By Alan Lau
Visual Arts
On view through Nov. 20 is Annie Han & Daniel Mihalyo’s Lead Pencil Studio installation entitled “Minus Space” in which they attempt to trace the past designs of Henry Gallery’s space by different architects. Their installation is kind of a map of previous excavations and half-completed plans. Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington on 15th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 41st.
“Japanese Paper Stencils from the John Huston Collection” is on view through Nov. 16. Carolyn Staley Fine Japanese Prints. 314 Occidental Ave. S. (206) 621-6493. www.carolynstaleyprints.com.
William Traver Gallery. The massive ceramic sculptures of Jun Kaneko fill the room Nov. 4 – 27. 110 Union St. (206) 587-6501.
“Paper” is the medium of choice this time for sculptor Kazuo Kadonaga who often takes time to investigate a particular medium until the inherent qualities of that material reveals itself. Nov. 2 – Dec. 9. Opening is Nov. 3. 5 – 8 p.m. Solomon Fine Art. 1215 First Ave. (206) 297-1400.
“The Simple Cup” is an invitational exhibition devoted to the handmade ceramic cup. With over 40 examples from Japanese and North American ceramic artists such as Akio Takamori, Ayumi Horie and Beth Lo. Opening is Nov. 12 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. Stays on view through Dec. 30. Also on view a teapot show by N.W. artists. KOBO at Higo. 604 – South Jackson. (206) 381-3000.
Glasswork by Takuya Tokizawa is part of a group show, “Still Life And Other Things” on view Nov. 6 – Dec. 3. ArtsWest Gallery at 4711 California Ave. S.W. in West Seattle. (206) 938-0339.
Howard House: Painter Mark Takamichi Miller and sculptor Yuki Nakamura. Miller pushes paint around like cake frosting, almost sculpting out the human shapes that seem to lift off from bare canvas. Nakamura puts a bare bones poetic sheen to her forms. Through Nov. 12. 604 Second Ave. (206) 256-6399.
Korean’s “National Living Treasure” artist Kim Man Hee has a show of his shamanistic inspired work through Nov. 30. On view at both Ming’s Asian Galleries in Seattle at 519 – 6th Ave. S. and in Old Bellevue at 10217 Main St. In addition, certified feng shui consultant Bobbie Izuo will give a seminar on ‘Feng Shui – Balance & Harmony” on Nov. 5. RSVP and you must call (425) 462-4008.
“Frank Okada: The Shape Of Elegance” is a long over-due retrospective of this late N.W. abstractionist whose paintings shimmer and resonate with the pure beauty of color. Through Jan. 8. The MoNA Forum presents Larry Fong, Paul Havas, Greg Kucera and Victor Sandblom in a panel discussion entitled “ColorForm: Frank Okada’s Creative Restlessness” on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. with a booksigning with Fong to follow. Poet Lawson Inada does a reading with live jazz entitled “Poetry and Painting – A Tribute to Frank Okada” on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner. (360) 466-4446. Related programs in Seattle at the Seattle Public Library downtown include a repeat performance of poet Lawson Inada’s “Tribute to Frank Okada” on Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. Kazuko Nakane, who wrote the essay in the exhibition catalogue “Frank Okada: The Shape of Elegance” (MoNA/UW Press) will join him to speak about the artist and sign copies of the catalogue. Microsoft Auditorium. The Seattle Central Library is at 1000 Fourth Ave. In addition, an exhibition, “Contributions of Japanese American Artists from the Collections of The Seattle Public Library” will be on view through December on Level 10 of the library.
Performing Arts
In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, four Hawaiian children ponder the future in “Nothing Is The Same” through Nov. 20. Seattle Children’s Theatre at Seattle Center. Honolulu Theatre for Youth. (206) 441-3322. www.sct.org.
Seattle’s Indonesian percussion orchestra, Gamelan Pacifica performs on Nov. 18 at Benaroya Hall. 200 University. (206) 343-0445. www.nwco.org.
Popular Hawaiian singing group, The Brothers Cazimero, plays Benaroya Hall on Nov. 18.
Film & Video
Soon-Mi Yoo, “Exorcising History” will attend a screening of his film on Nov. 12 at 2:30 p.m. Northwest Film Forum. 1515 12th Ave. Tickets are $8, $6 children/seniors, $5 NWFF members. www.nwfilmforum.org.
One of the best kept secrets and best deals in town for learning about Japanese film is the Japanese Film Association’s free Japanese film series. Nov. 3 brings a modern teenage love flick by Iwai Shunji entitled “Hana and Alice.” Nov. 10 brings Fujita Toshiya’s “Lady Snowblood,” a femme fatal revenge film starring Kaji Meiko as the sword-wielding heroine. Nov. 17 has “Goke” by Sato Hajime, in which an ordinary plane ride brought down by birds and aliens crashes on a mars-like planet. Every Thursday. 7:30 p.m. Gowen 201, UW campus. http:///students.washington.edu/japanflm/calendar.html.
Written Arts
“Chinese America: A History in the Making” (The New Press) co-written with Dusanika Miscevic. Vikram Seth reads from a memoir of his surrogate parents in London entitled “Two Lives” on Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. 101 South Main. (206) 624-6600.
David Neiwert reads from and signs “Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community” (Palgrave McMillan). Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Tacoma Public Library, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S. (253) 272-8080. Sponsored by University Book Store.
Book Reading and talk by Andrew Lam, author of “Perfume Dreams” (Heyday Books). Wednesday Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. Odegaard Undergraduate Library Room 220. University of Washington Seattle Campus. Andrew is a syndicated writer and editor with the Pacific News Service living in San Francisco. His essays, the best of which have been collected in Perfume Dreams, have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
