Visual Arts
Highlights
Bellevue Arts Museum brings a wonderful show of handcrafted collaboration between husband and wife in “In The Realm of Nature: Bob Stocksdale & Kay Sekimachi. Individually and together, these two artists pushed the use of wood as a material to new creative heights. Stocksdale specialized in the use of woods from around the world in his bowls. Sekimachi’s work inspires as visual poetry applied to material. Not to miss. Oct. 3rd – Oct. 18th.
The George Tsutakawa fountain at Seattle Central Community College has long been inoperable and damaged by vandalism and graffiti. What used to be an eloquent small spring of eternal hope via the magic of water and sculpture sat dormant for years, destined for the junkyard. Due to the efforts of concerned staff and students, the administration was convinced to allow its’ restoration. 1701 Broadway.
“Cultural Reflections” is a group show featuring the work of Mia Yoshihara-Bradshaw and Tim Scuhsland. On view June 17th – 31st. Artist opening reception set for Friday, June 19th from 7 – 9pm. Phinney Center Gallery at 6532 Phinney Ave. N. (206) 783-2244.
Advance warning – Noted architect/sculptor/installation artist Maya Lin who designed the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. will give a talk as part of the “SAM TALKS” series on June 29th at Seattle Art Museum. This is the final art talk in collaboration with the Seattle Art Fair as well. Go to seattleartmuseum.org and look for “tickets”.
On view now through July 3rd is “Immortal Ephemera” by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law at Krab Jab Studio at 5268 Airport Way S. in Suite 150. Go to krabjabstudio.com for details.
Japan is known fir its beautiful hand-crafted Urushi Lacquerware. Now you have an opportunity to see how this is made and participate yourself in workshops designed to get you making your own lacquerware to take home. An experienced craftsman from Japan gives a demonstration of this ancient art at 1pm. There will be two workshops at 2pm and 3pm where you can learn to create your own “Maki-e” plate. Reservations required for the workshops. $30 per workshop. Sunday, June 21st. Even if you are not signed up for the workshop, the demonstration is free and open to the public. Also you can order an original lacquerware plate on June 21st and the Japanese artist present will create an original abstract painting for each plate. Presented by Heiando Japan. (206) 381-3000. KOBO at Higo. 604 South Jackson. Email is [email protected] seattle.com. Kobo has a sister shop on Capitol Hill at 814 East Roy. Please note however that the lacquerware demonstration/workships are only at the 604 South Jackson location.
“Anything That Breathes” features new paintings by Polina Tereshina and Rob Katkowski on view from July 1 – 31st. Artifact Gallery at 313 First Ave. S., Ste. B. (206) 619-2122 or go to artifact-gallery.com.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. has just opened a major retrospective on the work of American artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi entitled “The Artistic Journey of Yasuo Kuniyoshi” which will be on view through August 30th, 2015. Kuniyoshi was an American modernist who taught for years at the Art Students League in New York. His work ranges from the subtle to sophisticated with traces of deadpan humor to deep tragedy. Kuniyoshi’s first arrival in the U.S. was in Seattle where he worked on the railroads as a teenager eventually making his way to New York. 8th and F Streets NW. Go to AmericanArt.si.edu for details.
Coming in June is the Gallery’s “20th Anniversary Show” featuring work by gallery artists. Opens June 4th from 5 – 8pm. One section of the anniversary show will feature “Five Artists From Vietnam” (Bao Ly III, Tu Duy, Bui Cong Khanh, and the Le Brothers.) Also on view is a rotating group of work by regional artists represented by the gallery exemplifying the diversity of media, viewpoints, and approaches to the concept of cultural exchange the gallery has showcased for the past two decades. ArtXchange Gallery at 512 1st Ave. S.
Northwest art historian Barbara Johns will be speaking at JCCCW on June 20th at 1pm as part of the “Omoide” series. Johns has authored books on Northwest Nikkei artists Paul Horiuchi, Kamekichi Tokita, Kenjiro Nomura and George Tsutakawa. After the talk, there will be a workshop with the Omoide writing group. 1414 Weller St. Go to https://jcccw.org/.
With a nod to her rich career shaped by art, activism, teaching, writing and independent curating, Yong Soon Min offers highlights from her varied and evolving art practice that has included mixed media installations, video, photography, and performance. In conjunction with the exhibition Bojagi: Unwrapping Korean American Identities, Yong Soon’s presentation will focus on artwork exhibited in 2014 at the Seoul Museum of Art, where she used bojagi as the platform to address women in Korean history from colonial times to militarized modernity to Korean America. Her work reinterprets the diasporic reality of leaving her roots, upheaval, and the passage into another life as related to her own life experiences. Thursday, July 2, 6:30-8pm. Wing Luke Museum. 719 South King Street, Seattle. Free and open to the public.
Chinese woodcut artist Zha Sai lives in Hubei Province surrounded by water and trees which provide inspiration for her finely detailed work. Opens June 2nd and remains on view until June 27th. Artist talk on SAT., June 6th at noon. Artist demonstration on Sat. June 6th from 4 – 6pm at Pratt Fine Arts Center which is at 1902 S. Main St. and their phone # is (206) 328-2200. Davidson Galleries is in Pioneer Square. 313 Occidental Ave. S. (206) 624-1324 for details.
Coming to the G. Gibson Gallery June 19th – August 15th is a group show entitled “DWELL” which includes drawing, painting and photography of architectural themes. The work of Thuy-van Vu is included in this show. 303 South Washington St. (206) 587-4033 or go to ggibsongallery.com. Also gallery artist Saya Moriyasu has a ceramic piece originally commissioned by Safeco that depicts the artist’s house with 2 apple trees and 2 cats in the show “Magic Windows/ Framing Place” up until May 17th, 2015 at Whatcom Museum. The piece is now part of the museum’s collection. 121 Prospect St. in Bellingham.
“Woven Woods” is the title of a show by local Japanese artist Naoko Morisawa. She uses hundreds of slices of natural and oil- dyed wood chips on board to create an unusual mosaic/textural feel. Through July 14th. Ethnic Heritage Gallery at Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 Fifth Ave. on the third floor. (206) 684-7132. Go to seattle.gov/arts for details. Open Mon. – Fri.
The artwork of Seattle artist Ken Taya (ENFU) adorns two new traffic control boxes at the corner of 6th and Jackson. The boxes were created to draw attention to the Japantown area of the neighborhood.
Former Cornish College of the Arts student Lauren Iida’s latest body of work reflects her current experience living and working with children in rural Cambodia. She teaches art and English to the children of subsistence rice farmers in an area totally devastated by past US bombing and Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime. Her new work has expanded with the use of color, multiple layers of paper and collage-like objects woven into the cut paper. Some of the work is heavily influenced by the drawings of her students. To see the work, go to www.laureniida.com/todo.
The Yakima Valley Museum has the current exhibit, “Land of Joy and Sorrow – Japanese Pioneers of the Yakima Valley” up until 2018. It tells the history of Japanese families who created a community there before the war. Only 10% of families returned to re-settle there after the war. 2105 Teton Dr. (509) 248-0741. In related news, a softball from this collection that saw play at Heart Mountain internment camp and owned by George Hirahara is now on loan to the Smithsonian and was on display in the incarceration section of the exhibit, “The Price of Freedom – Americans at War”. (As reported in the North American Post.)
“Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Na Hulu Ali’I” presents the first exhibition of Hawaiian featherwork on the U.S. mainland developed in partnership with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Around 75 rare and stunning examples of the finest featherwork capes and cloaks in existence will be shown as well as royal staffs of feathers, feather lei, helmets, feathered god images and related paintings and works on paper. Opens August 29th, 2015 and remains on view through Feb. 28th, 2016. De Young
Seattle ceramic artist Akio Takamori has been traveling. A solo show entitled “Eros” in Switzerland and residencies where he worked out his skills in printmaking/drawing. So let’s see what new work he has produced since his UW retirement. In “The Beginning of Everything”, the artist expands his visual vocabulary with stoneware sculpture of figures and landscapes as well as a series of prints that delve into the “belly” of the artist’s mind. On view to the end of June. James Harris Gallery. 604 Second Ave. (206) 903-6220 or go to jamesharrisgallery.com for details. Open Wed. – Sat. Takamori was also a recipient of the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards given by the Portland Art Museum which will give him a show which runs from Oct. 2015 – Jan. 16th, 2016.
L.A. based sound and installation artist Joel Ong installs a piece entitled “Tuning Calibration of Tonal Awareness II” which is based on the theme of analog-digital exchanges, consisting of a grid of electronic string resonators triggered by Seattle wind data. Opening reception is Thurs., May 21st at 7pm. Artist talk on Fri., June 19th at 7pm. On view May 21st – July 2nd. Jack Straw New Media Gallery at 4261 Roosevelt Way NE. (206)634-0919 or go to www.jackstraw.org.
New work by artist Miya Ando will be shown at Winston Wachter Fine Art July 16th – Sept. 4th, 2015. Her work done in metal canvases and sculpture articulate themes of contradiction and juxtaposition of ideas. A descendant of Bizen sword makers, she was raised among sword smiths and Buddhist priests in Okayama, Japan. Ando shares the show with photographer Kim Keever. Opening reception is July 16th from 6 – 8pm. 203 Dexter Ave. N. (206) 652-5855 or go to www.winstonwachter.com.
Local artist Carina del Rosario has the following shows. “Playing House” is an installation currently at the Seattle Art Museum in the South Hall (by the Hammering Man entrance) until June 28th. Selections from her “Passport Series” are in “Belonging: Before and After the Immigration Act of 1905” through Feb. 14th, 2016 at the Wing. Some also on display at the Ingersoll Gender Center’s exhibition at Gay City through July 7th, 2015. She continues a busy summer teaching art for Arts Corps and Seattle Art Museum. On July 16th, she will be in SAM’s Olympic Sculpture Park for a night of mask-making and music.
The 2011 Japanese earthquake devastate the historic Japanese pottery town of Mashiko but it did not destroy the spirit of the potters. The Portland Japanese Garden brings the work of 13 Mashiko masters to a show entitled “Kizuna (translated as ‘the bonds between people’): The Rebirth of Mashiko Ceramics” set to open June 6th and remain on view through July 5, 2015. Work by contemporary potters range from traditional craft to contemporary art. Also featured are works by former Living Treasure artists Shoji Hamada and his protégé, Tatsuzo Shimaoka. To celebrate the exhibition opening, Kei Shimaoka, the grandson of Tatsuzo will lead artist demonstrations at the Pavillion from 1 – 3pm on June 6th. 611 SW Kingston Ave. in Portland. Exhibition is included with Garden admission. Open 10am to 7pm daily except for Mondays when it opens at noon. (503) 223-1321 or go to www.japanesegarden.com.
The work of noted Northwest ceramic sculptor Patti Warashina is included in SOFA, the annual expo show of sculpture, objects, functional art and design in Chicago. Nov. 6th – 8th, 2015. Opening night on Nov. 5th at Navy Pier. Go to sofaexpo.com for details.
“Ikko Style: The Graphic Art of Ikko Tanaka (1930-2002)” looks at how this internationally known Japanese designer’s ideas were visualized and transmitted to a broader audience. A must-see show for graphic designers and all art viewers interested in the beauty and power of graphic art. Through August 2nd, 2015 at USC Pacific Art Museum in Pasadena, Calif. Go to www.pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu.
Congratulations to conceptual installation artist Mel Chin who nabbed a 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship in the field of Fine Arts.
New and recent shows /activities at the Wing include the following – “CONSTRUCT/S” is a new group show that presents a diverse group of six international, national and local female artists who will transform The Wing’s art gallery into a multi-sensory, interactive exploration of identity, subjectivity, history, culture and gender. It is curated by Dr. Stacey Uradomo-Barre. It remains on view through April 17th, 2016. Artists include the following – Terry Acebo Davis from California recreates her mother’s bedroom drawing upon the fact that she is suffering from dementia. This room is a place she yearns to return to and the piece deals with a fragmented narrative of memory, loss, identity, and Filipino American culture. Kaili Chun from Hawai’I has an interactive installation of man-made steel bars that unlock to grapple with issues of subjectivity and community and reflect the continuous socio-political negotiation of Native Hawaiians with the mainstream society. Yong Soon Min from California, after a career exploring Korean American Identity and colonialism now examines her own personal struggle of pain and trauma as she tries to recover from a cerebral hemorrhage that affected her ability to form language and memories. Min has shown previously in Seattle with a temporary public art installation downtown sponsored by the then Seattle Arts Commission. Tamiko Thiel (Germany) & Midori Kono Thiel (Seattle) present a mother-daughter collaboration combining traditional calligraphy with mobile technology. Their augmented reality installation virtually links art and culture with physical landmarks significant to the local Japanese American community. Lynne Yamamoto from Massachusetts went to Evergreen College in Olympia as a student. She has shown here previously with an installation at Suyama Space and a show at Greg Kucera Gallery. Her new piece here was inspired by the early 20th century tent houses of Japanese immigrant farmers. This work interweaves family memories and community history, evoking the migratory nature of the Japanese American farming community. She also has a public art commission at the Seattle Public Library planned as well. A catalog for this show is available. The Young Family Collection of Qing Dynasty robes opened Jan. 15th . “Who Gets To Belong?” is an exhibit that looks at the Immigration Act of 1965 that lifted the quotas for Asian Pacific Islander immigration. This exhibit which opens March 5th from 6 – 8pm will look at the cultural and political climate that pushed for this act. “Do You Know Bruce?” is a major new show on the personal, intimate story of martial arts artist and film star Bruce Lee and the significance of Seattle in his life. Opens Oct. 4th with the full support of the Lee Family. The Wing is the only museum in the world, outside of Hong Kong, to present an exhibition about Bruce Lee’s life. The Lee family has plans to eventually open a permanent museum on Bruce Lee’s life and legacy in the Chinatown-ID neighborhood. “BOJAGI: Unwrapping Korean American Identities”, a new show on our local Korean American community opened Nov. 13th and remains on view through the spring of 2015. 719 South King St. (206) 623-5124 or visit www.wingluke.org. Closed Mondays. Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm. First Thursday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm. Third Saturday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm.
Currently on view at Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park – First Free Saturday family activity takes place from 11am – 2pm. “Chiho Aoshima: Rebirth of the World” (see related article in this issue) looks at the work of this pivotal member of the Japanese neo-pop art movement whose work merges the sweetness of kawaii culture with the cloudy future of a post-apocalyptic world. Includes photography, drawing and an animated video installation. Opens May 2nd and remains on view through Oct. 4th. “Calligraphic Abstraction” is a group show exploring the world of calligraphy in all its’ various forms of beauty from a Mark Tobey painting to Islamic, Chinese and Japanese examples. Opens May 9th and continues on view until October 4th in the Tateuchi Galleries. Chinese Calligraphy workshops will be taught by Visiting Artist and art historian Dr. Lu Rong on June 18th & 25th and July 2nd & 29th from 6:30 – 8:30pm. Alvord Board Room of Seattle Asian Art Museum. Tickets include all required materials. Hurry as tickets are going fast. The Gardner Center for Asian Arts & Ideas present “Ink On! Art Globally”, a summer evening inside and outside the museum on Fri., July 17 from 5:30 pm – 9:30pm.activities include viewing the show “Calligraphic Abstraction”, learning how to enjoy Asian calligraphy even if you can’t read them, the viewing of short video and animation work by contemporary Chinese artists, ten-minute illustrated talks by four designers on the current state-of-ink, exploring East Asian graphic design, typography, fonts, and tattoo art. Also look of live demonstrations of ink calligraphy on paper, a gallery exploration of Chiho Aoshima’s liquid color drawings and live music and small bites provided free of charge. For more on this event go to visitsam.org/gardnercenter. The Gardner Center’s “Saturday University” Series continues with these talks. “Trees of Life, from India to Borneo on July 1st at 7pm. Designer/textile artist Edric Ong shares tree of life imagery from many cultures and art media. “Focus on Asia: Photography Past and Present” by Frances Terpak, Curator of Photographs at the Getty Research Institute. Sat., Sept. 26th at 9:30am.For complete information on all events, go to seattleartmuseum.org.
An intriguing new group exhibit of Australian aboriginal artists whose canvases mesmerize you with their density of pattern and the importance of the water hole in Aboriginal culture. On view through July 6th, 2015. Visit sam.org or call (206) 654-3100.
Tacoma Art Museum has opened a new wing to accommodate the gift of a new collection. “ART OF THE AMERICAN WEST: The Haub Family Collection at Tacoma Art Museum just opened. Included in the present show is work by contemporary Chinese American artist Mian Situ. He creates epic paintings in the European tradition but inserts Chinese American immigrants as protagonists in scenes in which they’ve previously been missing. The photography of Seattle photographer Chao-Chen Yang is included in a group show entitled “Northwest in the West: Exploring Our Roots”. This show explores the distinct identity of Northwest art and how it has adopted, adapted and reacted against its western roots. A theme particularly apt and timely since the museum is building a new wing to house their new collection of Western art. Both shows through the fall of 2015. “Roger Shimomura: An American Knockoff” was last seen in a smaller edition at Seattle’s Greg Kucera Gallery. A greatly expanded touring version opens June 20th at the museum. In this series, Shimomura inserts himself as an aging Asian Everyman in various guises, both political and poignant. There will be various activities connected to this show with details later. Meet the artist on Sunday, July 19th which is also the same day as “American Matsuri”, a free community festival. “Partners in NW Art: Selections from the Aloha Club Collection” is a group show of Northwest artists that were collected by the Tacoma community club from 1948 – 1971. This collection was given to the Museum by the organization. Ceramic artist Patti Warashina is represented in this collection. Opens June 27th and remains on view through Sept. 3rd. “Art AIDS America” is a groundbreaking exhibition that underscores the deep and unforgettable presence of HIV in American art from the 1980’s to the present. Co-curated by TAM Chief Curator Rock Hushka and Dr. Jonathan Katz who directs the Visual Studies Dpoctoral Program at the University of Buffalo. Opens Oct. 3rd and remains on view through Jan. 10th, 2016.Tacoma Art Museum is at 1701 Pacific Ave. (253) 272-4258 or go to TacomaArtMuseum.org.
The work of Koji Kubota and Junko Yamamoto is included in a group show entitled “The Moon Is Free” which highlights work with primary colors and playful shapes. Through June 27th. ArtsWest Gallery. 4711 California Ave. SW in West Seattle. Thurs. – Sat. (206) 938-0339 or go to artswest.org.
Fujitaro Kubota immigrated from Japan in 1907 and bought a five-acre property in Seattle hoping to create a garden with the beauty of the Northwest as well as celebrating his Japanese heritage. Although he didn’t live to complete it, the garden still stands as a haven of quiet beauty in the area. Recently a new addition was completed and celebrated. The Terrace Overlook on a hill in the south end of the garden had a traditional blessing from the Seattle Konko Church. Kubota’s son Tom first conceived of the terrace. The Kubota Foundation hired Japanese master stone mason Suminori Awata to do the design with support from Kentaro Hoshide of Hoshide Wanzer Architects. Sculptor Gerard Tsutakawa built the steel railing around the pavilion. The next phase is to put a glass roof on the pavilion to be completed in the fall. The space will be available as an event space to the public for a nominal fee. Future plans include a new visitor’s center, public restrooms, foundation offices, meeting space and a gift shop. For more information, go to www.kubotagarden.org. Taken from the North American Post.
Catch Tacoma artist Yuki Nakamura who is building a special installation of suspended porcelain, paper and Mylar with eerie digital projections as part of the Bellingham National 2015 Art Exhibition and Awards on view through Sept. 6th, 2015. Guest-curated by Scott Lawrimore, now at the UWs Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Whatcom Museum at the Lightcatcher Building at 250 Flora St. (360) 778-8930.
“Trawling” is the name of a show of new work by Portland artist Yoonhee Choi at Blackfish Gallery. Through June 27th. The title refers to the whimsical way the artist collects items as she goes through her day-to-day experience. Using utilitarian items held on by bread clips and adhesive tape, her installation mirrors the random flotsam and jetsam that lands on the shore of her daily life. 420 NW 9th Ave. (503) 224-2634 or go to blackfish.com for details.
Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center in Portland has “Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community” a show that celebrates the lives and contributions of Oregon’s Nikkei community, and evokes memories of shared experiences – from early settlement through the trials and tribulations of WWII and into the 21st century. Open Tu. – Sat. 11am – 3pm and Sundays, noon – 3pm. 121 NW 2nd Ave. (503) 224-1458 or email [email protected].
The Museum of Contemporary Craft. Upcoming April 17th – August 16th in 2015 is “The New Frontier: Young Designer-Makers in the Pacific NW”. 724 NW Davis St. in Portland. (503) 223-2654 or go to mocc.pnca.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.
UW Henry Art Gallery has the following – “Viewpoints: Hiroshi Sugimoto” is a piece of work by New York-based Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto on view May 10th – July 26th. The “University Of Washington 2015 MFA + MDES Thesis Exhibition includes work by Scott Ichikawa, Zheng (Victor) Wu, Lanxia (Summer) Wu and Kun Xu. On view May 23rd – June 21st. Visit henryart.org for tickets and more information.
“Hand and Wheel – Contemporary Japanese Clay” looks at the long-standing ceramic tradition in Japan and surveys the work of modern ceramic artists working from the traditional to the contemporary. Organized by the Portland Art Museum and curated by Maribeth Graybill, Ph.D., The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Asian Art. On view through June 21, 2015. 1219 S.W. Park Ave. (503) 226-2811.
KOBO Gallery at Higo in Japantown/International District always has interesting shows of new ceramic work or work that conveys an Asian aesthetic. Go to koboseattle.com for updates. 604 S. Jackson St. (206) 381-3000.
“Conceal/Reveal: Making Meaning in Chinese Art” is a show that features a collection of Chinese Art curated with the intent of drawing a thematic line of “layered meaning” between all pieces. On view through June 21st, 2015. 1400 E. Prospect St. in Volunteer Park. (206) 654-3100 or go to seattleartmuseum.org.
“Pop Goes the Melting Pot” is the title of a conversation between Seattle-raised artist Roger Shimomura and Gary Faigin, Gage Academy co-founder. The talk will explore the artist’s work which encompasses identity, politics, experience, history and artistic vision. Wed., July 15th at 7:30pm. His work is housed in permanent collections in over 90 museums and is represented by Flomenhaft Gallery in New York and Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle. The conversation takes place at Town Hall Seattle at 1119 Eighth Ave. (206) 652-4255 or go to [email protected]. “Roger Shimomura: An American Knockoff” is a touring exhibit on view at Tacoma Art Museum June 20th – Sept. 13th.
“Off site” is the title of an installation by Mumbai-based artist Reena Saini Kallat that re-creates immigration routes around the world using electric wire, circuit boards and speakers across a giant map. On view until Oct. 12th. Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby St. in Vancouver BC, Canada. (604) 662-4719 or go to vanartgallery.bc.ca.
“Generation to Generation – History of Chinese Immigrants in British Columbia” is an ongoing exhibit of photographs from the 1800s and 1900s. Chinese Cultural Centre Museum at 555 Columbia St. in Vancouver BC, Canada. (604) 658-8880 or go to cccvan.com.
“Mingei: Japan’s Enduring Folk Arts” is on view from June 20th to Oct. 11th at the Nikkei National Museum in Burnaby, BC Canada. Over 100 works gathered from all over Japan attest to the power and joy of Japan’s folk art tradition. 6688 Southoaks Crescent. (604) 777-7000.
“Buddhist Arts of Asia” is a group show tracing Buddhist art through various countries in
Asia. From the gallery’s permanent collection. Through Sept. 20th. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria at 1040 Moss St. (250) 384-4171 or go to aggv.ca.
“Vistas of a World Beyond: Traditional Gardens in Chinese Material Culture” is on view until July 5, 2015.University of Oregon Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. 1430 Johnson Lane in Eugene. (541) 346-3027 or visit jsma.uoregon.edu.
Oakland Museum of California presents a major exhibition on historic and contemporary pacific cultures and peoples and their interactions with California. “The East Coast of the Pacific” opens May 30th and remains on view through Jan. 3rd, 2016. The show explores the on-going connections and intersecting experiences of Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians, along with Filipinos, Native Californians, and American collectors and colonists. 1000 Oak St. in Oakland, CA. For details, go to museumca.org or http://www.museumca.org/.
The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture must be one of the few small museums in the country devoted to Japanese art. Located in the farmlands around Hanford in the San Joaquin Valley, Clark is a dairy farmer. His interest in Japanese art was piqued as a child in the 6th grade when he saw a picture of a Japanese garden in a textbook and was mesmerized. A stint in the Navy while in Japan provided him with the opportunity to visit temples, farmhouses and gardens and he purchased his first Japanese art at that time. They expanded their home into a museum as the collection grew over the next 20 years. Their last exhibition entitled “Elegant Pastime: Masterpieces of Japanese Art from the Clark Collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts” closes June 30th. After that, the collection goes to Minneapolis and the center closes. The Center is open Tuesday – Saturday from 1-5pm for a small admission fee. 15770 – 10th Ave. in Hanford,CA. (559) 582-4915.
New work by Seattle artist Diem Chau is on exhibit through Oct. 31st, 2015 at the Philadelphia Zoo as part of “Second Nature”, an array of artist installations that ell the stories of endangered species through the use of recycled, reduced, reused, repurposed and renewed materials. Her series of carved crayons “Precious Few” take the forms of 48 animals on the endangered species list. The zoo is at 3400 W. Girad Ave. in Philadelphia. Their phone # is (215) 243-1100. Diem Chau is represented locally by G. Gibson Gallery (ggibsongallery.com) and she is open to commissions.
“China Through The Looking Glass” is a new show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York through August 16th. It explores the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. Organized by The Costume Institute in collaboration with the Met’s Department of Asian Art. 1000 – 5th Ave. (212) 535-7710 or go to www.metmuseum.org.
Some upcoming shows at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston include the following – “In The Wake – Japanese Photographers Respond to 3/11” on view April 5th – July 12th. Also opening April 5th and remaining on view until August 9th is “Hokusai”, a show of prints by the great Japanese woodblock printer. “Crafted Objects in Flux” is a group show that look at artists who “simultaneously blur and expand craft’s landscape.” Seattle artist Etsuko Ichikawa is included in this show and she has plans to do a live performance sometime during the run of the show. On view August 25th – January 10th, 2016. 465 Huntington Ave. in Boston. (617) 267-9300.
Opening May 19th and on view until July 19th is “Inspired by Nam June Paik: Becoming Robot; Works by New York City Students.” Comprised of students impressions of the Paik show they had seen at the Museum earlier. From June 9th – July 19th is a show of video and photography from China. Opening Sept. 10th and on view through Jan. 3, 2016 is “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms”. It showcases recently excavated objects that highlight the prosperity and achievements of the little-known Philippine Kingdoms that flourished long before the Spanish discovered the region and colonized it. They affirm the unprecedented creativity, prosperity, and sophisticated metalworking tradition of the pre-colonial period. They also attest to flourishing cultural connections and maritime trade in Southeast Asia during what was an early Asian economic boom. Asia Society Museum at 725 Park Ave. in New York City. Go to AsiaSociety.org/museum for details.
“After Midnight: Indian Modernism to Contemporary India 1947/1997” is an ambitious group show that looks at the changing role of art in that country. Work by the Progessive Artists Group by artists like M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, E. N. Souza produced in the wake of that country’s newly won independence in the late 40’s will be paired with contemporary examples by artists like Shilpa Gupta and Dayanita Singh. Opened on March 8th and remains on view through June 28th at the Queens Museum. Located in Queens, New York in the New York City Building, Flushing Meadows, Corona Park. (718) 592-9700 or go to www.queensmuseum.org.
For some reason, the state of Texas is bursting with new shows on Japanese art. The Museum of Fine Art in Houston has the following shows – “For a New World to Come: Experiments in Japanese Art and Photography, 1968 – 1979” in the Beck Building at 5601 Main St. through July 18th. And in Dallas at the Dallas Art Museum you’ll find “Between Action and the Unknown: The Art of Kazuo Shiraga and Sadamasa Motonaga” up till July 19th. Both artists were members of the Gutai group, the leading avant-garde organization of post-war Japanese artists that incorporated performance into their art events. 1717 North Harwood. (214) 922-1200.
In 1947, Britain partitioned India by religious belief creating Pakistan. More than a million people lost their lives during Partition as they were forced to move from ancestral homes to accommodate religious re-districting. Now, over 1,000 survivors of Partition have been interviewed on camera for the 1947 Partition Archive, a new museum dedicated to this event. It is quietly located on the upper floor of a bank building in downtown Berkeley, California. The 1947 Partition Archive founder is Guneeta Singh Bhalla. It is seen as a race against time as many of the survivors are now in their 70’s and 80’s. Bhalla reflects on her visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Museum and how the oral histories of that event stood out as so vivid. It inspired her to create an archive on the Partition, an event that was little known around the world but had tragic, long- standing consequences for generations of families. Go to http://www.1947Partition-Archive.org/ for more information.
Park Soo Kuen is considered one of the fathers of modern Korean painting. On the 50th anniversary of his death, Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul features around 50 of his most representative works. The artist focused on depicting the trials and hopes of ordinary people during the early difficult years of the 20th century. The artist lived in a house nearby this venue. On view through June 28th.
“Hur Yongman: The Secret of Creations” is the first exhibit dedicated to the work of the greatest Korean cartoonist of this age. Sketches, notes, figurines based on his characters and other artifacts from his daily life are on view. At the Hangaram Design Museum in the Seoul Arts Center through July 19th.
Congratulations to local artists Humaira Abid and June Sekiguchi who both received grants from Artist Trust this year. Both artists show locally at ArtXchange Gallery.
Performing Arts
Catch Kalahi Philippine Dacners on June 20th at Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue. NE Eighth St. and 156th Ave. NE. (425) 644-1111 or go to crossroadsbellevue.com.
Gallery 1412 presents Indian Tabla Drumming Master Anindo Chatterjee in a solo performance. Opening act is mandolin virtuoso Gagandeep Singh with Ravi Albright on tabla. Sat., June 20th at 7pm. 1412 – 18th Ave. Tickets at www.acitseattloe.org.
Robert Francis Flor’s short play “Pinakbet” will be part of the Eclectic Theatre Festival set for June 27th at 7:30pm. The play explores the seed of interracial marriage in the Filipino community during pre-WW II Seattle. Stars Matt de la Cruz, Jana Gueck, Laurie Torres and Raul Peyret. Co-directed by the playwright with Len Goodman, Artistic Director of the Festival. 1214 – 10th Ave., a block north of Seattle University. Tickets through Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1640540.
Seattle Theaterwala’s musical dramedy entitled “Jaysa Ka Taysa (“Tif For Tat”), a Bengali play by Girish Chandra Ghosh will be performed with English subtitles as directed by Rumela Ganguly. June 20th at 4:30pm & 6:45pm. Ethnic Cultural Theater at 3940 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. Go to http://www.vibha.org/jaysa-ka-taysa for tickets and information.
The annual “Night Market” takes over the streets of ID/Chinatown with over 30 food trucks, an international market and dancing. July 11th from afternoon into the evening. Go to cidbia.org for details.
The Steve Griggs Ensemble plays “Music Made from Japanese American Memories of WW II” at the Panama Hotel Tea Room at 2pm every Saturday in 2015. Free. 605 South Main St. Sponsored by 4Culture, National Park Serice, and Earshot Jazz. For details, go to panamahoteljazz.blogspot.com.
The annual Chinatown/ID summer street festival now known as Dragon Fest holds court over the weekend of July 11th – 12th. $2 eats will be sure to fill you up and a stage of performers will keep you entertained. Go to cidbia.org for more details.
Lilly Singh brings her world tour of “A Trip to Unicorn Island” to the Moore Theatre on July 19th at 7:30pm. Singh (“Superwoman” to fans world-wide) is an Indo Canadian You Tube personality, motivational speaker, comedian and singer. She posts skits weekly on her You Tube videos and fans should expect her to break out of that box and entertain wildly on the big stage. (206) 812-1114.
Jazz vocalist Sachal Vasandani is just one of many major jazz musicians appearing at Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend, a weeklong workshop and festival directed by John Clayton from July 19th – 26th at Fort Worden State Park. Includes daily instruction from professional faculty and concerts as well. For details, go to centrum.org or call (360) 385-3102×109.
Dr. L. Subramaniam makes a rare Seattle appearance with Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad as part of the Seattle Theatre Group’s 2015/2016 season. They will appear on Sept. 10th at the Moore Theatre. Subramamiam is an acclaimed South Indian violinist, composer and conductor. He is trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and western classical music. He is respected for his virtuoso playing and compositions in orchestral fusion. He comes from a family tradition of musicians and has released over 200 recordings. Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad come from a South Asian family that are masters of Qawwaili Sufi music. They belong to a music school founded in the 14th century that remains the best known to this day. (206) 812-1114.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the programs Seattle Symphony has to offer under the baton of Music Director Ludovic Morlot later this year going into 2016. Dynamic pianist Lang Lang takes on Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor” along with works by Beethoven, Respighi and Greig’s “Piano Concerto” with the Seattle Symphony on Sunday, October 11th at 2pm. Gershwin’s American masterpiece, “Rhapsody In Blue” is performed Oct. 16th – 18th with Jeff Tyzik conducting, Jon Nakamatsu on piano and Doug LaBrecque on vocals. Meeka Quan Di Lorenzo on cello, and Jessica Choe on piano join other members of the Seattle Symphony as they perform a program of chamberworks by Bernstein, Carter, Prokofiev and Shostakovich on Oct. 27th at 7:30pm in Nordstrom Recital Hall. Want comedy with your music? The duo of Ingudesman & Joo return to Seattle after their success in 2012 at Benaroya with an all new show that mixes laughs with classical music and popular culture on March 3rd at 7:30pm.If you want a preview of the music the Symphony will be playing on their upcoming tour of Asia, check out the Ravel Piano Concerto as performed with Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano along with music by Faure and Dvorak on June 5th.
Seattle Opera has announced their 2015/16 season under new General Director Aidan Lang. It marks a return to full-year programming with a total of six operas,, new productions and a world premiere. Many productions will also highlight new Asian and Asian American performers. Coming in August is “An American Dream” based on true stories from the Northwest. The opera tells the story of a Japanese American family forcibly removed from an island in Puget Sound during WW II. Nina Yoshida Nelsen, Adam Lau and Hae Ji Chang perform the roles of the family. Judith Yan makes her Seattle Opera debut, as conductor of the orchestra. Jonathan Lemalu, a Samoan from New Zealand makes his Seattle Opera debut singing the role of Nourabad in Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” next. Finally, Director Lang returns to stage directing Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”. Chinese-born bass-baritone Shenyang makes his Seattle Opera debut as Figaro. McCaw Hall at Seattle Center at 321 Mercer St. (206) 389-7676 or try 1-800-426-1619 or go to [email protected].
Comedian Aparna Nancherla performs in the Comedy Womb series at Theatre Off Jackson on June 21st. 409 – 7th Ave. S. Doors open at 7pm and show starts at 7:30pm. Tickets available at Stranger Tickets.
Sound Theatre Company presents a Seattle Premiere production of noted British playwright Tom Stoppard’s “Indian Ink” done in collaboration with local South Asian theatre company Pratidhwani. The story is about a British woman poet in India who falls in love with an Indian painter and the complications that follow. August 13th – 30th. Presented at the Center Theater at the Seattle Center Armory at 305 Harrison St. Go to www.SoundTheaterCompany.org for details. Pratidhwani Theatre group also premieres a new production entitled “Dance Like a Man” July 24th – August 9th. A young Indian girl struggles between tradition and rebellion as her parents prepare to meet the man she wants to marry. This one’s at ACT Theatre at 700 Union St. downtown. For details, go to www.pratidhwani.org or call (425) 522-3570.
ACT Theatre celebrates their 50th anniversary with their 2015 Season. Some highlights include the following – “Threesome” by Seattle playwright Yussef El Guindi is a world premiere co-production with Portland Center Stage set for June 5th – 28th. Jeanne Sakata’s “Hold These Truths” based on the true story of UW student Gordon Hirabayashi who confronts the government over their orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast During WW II was a sold-out hit in a short run last year. Now it returns for a multi-week run July 17th – August 16th. 700 Union St. (206) 292-7676 or go to acttheatre.org.
The “Seattle International Dance Festival-Beyond The Threshold” comes to town from June 12th – 27th. With dancer companies local, national and international appearing at various venues around town. It also marks the sponsoring organization, Khambatta Dance Company’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. Besides performances, there will also be a chance to study dance in workshops with some of the visiting dance troupes. Of special interest is a dance company called “Hong Kong Exile” consisting of dancers from Hong Kong and Vancouver, BC. They present “NINEEIGHT”, a sensory driven multimedia dance theatre work inspired by Mo Lei Tau, a phenonmenon of absurdist, comedic film that emerged in Hong Kong in the 1990’s. Through an eccentric cinematic language, the work seethes with the climate of political anxiety of Hong Kong just before its handover to Mainland China in 1997, reflecting on personal fractures, disorientation, and the significance of a “motherland” at times of political, social and geographical transition. Paired with badmarmarDance, a local Seattle dance company who took last year’s “Spotlight on Seattle Artistic Development Award”. Part of Program A set for June 19th and 20th at 8pm. Another highlight and festival favorite from 2014 are Jerome Aparis of Massive Monkeys and Ezra Thomson of Pacific Northwest Ballet who meld the grace of ballet to the energetic moves of Hip Hop/B-Boy moves. This work employs elements of last year’s work along with original music by William Lin Yee. On a double program with Dancing People from Ashland, Oregon who are back by popular demand. . On Program B on June 21st at 7:39pm.Venues include Raisback Hall Theater at the Cornish College of the Arts at 2015 Boren Ave and the Moore Theater at 1932 2nd Ave. For tickets go to seattleidf.strangertickets.com or call (888) 377-4510. For more information, go to www.SeattleID.org or call (206) 552-0694.
Tea ceremony demonstrations continue at Seattle Art Museum downtown every Third Thursday at 5:30pm and every Third Sunday at 2:10pm. Free with admission. Please note there will be no tea ceremony demonstrations during the month of August.
Director Marie Chong challenges her young ballet dancers in ARC Dance with some stimulating choreography. See them go through their paces in presentations on July 16th – 18th and July 23rd – 25th at Seattle Repertory Theatre downtown. Go to arcdance.org for details.
“Butoh In The Garden” is an opportunity to be introduced to this unique form of Japanese modern dance from in the beautiful setting of newly restored Kubota Garden. Joan Laage and Diego Pinon become one with the garden. July 19th. Go to daipanbutoh.com for details.
New works performed by Yvonne Chen and Douglas DeVries include compositions by Daniel Knaggs and Alishan Gezgin for flute, piano and voice. August 14th at 7:30pm. Chapel Performance Space. Suggested donation of $5 – $15.
“Seattle Meets Tokyo: Modern Jazz Connections” is a program that brings talented also saxophonist Akihiko Ando from Tokyo to collaborate with local musicians. August 1st at 6:30pm. The Royal Room. 5000 Rainier Ave. S. (206) 906-9920.
Set for 5th Avenue Theatre’s 2015/2016 season is the World Premiere of “Waterfall, The Musical” based on the Thai novel “Behind the Painting” about a forbidden love affair between a young Thai student and the American wife of a Thai diplomat in 1930’s Thailand on the eve of WWII. It marks the U.S. debut of Thai music superstar Bie Sukrit Wisetkaew as the student and is directed by Tak Viravan. With book & lyrics by Richard Malty Jr. and choreography by Dan Knechtges. This is a co-production with Pasadena Playhouse and is billed as “a groundbreaking collaboration between Oscar and Tony-winning American and Asian theatrical artists”. October 1st – 25th. Subscribe by April 27th for the best seats. Go to www.thavenue.org or call (206) 625-1900.
The UW World Series season for 2015/2016 has some extraordinary performances booked from around the world. For their UW Seattle Meany Hall location. In the “World Dance Series”, Seattle favorites Sankai Juku return with the North American premiere of “Umusuna: Memories Before History” Oct 1 – 3 at 8pm (Co-presented with Seattle Theatre Group). This work by this contemporary butoh group evokes the essence of duality and unity encapsulated in the Chinese characters for “birth” and “earth” that combine to form the work’s title. The Akram Khan Company is known for fusing the classical Indian form of kathak with contemporary dance. They make their northwest debut with “Kaash” in which the theme of Hindu gods, black holes, Indian time cycles, tablas, creation and destruction all play key roles. Nov. 12 – 14th at 8pm. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center consisting of CMS Co-Artistic Director and Pianist Wu Han and violinists Sean lee and Benjamin Bellman take solo turns in music by Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn. One night only on March 19th, 2016 at 7:30pm. The Daedalus Quartet plays Friday, April 29th, 2016 at 7:30pm with work by Beethoven and the world premiere of a new work by UW Music composer Huck Hodge. In the “Special Events” category, the Peking Acrobats and sitarist Anoushka Shankar make appearances. Peking Acrobats come to perform their daring balance maneuvers with live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments on Sat., Jan. 23, 2016 at 3pm and 7:30pm. Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of the late virtuoso sitar master, Ravi Shankar brings her own genre-defying mix to the instrument with Indian music, electronica, jazz, flamenco and Western classical music all playing a part. She performs on Sat., April 9th, 2016 at 8pm. A “Special Engagement” will feature “An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma” on Tues., Dec. 8, 2015 at 7:30pm. This world – renowned cellist has recorded classical music and has never been afraid to collaborate with musicians from various genres from all over the world. This appearance is a rare opportunity to hear him in an intimate space. (206) 543-4880 or go to uwworldseries.org or get tickets in-Person at 1313 NE 4lst St. Ticket office open M – F from 11am – 6pm.
“Investigating The Global Body” is the title for this year’s Seattle Butoh Festival July 10th – 19th featuring special guest, Mexican Ritual Butoh Artist Diego Pinon and members of DAIPANbutoh including Sheri Brown, Diana Garcia-Snyder, Joan Laage, Kaoru Okumura and Helen Thorsen. Pinon gives an Open Workshop (no dance experience required) July 10th – 12th at Taoist Studies Institute at 225 N. 70th St, $200 registration by July 1st please. Performances take place at Broadway Performance Hall at 1625 Broadway on July 17th & 18th at 8pm. A final free performance takes place outdoors at Kubota Garden on July 19th from 12 – 3pm. 9817 – 55th Ave. S. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/1352112. For information, email [email protected]. Donations gratefully accepted at indiegogo.com.
“Dance This!” is the annual summer presentation of Seattle Theater Group where they bring in professional choreographers to work with local high school kids. Expect energy and a multitude of styles and cultures July 10th and 11th at the Moore Theatre downtown. Ballet dancer Suzuko Riewe is one of this year’s choreographers. 1932 Second Ave. (206) 812-1114 or go to stg.org.
“Turbine for Moving Choir” by Seattle composer Byron Au Yong receives its World Premiere on June 27th & June 28th at 7:30pm at the Fairmount Water Works at 640 Water Works Drive in Philadelphia. It was commissioned by the Leah Stein Dance Company and Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Water Works.
Bay Area performing arts couple “First Voice” consisting of performance artist/storyteller Brenda Wong Aoki and composer/musician/jazz bassist Mark Izu has a lot of creative irons in the fire. Their new project entitled “SUITE J-TOWN – The Art Of Resilience” has its world premier in the May of 2015 in San Francisco’s Japantown community. It pays tribute to the 100-year history of Japantown through music, dance, visual art, story, sound collage, video and site-specific installations performed in different historic sites. Created by First Voice with the collaboration of the next generation ‘hapa’ artists, “the project will rediscover and strengthen the soul of a community in an effort to continue our presence in today’s rapidly changing San Francisco landscape.” Other projects include a new commission with conductor Kent Nagano based in Montreal. Locally we can expect to see Brenda and Mark come to Seattle with a production entitled “Uncle Gunjiro’s Girlfriend” August 12th, 2015 at 7:30pm., a tale from Brenda’s family history at Trinity Church. This performance tells the story of Gunjiro Aoki, son of a legendary samurai, and Helen Gladys Emery, the daughter of the Archdeacon of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. This Japanese man and American woman married at Trinity in 1909 when interracial marriage was illegal in many parts of the country and highly irregular in Seattle. This love story and its impact on their descendents three generations later is performed on stage by grand niece Brenda Wong Aoki accompanied by her husband, the Asian American jazz pioneer, Mark Izu. It will be performed in the very space where the marriage took place. With story, music, and archival photographs, this performance celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Trinity Parish Episcopal Church in Seattle. The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the artists. 609 8th Ave. in Seattle. (206) 624-5337. Also composer/bassist Mark Izu has a new cd of all new compositions entitled “The Music of Mu” based on a musical about the magical journey of a young man from the land above and a Japanese mermaid from the deep blue sea. For booking information you can contact calartists.com or the artists direct at www.aokizu.com.
Friends of Asian Art Association presents Seattle musician, traveler and amateur ethnomusicologist Dick Valentine who will give a talk entitled “Traditional Flutes & Flute Traditions in Asian Musical Cultures. Sunday, Sept. 27th at 1pm. Seattle Asian Art Museum’s Alvord Board Room in Volunteer Park. Free Parking. For tickets and more information, go to [email protected] or call (206) 522-5438.
As part of Seattle Rep’s 2015/2016 new season, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar’s “Disgraced” will be performed Jan. 8th – 31st. The story is about a Pakistani-born successful New York lawyer whose life is turned upside-down when his Muslim heritage is questioned. 155 Mercer St. (206) 443-2222 for tickets.
Film & Media
The Gardner Center co-presents with Tasveer as part of their Asia Films Series the following – Eisha Marjara’s “Desperately Seeking Helen”, a documentary film that interweaves her favorite childhood Bollywood star with her own family story. June 25th at 6:30pm. The series continues on August 27th with “Anima State” at 6:30pm. Hammad Khan’s film presents a masked gunman who goes on a killing spree in Pakistan. Is it real or just an indie filmmaker trapped in a nightmare? Go to seattleartmuseum.org for more details.
“Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock And Roll” is a documentary film by John Pirozzi that played at the recently completed Seattle International Film Festival. It looks at the that peak period when rock and roll blossomed in that country before being crushed like everything else by Pol Pot. June 19th – 25th. British playwright David Hare has adapted the best-selling book by Katherine Boo into a moving play on stage. The story is about the hopes and dreams of denizens of one of Mumbai’s worst slums. A filmed version of the play onstage, “National Theatre Live: Behind The Beautiful Forevers” screens July 14th – 19th. Directed by Rufus Norris. “Rebels of the Neon God” , the searing debut of disaffected youth killing time in Taipei by Ming-liang Tsai gets a new release and screens July 17th – 23rd. All movies at the SIFF Film Center located at the corner of warren Ave. & Republican St. in Seattle Center. Go to [email protected]. (206) 324-9996.
The latest offering from Ghibli Studios by Miyazaki protégé Yonebayashi is based on Joan G. Robinson’s classic ghost story of a shy teenager who befriends a young blonde who may or may not be of this world. “When Marnie Was There” screens beginning July 3rd at the Egyptian at 805 E. Pine St. Go to [email protected] for details.
Satyajit Ray is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of world cinema. Want proof? Don’t miss “The Apu
Trilogy” which traces one man’s life to boyhood through middle-age to his final years. Newly restored in 4K and not to be missed. A series of 3 films. Musical score performed by the late, great sitarist composer Ravi Shankar. June 26th – July 2nd. At the SIFF Film Center in Seattle Center. Go to siff.net/cinema for details.
Noted Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu’s silent film masterpiece, “A Story of Floating Weeds” has been restored and will be screened on Sat., July 11th for one time only at 7pm. It will be enhanced with a new score with benshi (Japanese film narrator) and performed live by local Seattle treasure, Aono Jikken Ensemble. SIFF Cinema Uptown at 511 Queen Anne Ave. North. Go to siff.net/cinema for tickets and information.
Japanese film director Junichi Suzuki’s “Nisei Trilogy” looks at the Japanese experience during World War II. The first part entitled “Toyo’s Camera” looks at the photos illegally taken inside an internment camp by the late Japanese American photographer Toyo Miyatake played at SIFF in early May. “442: Live With Honor, Die With Dignity” which covers the story of the 442nd Infantry Regiment composed mainly of Japanese Americans will screen on June 27th at Nisei Vets Hall and “MIS: Human Secret Weapon” looks at the mostly-Nisei intelligence operatives working for the army and that screens on June 28th at SIFF Cinema Uptown.
“Court” is a legal drama from India in which a contemporary folk singer is accused of causing a man’s suicide because of his sad music. Opens July 31st at the Northwest Film Forum.
The Written Arts/Talks
Highlights
Local community activist Bob Santos keeps up a blistering pace reading from a book he co-authored with Gary Iwamoto entitled “The Gang of Four” (Chin Music Press). It tells the inspiring story of how four ethnic groups came together to battle against city powerbrokers over development, poverty, fishing rights and gentrification. On Tues., June 30th, he will be at Daybreak Star Center with other speakers sponsored by United Indian of All Tribes Foundation. 6:30pm. In Discovery Park at 5011 Bernie Whitebear Way. He will also give a reading for the Seattle Library Foundation at a date to be announced. Go to http://gangoffourbook.com/events.html for more details.
“Fighting for America: NISEI SOLDIERS” is a graphic novel that tells the story of six Nisei soldiers from the Pacific Northwest who proved their loyalty and made a significant mark in American history. Profiles of Shiro Kashino, Roy Matsumoto, Tosh Yasutake, Jimmie Kanaya, Frank Nishimura and Turk Suzuki. Text by Lawrence Matsuda and illustrations by Matt Sasaki. This graphic novel is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2015. Go to wingluke.org/fighting-for-america for details.
Elliott Bay Book Company has another list of readings set for spring in their store as well as at various venues around the city. All readings at the bookstore unless other wise noted. On June 22nd at 7:30pm, Elliott Bay presents with Town Hall Seattle a discussion with Kentaro Toyama with Wier Harman. Toyama is the author of “Geek Heresy: Rescuing Social Change from the Cult of Technology” (Public Affairs). Toyama, an award-winning computer scientist came to view the world differently after working for Microsoft in India and realizing that “one size doesn’t always fit all.” Go to www.townhallseattle.org or call 1-888-377-4510 for details. Nisid Hajari talks about his new book entitled “Midnight’s Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India’s Partition” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Wed., July 1st at 7pm. Wesley Chu reads from “Time Salvager” on July 15th at 7pm. Elliott Bay Book Company is on Capitol Hill at 1521 – 10th Avenue. (206) 624-6000.
Tao Lin and Mira Gonzalez read from “Selected Tweets” on July 21st at 7pm. Third Place Books in Ravenna. Free. Go to thirdplacebooks.com.
Janice P. Namura reads from “Daughters of the Samurai: a Journey from East to West and Back” on Aug. 25th at 7pm. Free. 6504 20th Ave. NE in Lake Forest Park. Go to thirdplacebooks.com.
“The Sympathizer” (Grove Atlantic) by Viet Thanh Nguyen is told through the arresting voice of a double agent living among Vietnamese refugees in 1970’s America.
The Cleaver Quarterly is a new magazine devoted to the discussion of Chinese food and culture. Think of the culinary magazine “Lucky Peach” with a Chinese emphasis and you get the idea. Latest issue includes articles like “Rice Killers”, “Dandelion Cuisine”, “Food Proverbs”, “Pork Graffiti”, “Dim Sum Doodles”, “Melon Diplomacy”, “Hell Food” and “Egg Extravaganza”. Go to www.thecleaverquaerterly.com for details.
The UW Library (Seattle campus) was the surprise recipient of over 15,000 Korean manhwa (comics) recently when an antiquities shop found their purchase of a storage locker of them would not be an easy sell. Instead they donated them to UW Library. The gift takes on added significance since print manhwa in Korea is a dying species being replaced by digital comics. The library hopes that their preservation of these comics will be an important resource to those interested in this vital facet of Korean culture in the future.
One finds it hard to keep up with the steady stream of new titles coming out even in the limited categories of works by or about Asian Americans and new titles on Asia but here’s a recent sampling –
The Japan Times reports that noted Japanese writer Haruki Murakami started an advice column on the internet in January. After two weeks he received more questions than the number of people who can comfortably fit into a baseball stadium. He likens it to the ancient greeks in a stadium, each person in the crowd raising their hand up to question a speaker and feels that the proliferation of the I phone device to the overwhelming response. He thinks it will take time but he hopes that he will be able to respond to each and every question.
Art News/Opportunities
Congratulations to local artist Carina del Rosario who was awarded a 4Culture Individual Artist Grant which will allow her to continue and expand upon her on-going “Passport Series”. With the money, the artist hopes to explore identity, discrimination and how documents arte used to confer and deny human and civil rights.
Artist Trust invites visual artists in Washington State to apply to the EDGE Professional Development Program which is a comprehensive survey of professional practices through a hands-on, interactive curriculum that includes instruction by professionals in the field as well as specialized presentations, panel discussions, and assignments. Edge takes place in Port Townsend Oct. 24th – 3lst. Applications will be accepted until June 30th, 2015. There are some scholarships available as well. The Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) has a final deadline of May 18th, 2015. However early birds who submit by May 10th get to have their application reviewed for clarity and completeness and be entered in a raffle to win a free Artist Trust membership. Go to www.artisttrust.org for more details.
The Frye Art Museum has a full slate of Summer Studio Art Classes from June to August 2015 as well as a Kids Camp in Dramatic Arts. Artist Lois Yoshida teaches an Introduction to Ink and Brush Painting. For details on classes and registration, call (206) 622 – 9250.
Makiko Ichiura teaches a workshop on “Tile Painting” as one of the summer classes offered by the Northwest Museum of Art in La Connor. August 15th from 1 – 4pm. $75 fee with materials included. 121 South First in La Connor,WA. (360) 466-4446, then press “1” when instructed to.
Friends of Asian Art Association is an all-volunteer organization that connects its members and the community to educations, cultural and social events tied to Asia and its diverse art forms and culture. Enjoy year-round activities and meet new friends who share similar interests by becoming a member. All are welcome to the activities but members get special discounts and perks. Go to [email protected] or call (206) 522-5438. Seattle Asian Art Museum’s Alvord Board Room. (206) 522-5438 or email Friends [email protected] to make reservations and buy tickets.
Hing Hay Coworks is a collaborative work space centrally located in the Bush Hotel in the heart of Seattle’s ID/Chinatown neighborhood. It is open to entrepreneurs, freelancers, and start-ups or small businesses and is animated by a community of business leaders who value meaningful partnership, creative exploration, and bringing ideas to market. The space will be open for monthly memberships in April. Space is limited, so please contact them if you want to become a member. Please refer all inquires to Quang Nguyen, Hing Hay Coworks Manager at [email protected].
“Applications are now being accepted for Washington State Poet Laureate 2016-2018. Deadline is July 31st, 2015. The role of this position is to promote awareness and appreciation of poetry through readings, workshops, lectures and/or presentations in various parts of the community throughout the state. This is a paid position. For details go to [email protected] or call (206) 682-1770×110.