Press, a traveling exhibit, website and blog. Book signing to follow. $10 General and $7 for members. “Under My Skin – Artists Explore Race in the 21st Century” continues at the Wing. Work was selected from 27 artists after months of discussions and viewing. Artists in this show include John Armstrong, Jenny Asamow, Wanda Benvenutti, Jasmine Brown, Kathy Budway, Minh Carrico, Lemuel Charley, Ling Chun, May Coss, Carina del Rosario, Tatiana Garmendia, Erin Genia, Ronald Hall, Chau Huynh, Akiko Jackson, Laura Kina, Naima Lowe, Fumi Matsumoto, Kathleen McHugh, Darius Morrison, Cahn Nguyen, Polly Purvis, Jennifer Smith, Joseph Songco and Tim Stensland. “Under My Skin” artist Kathleen McHugh leads a workshop on creating your own stationary on Family Fun Day set for August 17 from 1 – 3pm. Free and good for ages 5 and up. On view till Nov. 17, 2013.
“Isamu Noguchi: We Are the Landscape of All We Know” is an exhibit of 22 works by the acclaimed sculptor created in the late-1940’s to the mid-1980’s. On loan from the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum. On view through July 21 at Portland Japanese Garden at 611 SW Kingston Ave. (503) 223-1321 or visit www.japanesegarden.com.
Auburn educator Greg Watson has guest-curated a show entitled “NIHON/WA – Japanese Heritage – Washington Artists” in order to honor artists of Japanese heritage and their ancestors who helped develop the White River Valley before World War II. The exhibition includes work by Paul Horiuchi, Etsuko Ichikawa, Nadine Kariya, Cark Kishida, Greg Kono, Rumi Koshino, Saya Moriyasu, Frank Okada, June Sekiguchi, Roger Shimomura, Aki Sogabe, Boyd Sugiki, Akio Takamura, Ken Taya, Gerard Tsutakawa, Junko Yamamoto, Lois Yoshida and Patti Warashina. The show remains on view through July 28. Registration required. White River Valley Museum is at 918 “H” St. S.E. in Auburn, WA. Regular hours are Wed. – Sat. 12 – 4pm. (253) 288-7433.
The work of Romson Bustillo and Patti Warashina is included in “First Light”, a regional group exhibition curated by 7 local curators including Norie Sato. It is just one of the many exhibitions in the sparkling new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, the most recent addition to our Northwest museums and just a walk away from the ferry. 550 Winslow Way East. Open daily from 10am – 6pm. Free admission. Go to www.biartmuseum.org for details.
A selection of prints by Walla Walla artist Keiko Hara are on view. “Sumi” is a group show featuring works on paper by Puget Sound sumi artists including Fumiko Kimura, Chizuko Nicholas, Midori Kono-Thiel, Lois Yoshida and Yuming Zhu. “The Vase” is a group show that features elegant Japanese-inspired vessels and includes the work of Reid Ozaki. All of the above shows remain on view through July 29. Scheduled to open in August and run through Sept. 2 is a group show entitled “The Big (bad) Bug Show” featuring the work of Gregory Kono and Shu-Ju Wang. Bainbridge Arts & Crafts at 151 Winslow Way E. on Bainbridge Island via ferry. M-Sat. from 10am – 6pm and Sun. from 11am – 5pm. (206) 842-3132 or go to www.bacart.org.
The work of Paul Horiuchi, Joseph Park and Akio Takamori is included in “For the Love of Art: Creating the New Northwest – Selections from the Herb and Lucy Pruzan Collection” currently on view at Tacoma Art Museum through Oct. 6. 1701 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. Open Wed. – Sun. from 10am – 5pm and Third Thursdays from 10am – 8pm. For details, go to www.TacomaArtMuseum.org.
An exhibit of traditional Chinese medicine is on view from July 18 – 20th at Saint Martin’s University’s Cebula Hall at 5000 Abbey Way S.E. in Lacey. Go to stmartin.edu/TCM2013 for details.
“Maneki Neko: Japan’s Beckoning Cats – From Talisman to Pop Icon” comes from the massive collection of collector Billie Moffitt. Over 150 of her collected cat figures from all over Japan are on view. Local artists Diem Chau, Saya Moriyasu, Yuki Nakamura, Akio Takamori, Maki Tamura and Patti Warashina also contribute their “cat” visions. Through August 4. Bellevue Arts Museum. 510 Bellevue Way NE. (425) 519-0770 or go to www.bellevuearts.org.
“ Future Beauty: Thirty Years of Japanese Fashion” (see review and fashion feature elsewhere in this issue) is on view through September 8 at Seattle Art Museum. Three decades of innovative design on display with a “Who’s Who” listing of designers like Issey Miyake, Kenzo Takada, Rei Kawakubu, Yohji Yamamoto, Junya Watanabe, Jun Takahasi and others. Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of the Fashion Institute of Technology will give a talk on the Japanese “fashion revolution” of the 1980’s on July 19 at 7pm in the SAM Museum Downtown Plestcheeff Auditorium. “J-Fashion Your Life: Cut + Sew Edition!” with designer Malia Peoples on Sat., July 27 from 10am – 4pm in the Nordstrom Art Studio at SAM Downtown. An adult workshop allows participants to explore the aesthetics behind Japanese street fashion. Learn to transform repurposed items from your own closet. Bring 3-5 items to cut and sew. Nonmembers $30, students/seniors $24 and SAM members $15.Tickets for nonmembers at $10, students & seniors $8 and SAM members $5. Special Exhibition Tours take place Wed. – Sun. from July 24 – Sept. 8 at 1pm & 2pm. Also “My Favorite Things: Highly Opinionated Public Tours” brings artists, cultural producers and community figures into the galleries to discuss their favorite works of art in “Future Beauty”. Every Thursday from July 11 – Sept. 5 at 6:30pm. Free with museum admission. Check seattleartmuseum.org on who’s speaking. Family Fun Workshop activities with this show include the following – “Funky Fashion” takes place on Sat., August 10 from 10am – noon at SAM downtown. In this workshop you will create wearable fashion that tells the story of your moment in time taking inspiration from “Future Fashion.” “Future Beauty:Community Night Out” takes place on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 6 – 9pm at SAM downtown. An evening of free live musc, art making, tours, performances and workshops all inspired by “Future Beauty”. Something for everyone and free with museum admission. “Future Beauty” related items by Yasuyuki Machia, Barbara & Michael Pickett, Kosuke Tsumura, Issey Miyake and others available in the SAM Shop. Groups of ten or more get discounted tickets and 10% off in the shop and restaurant. Also private guided tours are available and last one hour. A flat-rate tour fee charged in addition to tickets. For information of the above 2 items, call (206) 344-5260. This exhibition conceived by the Kyoto Costume Institute and Barbican Art Gallery, London. The Seattle show organized by Kyoto Costume Institute and Seattle Art Museum with support from Wacoal Corporation and 4Culture. Get your tickets online at seattleartmuseum.org/Future Beauty.
“Patti Warashina – wit and wisdom” is a not-to-miss retrospective of this Northwest treasure known for her witty, satiric and immaculately crafted figurative sculpture that looks at the politics and foibles of life. July 12 – Oct. 17th. The artist also gives a talk on her work. “A Night With Patti Warashina” takes place on Friday, July 12 at 6:30pm. RSVP. Call (425) 519-0770 for tickets. Bellevue Arts Museum. 510 Bellevue Way N.E. Go to www.bellevuearts.org for details.
Currently on view at Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park – “Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art” through July 21. Opening August 10 and on view through April 13, 2014 is “A Fuller View of China, Japan And Korea” shows how museum founding director Dr. Richard Fuller, his family and friends built up SAM’s celebrated Asian art collection. Opening Aug. 31 and on view through June 29, 2014 is “INKED – Wan Qingli”. This artist trained during the Cultural Revolution, uses a sharp wit and brush to match to address contemporary social ills with playful brush strokes full of humor and universal themes. Also opening August 31 and on view till June 28, 2014 is “Hometown Boy: Liu Xiaodong”. Now heralded as one of China’s renowned contemporary artists, Lui grew up in a small industrial town before moving to Beijing. As a mature artist he returns to his hometown to find childhood friends still struggling, undeveloped rice paddies and his parents’ house still the same. Now an outsider, he captures the nuances of small town life in a typical Chinese town. SAM members get an up-close look at these exhibitions on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 10am – 9pm. At lpm, Japanese Art Curator Xiaojin Wu gives a tour of “A Fuller View”. At 5:30pm, artist Liu Xiaodong will give a personal tour of his show, “Hometown Boy”. Liu will give a talk at 7pm. $5 tickets for the talk. 1400 E. Prospect St. Closed Mondays & Tuesdays. (206) 654-3100.
Seattle artist Elizabeth Jameson is now represented by G. Gibson Gallery. You can see her new work now through July 27th. G. Gibson Gallery at 300 S. Washington in Pioneer Square. (206) 587-4033 or go to www.ggibsongallery.com.
The work of Wuon Gean Ho and Tomiyuki Sakata is included in a group show in the Mezzanine Gallery entitled “Intaglio Series From Around The World”. Ho is a British artist who studied printmaking in Japan and veterinary surgery at Cambridge University. Making prints for twenty-five years, her work is about “fantastical dreams and loveable beasts.” Her complete “Devour” series will be on view here. Tomiyuki Sakkata graduated from Tokyo Zokei Universoity and continues to live and work in Japan as a printmaker and teacher. He teaches at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music. The work here is a selection from Sakuta’s Friends – Sweden 2012 Series. Also available is Sakuta’s “100 Faces” series, a complete boxed suite of 103 intaglio prints. Through July at Davidson Galleries at 313 Occidental Ave. S. (206) 624-1324.
“LUMINASIA – The Larger-Than-Life Lantern Festival” is an exclusive new attraction at the Washington State Fair from Sept. 6 – 22 and weekends Sept. 27 – Oct. 13th. The traditional form of Chinese lantern making has been modernized, using high tech materials with state-of-the-art lighting and production. Designed for the entire family. Tickets start at $10. Information & tickets at thefair.com.
Roldy Aguero Ablao, Yun Hong Chang, and Spar Wilson are in a show entitled “Forecast” set for August 7 – Sept. 22. Guest-curated by sculptor /curator June Sekiguchi. Columbia City Gallery at 4864 Rainier Ave. S. (206) 760-9843. Open Wed. – Sun. Go to columbiacitygallery.com for details.
“Samurai!” is an exhibit of ancient pieces of armor and weaponry from the 14th-19th centuries in Japan. This exhibition highlights the functionality, variety and evolution that came with the increased demand during wartime. Opens Oct. 5 at Portland Art Museum and runs through Jan. 12, 2014. This is the only West Coast stop for this show. 1219 S.W. Park Ave. (503) 226-2811. Closed Mondays. Go to www.portlandartmuseum.org for details.
Z.Z. Wei’s paintings capture the spirit of western Washington landscape and a whimsical, rural America. His new work opens Sept. 5 from 6 – 8pm and remains on view through Sept. 30. Patricia Rovzar Gallery. 1225 Second Ave. in Seattle. (206) 223-0273 or go to www.rozargallery.com for details.
Seattle artist Etsuko Ichikawa collected sound samples at Satsop nuclear plant that will be incorporated into an evocative installation entitled “Echo at Satsop” set to open Sept. 20 at Davidson Galleries. 313 Occidental S. (206) 624-7684.
The Art Stop features handmade American craft representing Northwest artists as well as those from around the country. “Vases and Vessels” is a solo show featuring new work by Reid Ozaki complete with his own floral arrangements to compliment his stoneware vases. Opens Sept. 7 and remains on view through Oct. 31. 940 Broadway in Tacoma. (253) 274-1630 or go to www.artstoptacoma.com.
Paul Komada’s work is included in a group show entitled “Stitchery”. The show highlights objects made by artists whose work incorporates the mediums of crocheting, knitting, quilting and stitching. July 18 – Aug. 17. Opening reception is July 18 from 5 – 7pm. SAM Gallery is at 1220 3rd Ave. . Hours are Wed. – Sat. from 10:30am – 5pm. (206) 343-1101.
Seattle sculptor Akiko Jackson is in a group show of Artist Trust/EDGE Artists Grand Finale Presentations on August 2 from 5:30 – 10:30pm. This program is an intensive course that teaches visual artists who to present and market their art. One night only at Olson Kundig Architects at 406 Occidental Ave. S. in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Free but call (206) 467-8734×20 for tickets.
KOBO Gallery at Higo in Japantown/International District has the following – New wood-fired ceramics by Ben Waterman from a residency at Northern Arizona University is on view through June 27th. Reid Ozaki and Ken Allison show new ceramic work through July 30th. Seattle artist Etsuko Ichikawa shows new work with her father Koichi Ichikawa in a show titled “The line that runs through – conversations of father & daughter.” August 24 – 31. 604 S. Jackson. Go to koboseattle.com for updates.
METHOD7/22/13 is a new collaborative project committed to exhibiting challenging contemporary art established by a group of four Seattle based artists. Founders Mary Coss, Paul D. McKee, June Sekiguchi and Paula Stokes plan monthly shows by contemporary artists. METHOD is housed at Project 106 at 106 Third Ave. S. Hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 12 – 5pm. Go to www.facebook.com/METHODGallery for details.
At the University of Washington’s Henry Art Gallery they have the following – Early warning- Opening Oct. 15 will be the first solo museum exhibition given to Korean-born artist Haegue Yang who presents “Towers on String”, a series of sculptures constructed with venetian blinds. 15th Ave. NE & NE 4lst St. on the UW Seattle campus. (206) 543-2280 or go to [email protected].
“Art Behind Barbed Wire – A Pacific Northwest Explanation of Japanese American Arts And Crafts Created in World War II Incarceration Camps” is on view through July 17 at Northwest Nikkei Museum at Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, 1414 S. Weller St. in Seattle. (206) 568-7114.
Kathy Liao (whose work was recently seen at an Artxchange Gallery show on women artists) has the following activities. Liao is in a group show entitled “Orchid and Orange” at ArtsWest Gallery through August 3rd. 4711 California Ave. SW in West Seattle. Go to http://www.artswest.org. She will be teaching two classes on figure drawing using acrylics and ink and collage at Gage Academy in Seattle in July. To sign up, go to www.gageacademy.org
Seattle artist Saya Moriyasu has a new website. To see what she’s up to, go to SayaMoriyasu.com.
Seattle painter Thuy-van Vu has a show of her works on paper at Courtyard Gallery at the University of Texas at Austin through August 30th. She shows locally at G. Gibson Gallery.
Congratulations to Seattle artist Saya Moriyasu who is a recent recipient of a 2013 Artist Trust Fellowship.
The work of Tacoma jewelry artist Lisa Kinoshita can now be found at the Seattle Art Museum’s SAM Shop. She uses found objects and earthly materials and/or metal and glass pieces that she fabricates herself. 1300 First Ave. in downtown Seattle. Go to seattleartmuseum.org.
Seattle-raised artist Roger Shimomura has a show of new work entitled “An American Knockoff” scheduled from Aug. 22 – Sept. 28 at Greg Kucera Gallery at 212 Third Ave. S. Go to http://ww.gregkucera.com for details. Shimomura’s work is included in a group show entitled “I, You, We” now at Whitney Museum in New York through September 1.
“Light Journey: An Odyssey in Paint” is a retrospective exhibit of the art of Su Kwak on view through July 28th. University of Oregon’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in the Focus Gallery. 1430 Johnson Lane in Eugene, Oregon. (541-346-3027 or go to jsma.uoregon.edu.
If your travels take you to the Bay Area and you like Chinese ink painting, then don’t miss this – “The Moment for Ink” is a massive group show designed to promote the awareness of the ink painting tradition in America. One of the curators was struck by a remark made by noted Chinese art historian Michael Sullivan that many of the greatest Chinese painters in the latter half of the 20th century lived in the U.S. Thus the genesis for this show that looks at the history of ink painting in this country as it grew and blossomed and changed. It represents one of the first times so many institutions of art have collaborated on presenting one show. On view through Oct. 27 at Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (415-581-3500 or www.asianart.org) at 200 Larkin St. On view through June 22 at Chinese Culture Center San Francisco (415-986-1822 or www.c-c-c.org) at 750 Kearny St.
The late Alfonso Ossorio, one of the first Filipino American modern abstract painters and a contemporary and friend of Jackson Pollock will have a show of his work from September to October, 2013 in New York at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at 100 Eleventh Ave. at 19th. (212) 247-0082 or go to michaelrosenfeldart.com.
In commemoration of Asian Heritage Month, an exhibit entitled “I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” opened in May at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. and remains on view there through June 18. The exhibit celebrates the history of Asian Pacific Americans. The exhibit travels to the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles in September and continues on a 13-city national tour. Closest Northwest stop will be in Ontario, Oregon. The exhibit was curated by Lawrence-Ming Bui Davis, coordinator of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Initiative. On December 21, it opens at the Four Rivers Cultural Center at 676 SW Fifth Ave. in Ontario, Oregon. Call (541) 889-8191 or go to www.4rcc.com. For information about the exhibit, go to www.apa.si.edu.
“Meet Me at Higo” permanent exhibit- Part Two” presented and sponsored by the Wing is a multi-media presentation and self-guided tour that tells the origins and history of the store as a Japanese American five and dime. At Kobo at Higo, 604 South Jackson. E-mail [email protected] or call (206) 381-3000.
The Wing has the following shows and activities. “Under My Skin: Exploring Race in the 21st Century” is a new group show of 27 artists chosen after dozens of meetings and thoughtful discussions. Show remains on view through Nov. 17. An on-going exhibit “I Am Filipino” continues and offers a gateway of history through the telling of personal stories from Filipino American local families. Also small exhibits examine the identity and culture of Sikhs in America and the history of the “Killing Fields” in Cambodia. “Vietnam in the Rear View Mirror” explores the complex, interwoven identity of Vietnamese Americans as seen through the eyes of a younger generation. A YouthCAN exhibit entitled “Ghosts in The Field”. “HomeLessness” continues through August 18, 2013. “Manifest” is a new show of photography by Seattle Girls’ School students from a workshop taught by Mugi Takei as part of the Teensway Program. For information on all of the above, go to www.wingluke.org or call (206) 623-5124.
Bryan Ohno, former Pioneer Square gallery owner is back in business. His new gallery is now in the ID at 521 S. Main St. The first show is a group of research-based paintings inspired by time spent in Phnom Penh by Adrianne Smits. Opens June 6 from 6 – 8pm.
Tacoma artist Ellen Ito was a nominee for the 2013 Foundation of Art Award from the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. Go to www.gtcf.org for details.
The Bellevue Festival of the Arts is an annual outdoor festival with juried art, fine craft, music and food. July 26 – 28. Free. Go to BellevueFest.org for details.
Performing Arts
Highlights
“Trusted Advocates Monthly Storytelling Program – Our Stories, Our Voices” presents Special Storyteller of the month, “Sili Savusa – Community is Everything.” Growing up in a strong island community, Sili shares how “community organizing” became a meaningful component in her life and career. She explains how the Samoan/Pacific Islander culture and life in the U.S. shaped her focus on issues of race & social justice, particularly in the education system and advocacy work for children & families of color Savusa is Executive Director of White Center Community Development Association. On Friday, July 19. Light Samoan meal at 6pm with Storytelling Program & Q&A at 6:30pm. For more details, call (206) 795-0833 or go to [email protected].
Mark Jenkin’s “Red Earth, Gold Gate, Shadow Sky” received ACT’s 2013 New Play Award and is based on real events in the life of a Cambodian family who lived through the American napalm bombing of S.E. Asia, survived the “killing fields” and struggled to adapt as immigrants in the U.S. where incarceration and deportation are a constant threat. Starts at 7pm on July 27 & 28th. Fall Theatre at ACT. Free but RSVP suggested. 700 Union St. downtown. (206) 292-76767.
With summer, come the festivals. Here’s sampling –Seattle Bon Odori takes place July 20 from 4pm – 10pm and July 21 from 3 – 8pm. Come learn Japanese dance and celebrate summer. At Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Church at 1427 S. Main St. (206) 329-0800. On July 20, Natsu Matsui takes place at Beaverton Uwajimaya featuring TV stars, pop singers, Taiko, Karate Do and more. Members of the support team who went to Japan for tsunami aid will report on the progress being made there.Admission is free and there will be food, entertainment, games and activities for all. In the parking lot of Beaverton Uwajimaya at 10500 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. White River Buddhist Church in Auburn has their Bon Odori on July 27 from 4 – 9:30pm. There are dance practices to prepare for the event throughout July. 3625 Auburn Way W. (253) 833-1442 or go to www.WRBT.org. Tacoma Buddhist Church Bon Odori takes place Aug. 3 from 5 – 9pm. Dance lessons are July 16 – 18 from 7:30pm – 9pm. 1717 Fawcett Ave. in Tacoma. Go to tacomabt.org for details. Bainbridge Island Matsuri takes place on August 4th at Islandwood. Go to http://www,sugoiexperiencejapan.com/events/matsuri-summer-festival/. Seattle once was home to a bustling Japantown before the war and internment came. Nihonmachi Night is an annual summer festival by local merchants to re-vitalize the area that was Japantown. On August 10 from 4 – 8pm, enjoy food, entertainment and visit local merchants. Such as Kobo at Higo’s, Panama Tea House, Momo’s and many more. On hand will be the Kimochi Band, an all ukulele group of seniors ready to perform your favorites as well as demonstrations by the Cascade Kendo group and traditional Japanese sweets by Umai Do available for purchase. At the corner of 6th Ave. S. & S. Main. Go to [email protected] for details. Tsukimi Chakai/Moon Viewing/Tea Gathering takes place at Everett Community College Nippon Business Institute Aug. 17th. 905 Wetmore Ave. in Everett. (425) 388-9195.
Don’t miss the last JamFest for the summer as Chinatown-ID lights up with all kinds of music on Thursday, August 15th from 5:30pm – 9:30pm. Dance & rock out to the Sometimes Astronauts in Canton Alley. Cello and guitar duo Sidewalk Symphony jazz it up with Broadway classics at World Pizza. Tess Guerzon, jazz songstress is at the Four Seas and Dirty Ice Cream jazz band wails away at Phnom Penh. Visit www.wingluke.org/jamfest for details. $8 general and $6 for students/seniors.
ReAct Theatre, Seattle’s only Multi-ethnic Philanthropic Theatre Company opens their 20th anniversary season with the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Picnic” by William Inge. Some will remember the prize-winning movie with William Holden that came out years ago. The story is about a labor day picnic in the mid-west and how a handsome young drifter’s arrival stirs up issues of love, mortality, morality and beauty. Through August 3 at Hugo House. Hours are 8pm on Fridays and 2pm and 8pm on Saturdays. 1634 – 11th Ave. on Capitol Hill. For information and tickets, call (206) 364-3283 or go to www.reacttheatre.org.
Porkfilled Players newest production takes on science fiction with a steampunk twist with Maggie Lee’s new play entitled “The Clockwork Professor” (see related article in this issue). From romance to royal airships to roving inter-dimensional portals, join the professor on his adventures through a fantastic world. Through August 3rd at Theatre Off Jackson at 409-7th Ave. S. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets and “Teen Tix” are also available as walk up only. For information, go to [email protected].
Shanghai Pearl and Nickolai kick off jamfest on Thursday, July 18 at the Wing at 5:30pm. Festivities continue till 9:30pm out in the neighborhood with the Chinatown dance-rock group , The Slants and food and drink specials at many local businesses. Visit www.wingluke.org/jamfest for details. Tickets are $8 with $6 for students and seniors. Discount passes available.
Gifted local omposer/musicians couple Eyvind Kang & Jessika Kenny perform on Music Night with Jherek Bischoff and Katie Kate at Frye Art Museum on July 24. All are nominees for the Stranger’s Genius Awards. 704 Terry Ave. Go to thestranger.com/genius for details.
2013 is the 50th year celebration of friendship between Washington State and Japan. To commemorate this relationship, the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center with the co-sponsorship of the Consulate General of Japan in Seattle has three events planned. The Internationally known Awaji Ningyo Joruri/Japanese Puppet Theatre will be performing on Sat., August 17th at ACT Theatre at 7pm. All Tickets at $10. For details, go to (206) 292-7660. There will be a Joint Public Administration Seminar discussing Japan/U.S. disaster prevention strategies on August 20 from 9am – noon. Special guests will include experts who worked on Hurricane Sandy in the U.S. and tsunami relief in Japan. This informative program will be held at St. Martin’s University’s Washington Conference Center in Lacey, WA. (360) 902-0631 for more information. Sunshine Katsura is the stage name for a Canadian performer who is the first foreigner who studied Rakugo, the art of Japanese comic storytelling in Japan under a teacher and now performs in Japan and internationally in English and Japanese. He will introduce the puppet theatre on August 17 and perform his own show on August 29th at a venue to be announced. For more information on all these events, call (206) 828-0610 or go to www.hyogobcc.org.
Daipan Butoh is a local dance groups that pratcices Butoh, a unique form of theatre, dance and improvisation that originated in Japan in the 1950’s in reaction to Western dance and Japanese traditional dance. They present “Butoh Festival 2013” which is a series of improvised events around the Puget Sound during the month of August. Some highlights include the following – During August 1st “First Thursday Artwalk” from 6 – 9pm, Tashiro Kaplan Artists Lofts at 115 Prefontaine Pl. S. Free. August 6 at 5:30pm on the Harbor Steps to Benaroya Hall, a processional dance to honor the citizens of Japan who died in Hiroshima. August 9 at 7pm – A Butoh Parade at Greenwood Street Fair at 7pm along Greenwood starting at 70th St. “Wondering & Wandering” is a site specific performance directed by Joan Laage on August 10th at Seattle Japanese Garden at 1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E. from 2 – 5pm. August 16 – 18th, a nature-based Butoh training and performance festival entitled “Butopia” on Whidbey Island. To register for this workship, go to [email protected]. “Suitcases Project” is a performance set for August 24 – 25th at Snoqualmie Depot at 38625 S.E. King St. from 11 – 3pm in Snoqualmie,WA. Free. August 31st is “Split-Brain”, a site-specific performance at Olympic Sculpture Park at 2901 Western at 1:30pm. Free. For details on all these events, go to daipanbutoh.com.
Designer Edric Ong creates new fashion and textile designs with traditional artists of Sarawak, Malaysia in “Thirteen Ways to Tie a Sarong” on Sat., July 20 from 1 – 3pm. Seattle Asian Art Museum’s Fuller Garden Court. Entrance to this event is included in your museum admission charge. 1400 E. Prospect St. (206) 654-3100.
“Aloha O Na Kupuna”, the 6th Annual Hawaiian Cultural Family Festival will be held at Kennedy High School in Burien on Sat., July 20th with an Island Style menu and continuous entertainment from 9am – 9pm. General admission is $7 with seniors and children under 10 free. 140 South 140th.
The Japanese Garden Advisory Council invites you to the Fourth Annual Japanese Garden Party. Enjoy a light dinner and sake tasting by Hiroshi’s. Stroll the garden and listen to wandering entertainment and bid on live and silent auctions. Proceeds benefit pond restoration. July 26 at 5:30pm. Seattle Japanese Garden at 1075 Lake Washington Blvd. Go to www.brownpapertickets.com to purchase.
Duo Takase Violin & Piano Concert takes place August 2nd at 7pm at the Japanese International Baptist Church in Tacoma. 7636 “A” St. #10. (253) 671-0702. They perform again on August 4th at 2pm at Seattle Japanese Baptist Church at 60 Broadway. (206) 622-7351.
Deems performs jazz piano at the UW Nikkei Alumni Association’s 90th Anniversary. Prominent Nikkei politicians and community leaders will be in attendance. August 24th at the remodeled HUB North Ballroom. On the Seattle UW campus. For tickets, go to [email protected].
Local singer/songwriter Rachel Wong has a new second release just out entitled “Letters To You”. She’ll be performing from it at the Wing’s JamFest on July 18 and on July 27th, catch her on the Eastside at Bellevue Festival of the Arts. Go to RachelWongMusic.com for details.
Future file –
As part of ARCADE’s Seattle Design Festival, UW Visual Communications instructor Karen Cheng gives a talk entitled “On Design Education” on Thursday, Sept. 19 at Seattle Art Museum. 1300 First Ave. downtown.
Singer/songwriter Vienna Teng has a loyal following in the Northwest. She’s be venturing out from Michigan to tour in support of a new album and performs Nov. 20th at the Neptune. Tickets at stgpresents.org.
Degenerate Art Ensemble’s next production promises to be a whopper. It’s a collaboration with Kronos String Quartet in a performance of DAE’s Predator’s Songstress. Haruko Nishimura will do the choreography and dance. Six singers will be involved including the very talented Dohee Lee. Nov. 16 at the Neptune. Tickets at stgpresents.org.
For Jazz, New York seems to be the place to play and be heard. Many musicians from around the world flock to this city to test their musical mettle. New recordings attest to this. Miho Hazama has a new release entitled “Journey to Journey” (Sunnyside) in which she flaunts unconventional arrangements and a big band centered around a string quartet. “Bloom” (Nineteen-Eight Records) is the title of a new release by the Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra with compositions and arrangements by Kakitani. For a few years, her orchestra has had a steady gig at Brooklyn’s Tea Lounge. Tatsuya Nakatani has performed hundreds of percussion solo pieces throughout the country but in recent years, he has gravitated towards producing, directing and conducting large gong orchestras. His new recording “Nakatani Gong Orchestra” (Taiga) documents these encounters.
Film/Media
“Out on a Limb” is a documentary film on David “Squirrelman” Csaky who lived in a treehouse for two years on city property. Screens Thursday, August 1 at 6:15pm at the Wing. Stay for Q & A with Seattle/King County Coalition of Homelessness. Free. Part of the programming for the exhibit, “Uprooted and Invisible: Asian American Homelessness” currentliy on view at the Wing through August 18.
“The Act of Killing” recently played SIFF. Executive producers on this film were noted documentary film directors Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. Director Joshua Oppenheimer goes to Indonesia to interview former death squad leaders who were responsible for the mass murder of over a million people. Instead of sober reflections, these killers re-enact their actions in the form of a surreal musical. Starts a one week run on Friday, August 2 at a Landmark Theatre in Seattle. For a preview, go to drafthousefilms.com/film/the-act-of-killing.
“Shintoho Schlock: Girls, Guns & Ghosts” (see related article this issue) takes a look at B-grade schlock pumped out by the Japanese studio Shintoho in the 1950’s that covered subjects like women behind bars, ghost cats and vampires. Somehow these films have endured and influenced filmmakers world-wide. Find out why by viewing them yourselves. August 2 – 9. Northwest Film forum at 1515 12th Ave. (206) 829-7863 or go to nwfilmforum.org. Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s Outdoor Movies Series returns to the ID’s Hing Hay Park for some summer fun. Festivities began at 6:30pm and the movies screen at sunset. “Shaolin Soccer” is on Aug. 10, Mulan is on Aug. 17 and Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings” is on August 24th. 423 Maynard Ave. S. go to seattleaaff.org for details.
“Monster Attack! Japanese Creature Feature Classics” is the theme of the outdoor films series in Volunteer Park. There will be music performed starting at 8:45pm and the films screen at 9:15pm on Fridays. August 23 is Shusuke Kaneko’s “Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris” Two monsters battle it out in Kyoto manipulated by a young girl bent on revenge. Will anything be left standing? If it rains, the film will be moved inside to Seattle Asian Art Musem. August 30 bring Shuseki Kaneko’s “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack”. A female TV reporter helps to awaken a giant moth and dragon in order to combat another monster with atomic breath. If it rains, this fill will be cancelled. All films with English subtitles. Out doors at the Volunteer Park Amphitheater.
Zachary Heinzerliner’s documentary film “Cutie And The Boxer” won him the “Best Director Award” for a documentary film at Sundance and recently screened at SIFF. It opens August 27th for a one week run at the Varsity Theatre in the “U” district. This honest New York story explores the chaotic, stormy relationship between famed Japanese “action” painter Ushio Shinohara and his artist wife, Noriko. Shinohara known for his “action” paintings done with boxing gloves soaked in paint in 1950’s Japan decided to make the leap and move to New York. He would later meet his younger wife Noriko when she visited New York. The film follows their lives together as his wife emerges on her own as an artist while he seems to be living in the past. 4329 University Way N.E. (206) 632-6412.
“Cine Insomnia” is the title of a new midnight movie series at the Harvard Exit. Playing on Sat., August 24th is Nobuhiko Obayashi’s thriller, “House”. A girl stays at her aunt’s creaky country house and invites her friends along as evil spirits, blood thirsty pianos and demonic house cats come out to haunt them. 807 E. Roy. (206) 323-0587.
The Japanese Cultural & Community Center presents a Japanese film series entitled “Matinee Eiga” every Sunday at 2pm. $5 for non-members and $3 for JCCCW members. 1414 S. Weller St. (206) 568-7114 or go to www.jcccw.org. Call (425) 369-1012 for details.
Seattle-raised photographer/filmmaker Emily Momohara is working on a new documentary film on longtime Seattle resident May Namba chronicling her life in local history. For information, go to www.ehmomohara.com.
The Written Arts
Highlights
Maija Rhee Devine, author of a new novel entitled “The Voices of Heaven” that deals with the theme of post-war Korean adoptees visits Seattle to read July 22 – 29 at Horizon House and the UW’s HUB, Seattle campus. For details on her reading dates, go to www.MaijaRheeDevine.com.
Seattle poet Shin Yu Pai has a new book of poetry out entitled (Alameda Press) which documents her years working in Texas and Arkansas. Since Asian Americans are a distinct minority in the South, her poems reflect that experience and a longing for place that stretches beyond boundaries. The book features over a dozen photographs by the author as well reminding us of her dual interests in art and the word. Pai reads from the book on Sept. 4 at 7pm at Hugo House and again on Dec. 5 at the Wing. Both events are free. The book is available at local stores or by mail order from the publisher or Small Press Distribution.
Elliott Bay Book Company sponsors and co-presents fascinating readings by authors in venues across the city and in their own bookstore as well. Events take place at the bookstore unless otherwise noted. Award-winning novelist Susan Choi reads from her latest one entitled “My Education” on July 22 at 7pm. The Elliott Bay Book Company is at 1521 Tenth Avenue in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. (206) 624-6600 or visit www.elliottbaybook.com.
Lawrence Matsuda, award-winning Seattle published poet will give a reading and do a poetry writing workshop on Sat., July 20 at JCCCW from 1 – 4pm. Free admission. 1414 S. Weller St. For details, email [email protected] or go to jcccw.org.
“Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp” is a new book by Teresa Tamura on Caxton Press. This is where many Japanese Americans from the Northwest were interned during WW II. Tamura reads from her book on Sat., Sept. 21 at 4pm at the Wing.
Tacoma author Cathy J. Tashiro is the author of a new book entitled “Standing on both Feet: Voices of Older Mixed Race Americans” which highlights the experiences of older Americans of mixed race who broke the color line. Tashiro reads at the Wing on Sat., August 17 at 4pm. Free.
“Everything I Never Told You” is a new work of fiction by Celeste Ng due out early next year on Penguin Books.
“In The Shadow Of The Banyan” by Vaddey Ratner was critically acclaimed when it first came out last year. It marked the debut of this Cambodian American writer who wrote of the aftermath of the “killing fields” and how it tore apart families. Her story is a testimony of the survival of the human spirit. The book is now available in a new paperback edition on Simon & Schuster.
News/Opportunities
The Ke Kukui Foundation leads a tour of Kanaka Village in Ft. Vancouver July 25 & 26th as part of the “3 Days of Aloha” event. Kanaka Village housed a larger number of Hawaiian workers from 1829 – 1850. Go to http://workshop.hawaiianfestivalpnw.com/workshop/choose_classes for details.
LCongratulations to UW Professor Steve Sumida for receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award recently from the Association for Asian American Studies.
The Asian Community Leaders Program (ACLF) is having an Open House on July 24th at 6:30pm. ACLF cultivates and trains emerging Asian Pacific Islander leaders to strengthen our diverse community. ACLF educates its participants about the significant contributions of API’s in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. If you’d like to hear what they do or are interested in joining, come to this event and hear them discuss what they do over Asian appetizers. To RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/ACLFOpenHouse. At the Green Leaf restaurant in Belltown at 2800 lst Ave.
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of WA present their “All Things Japanese Sale!” set for August 24 & 25 from 10am – 3pm. A sneak peek preview night is on Fri., August 23rd from 6:30 – 8:30pm with an early buyers fee of $25 for JCCCW Members and $50 General Admission. This is not your average rummage sale as a variety of new & used quality Japanese antiques, collectibles will be available. Hosted by Hosekibako. 1414 S. Weller St. All proceeds benefit JCCCW. (206) 568-7114 or go to www.jcccw.org.
Congratulations to Portland-based award-winning children’s author/illustrator Allen Say who received an Oregon Book Award this spring, the “Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature” for his latest memoir entitled “Drawing from Memory.”
Vashon Allied Arts invites proposals from Northwest artists for art work in any media for 2014 Vashon Allied Arts Gallery monthly exhibitions. Go to http://bit.ly/178Y6Q7 for details. Deadline is August 15, 2013.
The Celeste Prize is an international contemporary arts prize open to emerging and mid-career artists worldwide without limits of age, sex or experience. Jurors are international curators and critics. Deadline is July 31, 2013. Got to http://bit.ly/1956Tnh.
40th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival is a showcase of new work by regional filmmakers from Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Deadline is August 1, 2013. Go to http://bit.ly/12GWdMX.
