September 7, 2018—Arts Etc.

Visual Arts

The Seattle Design Festival takes place Sept. 6 – 21, 2018 with city-wide tours, exhibits, outdoor installations, activities and interactive workshops. The Festival theme this year is TRUST which examines the role of design thinking in bringing together and building TRUST among diverse communities. A few highlights include the Seattle Design Festival Block Party Sept. 8 & 9 from 10am – 5pm in Pioneer Square featuring large scale design installations, performances and activities. Construction  site tours of [email protected] Street Station. A Sept.  11 “Design For Belonging” discussion event with Grace Kim of Schemata Workshop and artist Horatio Hung-Yan Law. For details, try [email protected] or aiaseattle.org or call 206-448-4938×107.

For fans of Seattle photographer Dean Wong, the ongoing exhibit of his work at Tai Tung restaurant has just been  changed with a new round of work by the photographer, himself. So the next time you’re there ordering a bowl of noodles, look up and you’ll see a Dean Wong photograph. 655 S. King St. in the CID. 206-622-7372.

Juan Alonso Open Studio welcomes Seattle artist Kamla Kakaria to his Front Room Gallery Sept. 6 – 20, 2018. With two openings on 1^st Thursday on Sept. 6 from 5 – 8pm and 2^nd Saturday from noon to 5pm or by appointment (go to [email protected]) Kakaria  works in printmaking as well as installation work. As an American growing up in an Indian household, She attempts to understand her place in between through making. Go to https://kamlakakaria.com to see more of her work. Juan Alonso’s studio space is located in Pioneer Square in the Tashiro Kaplan complex at 306 South Washington St. #104.

“Comics For Good” is the title of a talk by Vishavjit Singh aka Sikh Captain America on Tues., Sept. 18 at 6pm. He will tell stories about his Sikh Captain America persona and show his cartoons and photos. Singh’s work is also featured in an exhibit at the Wing through Feb., 2019. The talk is at Seattle Central Library’s Microsoft Auditorium. 1000 Fourth Ave. 206-386-4636 or go to www.spl.org.

Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery at Seattle Central Community College presents the following -“Orchids and Evergreens: Thai and Seattle Printmakers” is a group show on view from Sept. 24 – Oct. 18, 2018. Artist reception on Sept. 26, 2018 from 5 – 7pm. Seattle Print Arts in partnership with Nikki Barber and Miranda Metcalf present an exhibition of printmakers from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and the Northwest. Co-curated by Seattle Print Arts in partnership with Davidson Galleries and Pratt Fine Arts Center. Artists represented include Scott Kolbo, Claire Cowie, Kim Van Someren, Romson Bustillo, Kamla Kakaria, Mike Schultz, Virginia Hungate, Kerstin Graudins, Charlie Spitzack, Tyna Ontko, Keiko Hara, Ben Moreau, Tevor Foster, David Bradway, Amber Chiozza, Brian Lane and from Thailand: Kittikong Tilokwattan, Orn Thongthai, Srijai Kuntawang, Sirinapa “Noon Nim” Thongsuk, Minchaya Chayosumrit, Kraisak Chirachaisakul, Patcharin “Nok” Meelarp, Praween Piangchompu, Theerayuth “Lek” Inkaew and Luntau.”PNW Cosplay and Cosplayers” is a group show Oct. 22 – Nov. 20, 2018. Opening reception is Oct. 24 from 5 – 7pm. If you enjoy anime, comic heroes and villains, video games, or are a cosplayer yourself, this is the show for you. Includes photography by Shiboney, local prop makers Billy the Brick, Carrhunger, and Raptor Props, and foam-smiths Foam Friction, Viv Sai Squeekadeek, and Alan the Asian. Cosplay is encouraged for the opening reception on Oct. 24. “Youth In Focus” is a group show of photographs from the Seattle youth photography project. Nov. 27 – Dec. 12, 2018. The gallery is located on 1701 Broadway on the North side of the Atrium Cafeteria in the main campus building. Free admission. Hours are 9am – 3:30pm on Mon. – Fri. and Evenings from 5 – 7pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. 206-934-4379 or go to www.seattlecentral.edu/artgallery.

“Bold Type” is a group show of work by Northwest artists who use large symbols and motifs of various types in their work. Sept. 6 – 30, 2018 with opening reception on Sept. 6 from 6 – 7:30pm. Includes new work by Junko Yamamoto, Harold Hollingsworth, Kellie Talbot and Liz Tran.  SAM Art Gallery on 1^st Ave. between Union and University Streets right next to SAM. 206-343-1101.

“Sojurn” is the title of new works by Z. Z. Wei that focus on his interpretation of rural America and its landscape. Opening on Thurs., Sept. 6 from 6 – 8pm. Remains on view through Sept. 30, 2018. Patricia Rovzar Gallery at 1111 First Ave. in downtown Seattle. Open M – Sun. from 11 – 5pm. 206-223-0273 or go to www.rovzargallery.com

In the Phyllis Lamphere Gallery located on Level 2 of the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle you will find the Annual Korean American Artists Association of Washington State Member’s Show on view through Sept. 25, 2018. 705 Pike St. M – F. from 7am – 10pm. 206-694-5000 or go to www.wscc.com.

Attending Indian festivals influenced 1^st-generation Indian American artist Kamla Kakaria and her new installation done in sculpture, prints, and hundreds of white beeswax covered flowers. Part of UTSAV!, a 3-month celebration of Asian Indian arts and culture ongoing from through Sept. 12, 2018.   The installation is up from August 7 – Oct. 1, 2018. Arteast Art Gallery at 95 Front Street North in Issaquah. 425-392-3191  or try www.arteast.org.

It will be interesting to see what effect the transitional shift from city life in Seattle to a “fix-it-up” house on bucolic Vashon Island will have on the work of abstract painter William Song when he presents his show of new works entitled “Light” through Sept. 29, 2018.Grounded in research about the capacity of color and light to stimulate changes in the body and mind, these lush abstractions done in luminous oils and cold beeswax invite the viewer in with their glow and energy. First Thursday Reception with the artist on Sept 6, 2018 from 5 – 8pm. Song will give a gallery tour and talk about the philosophy behind the art at 6pm. ArtXchange Gallery. 512 First Ave. S. 206-839-0377 or go to www.artxchange.org.

Artist Trust presents a “Pop-Up Art Market” on Sept. 12, 2018 from 10am – 2pm at Amazon Van Vorst Plaza. Features work by 20+ local artists, arts activities and live performances by Wayne Horvitz and Che Sehyun. Free. 426 Terry Ave. N. or try http://amazon.com

New York-based Sikh American cartoonist Vishavjit Singh (aka Sikh Captain America) will give a presentation entitled “Comics For Good”  on Tues., Sept. 18 at 6pm. He will tell stories about his Sikh Captain America persona and show his cartoons and photos. Singh’s work is also currently featured in an exhibit at the Wing through Feb., 2019. Singh gives his talk at the Seattle Central Library’s Microsoft Auditorium. 1000 Fourth Ave. 206-386-4636 or go to spl.org.

A  JCCCW Exhibition entitled “Genji Mihara: An Issei Pioneer” is up now and ongoing. Mihara was an Issei first-generation Japanese immigrant leader who helped to build Japanese culture and community in Seattle. Open M – F from 10am – 5pm. Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington is at 1414 S. Weller St. Free. For details, go jcccw.org.

“Select Works by Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani” chronicles the work of this artist who lived from 1920 – 2012 and whose life was the subject of an award-winning documentary film “The Cats of Mirikitani” by Linda Hattendorf. It is now on view through Sept. 16, 2018 at Emerson Street House at 1006 NE Emerson St. in Portland. The show was curated by artist Roger Shimomura and produced and originally shown at the Wing. 323-632-6638 or visit www.emersonstreethouse.com.

A non-profit, the Portland Chinatown History Foundation has opened the new Portland Chinatown Museum to the public. The show of Seattle photographer Dean Wong’s series on Portland’s Chinatown has been extended and remains on view through the end of September, 2018. A new version of “Beyond the Gate: A Tale of Portland’s Historic Chinatowns”, an enormously popular national exhibit held at Oregon Historical Society two years ago will be permanently installed in late summer followed by a gala celebration. The museum hopes to stir up interest in preserving what’s left of the community as gentrification strips away vestiges of the original community. Before the official opening however, the Portland Chinatown Museum will premiere “A Tale of Two Ghettos”, a new multiple-site installation by Portland artist Horatio Law. 127 NW 3^rd Ave. 503-224-0008.

“Bench Mark” is a partnership for Youth exhibition developed by teens during a free workshop when they had to learn how to collaborate to design and produce a bench. Co-organized by Lynn Chou, Manager of Youth and School Programs and Negarra A. Kudomu, Manager of Public Programs. Features the work of Abdisemed Ali, Gebreyaus Wengeda, Eva Gugsa, Tegarius Kea, John Le, Kiet Nguyen, Ngoc Nguyen, Tam Nguyen, Nurham Nuru and Nhu-Phuong Tran. Teaching artists Laura Bartunek, John Hallock and Jim Nicholls provided 3-D modeling. Presented by Frye Art Museum and Associated Recreational Council Recreational Tech program at Yesler Community Center with the support from Olson Kundig.  On view until  Oct. 14, 2018. “Group Therapy” is a group show that  addresses themes of healing and self-care and comments on and/or adapts strategies  of alternative medicine, psychotherapy and wellness practices. Includes work by Maryam Jafri and Cindy Mochizuki. Public opening is Sept. 14, 2018 from 7:30 – 9:30pm.Free but please RSVP. On view through Jan. 6, 2019.   704 Terry Ave. 206-622-9250.

Asia Pacific Cultural Center has a show every month of a local Asian American artist every month in their gallery.4851 South Tacoma Way in Tacoma. 253-383-3900  or asiapacificculturalcenter.org.

Seattle Art Museum has the following – “Pure Amusements: Chinese Scholar Culture and Emulators”, an installation of Chinese works ranging from prints to sculpture and furnishings to ceramics. The focus is on objects created for, and enjoyed during the intentional practice of leisure. Ongoing.  “Noble Splendor: Art of Japanese Aristocrats” is on view through March 3, 2019 on the 3^rd floor  John McCone Gallery. It explores how the imperial court nobility and the military elite significantly shaped their country’s art history.  “Pacific Currents” & “Billabong Dreams” are two adjacent installations that feature the theme of water from New Guinea to Puget Sound through Oct. 21, 2018. “Walkabout:The Art of Dorothy Napangardi” opens May 5, 2018 and is ongoing. Third Floor Galleries. This Aboriginal artist was born in the Tanami Desert of Australia. Her work is a spiritual map of walking with her family across ancestral land. “Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India” opens Oct. 18, 2018 and remains on view through Jan. 21, 2019. You can get advance tickets for this exhibition by going to visitsam.org/peacock starting August 29, 2018. Related activities to this exhibit in the “Asia Talks” series include the following – “Jugalbani Duet: Power and Pleasure in Indian Painting” Examining 17^th – 19^th century paintings done for Raiput rulers of Northern India and Mughal elites, scholars Dipti Khera (NYU), Debra Diamond (Freer/Sackler Gallery) and Yael Rice (Amherst College) will discuss cosmopolitanism and cultural exchange among the courts. A music performance and reception will follow. Presented by the South Asia Center, UW Art History Department and the Gardner Center for Asian Art & Ideas. This event takes place on Sat., Nov. 17 from 2 – 4pm. UW Kane Hall 220 on the Seattle campus of UW. On Sun., Nov. 11 from 2:30 – 4:30pm in Seattle Art Museum’s Brotman Forum, hear a presentation entitled “Sari Stories”. Originally from different regions of India, women living in the Seattle area will share personal stories linked to a sari. There will also be a demonstration of tying a turban as well. Seattle Art Museum is located at 1300 First Ave.  206-654-3210  or try www.seattleartmuseum.org.

Davidson Galleries has the following –Seattle print-maker Eunice Kim has a new series of prints that reflect the organic feel of dots lost in a serene landscape. With her allergies to the chemical properties used in printmaking, she has searched for natural, organic alternatives. She gives a gallery talk on Sat., Sept. 15 at 11am sponsored by Seattle Print Arts. Sept. 6 – 29,  2018. 313 Occidental Ave. S. 206-624-7684 or go to davidsongalleries.com.

STG presents “Re:definition-Celebrating 90 Years of Community, Culture and Space”, a group show in the lobby of the bar in the Paramount Theatre guest curated by Jean Alonzo Rodriguez, Tracy Rector and Tariqa Waters to help celebrate that cultural institution’s 90^th birthday. Included is work by Junko Yamamoto, Kenji Hamai Stoll and others. 911 Pine in downtown Seattle. 206-682-1919.

Lawrence Pitre’s  new work entitled “We Are One” reflects his interest in the multi-ethnic diversity of the Central District  even as it changes. Gallery 4Culture. Sept. 6 – 27. 101 Prefontaine Pl. 206-296-7580 or  4culture.org.

“TENACIOUS” is the title of a group show of artists that take on the theme of “feminine.” It includes the work of Lauren Iida and MalPina Chan amongst others. Through Oct. 3, 2018. Suzanne Zahr Gallery. 2441 – 76^th Ave. SE #160 on Mercer Island. 206-354-1567.

Pacific Bonsai Museum shakes up this Japanese tradition with LAB (Living Art of Bonsai), an experimental collaborative for bonsai innovation This project is a re-sequencing in the order of influence between the bonsai artist, ceramicist and stand maker. The project kicks off in 2018 and continues through 2020. A video trailer from a film about this new process can be viewed at http://www.bonsaimirai.com. For more information, go to http://www.pacificbonsaimuseum.org.

Portland Art Museum has the following – “Suzuki Haranobu and the Culture of Color” is a new exhibit that looks at Harunobu’s contributions to the culture of color in his clever and elegant prints. This exhibition incorporates the physical materials of these important prints and is a collaboration  between Portland State University Professor Tami Lasseter Clare, Curator Jeannie Kenmotsu, Ph.D and Museum Conservator Samatha Springer. Through Sept. 16, 2018.  1219 S.W. Park Ave. 503-226-2811 or try [email protected].

KOBO  at Higo at 604 South Jackson features many small arts & crafts/textile shows and activities inspired by Asia or work by Asian American artists. There is another branch of KOBO on Capitol Hill at 814 E. Roy St. 206-726-0704.

New and recent shows /activities at the Wing include the following – “Blast Off To Beyond” is the new KidPLACE exhibit which explores the field of aerospace and the Asian Pacific Americans that play a huge role in space exploration and technology. On view through  Jan. 6, 2019. “Lore Re-Imagined: Shadows of Our Ancestors” is curated by Chieko Phillips. It brings together three artists who make work that engages the cultural traditions of previous generations. Satpreet Kahlon uses the embroidery and textile techniques passed on by her mother and grandmother to create soft works with strong cultural subtexts. Alex Anderson uses his ceramic studies in China to probe the moral and physical decay behind seemingly flawless facades. Megumi Shauna Arai’s “Unnamed Lake” uses sashiko (Japanese hand-stiched embroidery) to reflect on the physical, mental and emotional applications of mending. Remains on view  through April 14, 2019. “Wham! Bam! Pow! – Cartoons, Turbans & Confronting Hate” opens May 4, 2018 and remains on view through Feb. 24, 2019. This is an exhibition of work  by New York-based cartoonist Vishavjit Singh who wields art and humor to fight intolerance and challenge stereotypes. “A Dragon Lives Here”, part 4 of the ongoing Bruce Lee exhibition series has just opened.  This concluding part hones in on Bruce Lee’s Seattle roots and how this region played a key role in shaping Lee and his groundbreaking career. A reminder  that Bruce Lee tours reopen on March 10, 2018. “Visions of Pasifika: Light from Another World” on view now through Nov. 11 2018 looks at Pacific Islander artists who incorporate tradition while looking towards the future. Includes work by Lilian Ongelungel, Kalel’okalani, Roquin-Jon Quichocho Siongco and Selena Velasco.    “What’s In Your Cup? – Community Brewed Culture” is a new exhibit honoring the beverages that have given life to communities – from farmers and families who nurture the raw materials to friends & kin who bond over shared drinks. Hear histories of commerce, colonization and survival. Share tales from a Japanese family who brewed sake from Fukushima to Seattle, the Seko’s who ran the beloved Bush Garden, Carmel Laurino who pioneered the value of Filipino coffee, Lydia Lin who cultivated  tea appreciation through her Seattle Best Tea and Koichi Kitazawa, a brew master at Starbucks. On view through  Sept. 16, 2018. 206-623-5124×127 or email [email protected] for details. “New Years All Year Round” shows how New Year is celebrated in Chinese, Khmer and Korean cultures. On view through  July 1, 2018. Toddler Story Time set for Thursdays at 11am always has events centered around a kid’s book and an art activity afterwards.   A new addition to The Wing’s daily Historic Hotel Tour is “APT 507” which is the story of Au Shee, one Chinese immigrant woman who helped build Seattle’s Chinatown. Her living room is interactive with objects meant to be felt, opened  and experienced.   The Museum is located at 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.

Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park is now closed for what is projected to be a renovation and extension that will take several years.

“Familiar Faces & New Voices: Surveying Northwest Art”  stays on view through the summer of 2019. This group show is a chronological walk through of Northwest art history, illustrated with the works of noted artists from each time period as well as lesser-known but just as important figures. Different works will be displayed throughout the run of this show. Includes the work of Patti Warashina, Roger Shimomura, Joseph Park, Alan Lau (full disclosure, that’s me)  and many others. Tacoma Art Museum at 1701 Pacific Ave. 253-272-4258 or email [email protected] or go to www.TacomaArtMuseum.org.

To celebrate the Navarathri Festival, the Friends of Asian Art association presents a program on “The Visual Art Forms of India.” In a special one afternoon-only exhibition and talk, we will showcase the history, culture and ideas of India as revealed through unique styles of the art with artists Yamini Gourishankar, Deppti Arawalmittal and Amrutha Jayachandran. On Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018 at 1pm. At Phinney Center located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N. in the lower level Brick Building, Room #3. Pre-register at http://friendsofasianart.org/eventflyer5.html or get tickets at the door.

Chiu-Chen Liu is the “2018 Visual Artist-in-Residence” at this year’s Olympic Music Festival. Liu’s work on paper extends from a blend of early 20^th century French references and deploys a playful free-wandering quality of line. The festival takes place at the Wheeler Theater at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, WA. Throughout the summer into early September. 360-385-9699 or try http://www.olympicmusicfestival.org/

The Feast Arts Center   features the work of Kamla Kakaria and Junko Yamamoto from Oct. 10 – Nov. 11, 2018. Kakaria is a Seattle printmaker and installation artist. Yamamoto is also from Seattle  and will present new paintings and soft sculpture. Hours are Sat. from 12 – 4pm and Sun. from 9 – 1pm or by appointment. 1402 South 11^th St. in Tacoma.

Seattle resident Lauren Ko is an artist but her palette happens to be the surface of pies. Imagine if you did quilts with fresh ingredients instead of textile & thread and it appears instead on the face of a pie She doesn’t sell them and the beauty isn’t in making them or eating them but seeing the completed design. Her pie works of art have become an Instagram sensation with over 200,000 followers (loko kitchen). She was profiled in the Seattle Times back in August.

Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center presents the following – “Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community – Japanese American Life in Oregon” is an ongoing exhibit.  Beginning this year, visitors can see artifacts of the collection up close as the stacks will be open to see as the staff does filing. 121 NW Second Ave. in  Portland. 503-224-1458 or go to www.oregonnikkeir.org.

Portland Japanese Garden has some interesting shows planned for this year. Sept. 15 – Nov. 4, 2018 is a show entitled “Gion Matsuri: The World’s Oldest Urban Festival”. This 900 year old festival in Kyoto, featuring elaborately decorated floats from all provinces of Japan. A wall of video monitors shows the festival procession, Kyoto’s top photographers provide still images and festival musicians will visit to perform the unique festival music. “Manga Hokusai Manga” comes Dec. 1 – Jan. 14, 2019. This is the only venue in the U.S. in which viewers can see the world famous manga woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai displayed alongside work by top modern manga artists. 611 South Kingston Ave. 503-223-1321  or try japanesegarden.org.

“Remembering a Patron – Asian Art Donations from Dr. Judith Patt” is a group show honoring the legacy of this woman who generously donated Asian works of art to the AGGV for over 40 years. The show includes important Chinese and Japanese paintings to a variety of Japanese prints from the 18^th to 20^th century. On view until  January 7 2019. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is at1040 Moss St. in Victoria, BC, Canada. 250-384-4171 or go to aggv.ca.

Vancouver Art Gallery –  Now through Oct. 28, 2018 is the show entitled “Ayumi Goto & Peter Morin: how do you carry the land?” It looks at  the artist’s performance art works and the ongoing collaboration between a Japanese Canadian woman and a Tahltan First Nation man. “Guo Pei: Couture Beyond” is the first Canadian exhibition devoted to the work of China’s preeminent couturiere.  On view from Oct.13, 2018 – Jan. 20, 2019. This mid-career survey features more than forty complete looks from Pei’s most iconic runways from 2006 to 2017. Her work combines contemporary aesthetics, production methods and materials with ancient tradition, evoking Chinese history and mythology in her craft techniques, fabric selection and imagery. Organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery  in collaboration with SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film curated by Diana Freundl, Associate Curator, Asian Art and Stephanie Rebick, Associate Curator. On view through Oct. 8, 2018  in VAG’s offsite location is  the work of Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. He is acclaimed for his innovative use of inexpensive local materials in the creation of temporary shelters for those made homeless by environmental or political disasters. On view is the prototype “log cabin” shelter he designed in response to the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Built of cardboard tubing, the cabin expresses the architect’s concerns with sustainability and humanitarianism in the service of disaster relief. Vancouver Art Gallery is at 750 Hornby St. in Vancouver, BC Canada. 604-662-4719 or  vanartgallery.bc.ca.

Nikkei National Museum presents the following – Kayla Isomura’s “The Suitcase Project”  will be on  view through Sept. 2018.The museum  has numerous online exhibits as well as offsite exhibits. Check their website for details. The Nikkei National Museum is at 6688 Southoaks  Crescent in Burnaby. 604-777-7000 or go to nikkeiplace.org.

Chinese Cultural Centre Museum has the ongoing exhibit “Generation to Generation – History of Chinese Canadians in British Columbia.” 555 Columbia St. Vancouver, BC. 604-658-8880. Admission by  donation.

“The Lingering Charm: Oil Paintings by Xue Yanqun” on view through Sept. 12, 2018 at Poly Culture Art Center. 100-905 W. Pender St. in Vancouver, BC Canada. 604-564-5766  or try polyculture.us/.

The Pendulum Gallery has “Appearance: New Works by Jianjun An” through Sept. 8, 2018. An was trained as an architectural designer and was born in China where he attended Shan Dong University of Art & Design. He immigrated to Canada in 2005. 885 W. Georgia St. Vancouver, BC. 1-604-250-9682. Go to pendulumgallerybc.ca for details.

An ongoing exhibit entitled “Call for Justice: Fighting for Japanese Canadian Redress (1977-1988)” is on view at Nanaimo Museum at 100 Museum Way in Nanaimo, Canada. 250-753-1821 or go to nanaimomuseum.ca.

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco has the following – “Traces of the Past and Future: Fu Shen’s Paintings and Calligraphy” celebrates this noted artist’s 80^th birthday with his first exhibition in the U.S. on view through Sept. 16, 2018.    On going are two installations. In front of the museum is “Dragon Fortune” by Taiwanese artist Hung Yi which meshes together Taiwanese folk art, Japanese textile design and pop art kids cartoons. In the lobby is “Collected Letters” by Liu Jianhua, a cutting edge installation of porcelain letters and fragments of Chinese characters suspended in mid-air. 200 Larkin St. 415-581-3500.

SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport has on view through Jan. 6, 2019, “Isamu Noguchi: Inside And Out” which is an installation of interior and exterior landscapes drawn from sheetmetal kirigami, combined with his Akari lanterns.

LACMA or Los Angeles County Museum of Art  has “The Jeweled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka” from Dec. 9, 2018 – June 23, 2019. This is the first comprehensive survey of Sri Lankan art organized by an American museum. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 323-857-6010.

The Broad has had a Yayoi Kusama infinity room entitled “The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away” in their permanent collection for some time. Now they have added a second one entitled “Longing For Eternity” to their collection. Visitors can see it on view beginning March 17, 2018. For tickets, go to [email protected].

The Japanese American National Museum has the following shows  – “HAPA ME – 15 Years of the HAPA Project” on view through Oct. 28, 2018. Tracks artist Kip Fulbeck’s documentation of mixed race individuals from childhood to the present in images and text in their own words. “What We Carried: Fragments & Text Memories From Iraq & Syria. Jim Lommasson’s photos capture what these refugees brought from their homelands to their new home in America. Through August 5, 2018. “Common Ground: The Heart of Community.” This overview exhibit of Japanese American history is ongoing.

100 N. Central Ave. in Los Angeles. 213-625-0414 or go to http://www.janm.org.

The USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena is one of the few U.S. institutions dedicated to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. It closed its 1924 building for more than a year for a seismic retrofit and a makeover of its galleries. The museum has now re-opened to the public. “Ceremonies And Celebrations: Textile Treasures from the USC Pacific Asia Museum Collection” is on view from Sept. 14 – Jan. 6, 2019. 46 N. Los Robles Ave. 626-449-2742 or email [email protected].

“Chiura Obata: An American Modern” is the first retrospective of this noted Bay area artist whose work reflected the glories of the American landscape from the Grand Canyon to Yosemite. His influence could also be felt at UC Berkeley where he had a distinguished teaching career. He also helped found art schools in internment camps during WWII.  Curated by ShiPu Wang with a catalogue. The exhibition travels to the following sites. Jan. 18 – March 10, 2019 at Okayama Prefecture Museum of Art in Okayama, Japan (the artist’s hometown), June 23 – Sept. 29, 2019 at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.

“Gannenmono – A Legacy of Eight Generations in Hawai’i”  is a new exhibit that honors the 150^th Anniversary of the arrival of the first plantation workers in Hawai’i from Japan known as “Gannenmono.” It will use first-hand accounts, historic illustrations and authentic cultural objects to tell the story of the 150 Japanese workers who crossed the Pacific to Hawai’i and how their trials, perseverance and victories shaped the history of both Japan and Hawai’i. The Bishop Museum. 1525 Bernice St. in Honolulu, Hi. 808-847-3511 or [email protected].

“Okagesama De: I Am What I Am Because Of You” is a newly renovated permanent exhibit that tells the cultural story of the incredible legacies and values passed on from generation to generation starting with the first wave of Japanese immigrants to Hawai’i up to the present day. On view  at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i. 2454 South Beretania St. 808-945-7633 or try [email protected].

Denver Art Museum  has the following – Next in a series of exhibitions featuring contemporary artists that the museum feels should have fuller exposure in the region in the Logan Gallery and FuseBox in the Hamilton Building’s fourth floor features work by Native American visual artist Julie Buffalohead and Japan-based conceptual artist Shimabuku. Both artists use the depiction of animals as a vehicle to explore both familiar and unfamiliar narratives related to their personal heritage and the world around them. Buffalohead uses metaphors, iconography and storytelling narratives to describe the emotional and subversive American Indian cultural experience. Shimabuku showcases a video entitled “do snowmonkeys remember snow mountains?” in which a group of Japanese snow monkeys are transported from their natural habitat of snow-capped Japanese mountains to a Texas desert sanctuary. Shimabuku uses these Texas primates as a surrogate for humans to explore ideas of migration, environmental adaptation and memory. Featured at the 57^th  Venice Biennale in 2017. Both installations on view through Jan. 20, 2019. 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway in Denver, CO. Call 720-865-5000 or go to www.denverartmuseum.org.

The Freer/Sackler Gallery on the Smithsonian Mall shows you how religion and art mix in “Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia through Nov. 29, 2020. 202-633-1000 or go to FreerSackler.si.edu for details.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has the following – “The Poetry of Nature: Edo Paintings from the Fishbein-Bender Collection” through Jan. 21, 2019.  “A Passion for Jade: Heber Bishop and His Collection” through July 22, 2018. “Crowns of the Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal” through Dec.16, 2018. “Japanese Arms and Armor from the Collection of Etsuko and John Morris” through Jan. 6, 2019. “Streams and Mountains Without End: Landscape Traditions of China” through Jan. 6, 2019.1000 Fifth Ave. New York, New York. Go to metmuseum.org for details.

Artist/sculptor Huma Bhabha grew up in Karachi, Pakistan but has lived in the US for almost 30 years. She lives with her artist husband in the Hudson Valley. She will be the next artist to be featured in the popular roof-installation series at the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York. She’ll be bringing a big ax, literally. The installation entitled “We Come in Peace” will be comprised of two alien figures rough-cut chopped with an ax out of a block of cork. She likes to work with unwieldy materials like cork, styrofoam and burned wood. The installation at the Met is on view through  Oct. 28, 2018. She has a solo show in Sept. at Contemporary Austin, a piece at the 57^th Carniege International in Pittsburgh and a retrospective at ICA Boston in March of 2019. The Met is at 1000 Fifth Ave. in New York City. Go to metmuseum.org for details.

The Japan Society presents a retrospective on the work of photographer “Yasumasa Morimura: Ego Obscura” opening Oct. 12, 2018. The show highlights the artist’s 30-year-long career of excavating “the self” layers of art history, Japanese postwar history, and personal history. Also includes the U.S. premiere of the artist’s first full-length video work entitled “Ego Symposion (2016) and his latest cinematic installation “Ego Obscura” (2018), in conjunction with a live performance, “Morimura’s Nippon Cha Cha Cha!” staged by the artist himself on Sat., Oct. 13 at 7:30pm. Another gallery event entitled “Escape [email protected]” takes place on Fri., Oct. 19, 2018 at 6pm. 333 E. 47^th St. 212-832-1155.

The Rubin Museum of Art has the following shows – Work by Chitra Ganesh through Nov. 4, 2018. “Sacred Spaces” through Oct. 15, 2018. “The Second Buddha” through Jan. 7, 2019. “Masterworks of Himalayan Art” through March 25, 2018.  “Gateway to Himalayan Art” through July 16, 2018. “A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful” through Nov. 11, 2018. “The Sacred Buddha – Master of Time” through Jan. 7, 2019. “A Lost Future” by Shezad Dawood – The Otolith” through Jan. 28, 2019. 150 W. 17^th St. New York, New York. 212-620-5000×344 or go to rubinmuseum.org.

The Museum of Chinese in America looks at the role of Chinese medicine in two shows. “Chinese Medicine in America: Converging Ideas, People, and Practices” is on view through Sept. 9, 2018.  And another show with a Northwest twist is “On the Shelves of Kam Wah Chung & Co.: General Store and Apothecary in John Day Oregon” which looks at the role Ing Hay, a Chinese herbalist played in the frontier Northwest as a healer and doctor. On view through  Sept. 9, 2018. 215 Centre St. New York, NY. 855-955-MOCA or go to mocanyc.org.

The Asia Society Museum in New York presents the following – “The Progressive Revolution: Modern Art for a New India” from Sept. 14 – Jan 20, 2019. It looks at the emergence of a modern art movement in India via The Progressive Artist’ Group which formed in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the aftermath of independence. The show is comprised of works by the group’s core founders as well as later names affiliated with the group. Organized by Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy and Boon Hui Tan. There will be a series of programs held in conjunction with this show. To find out more, go to AsiaSociety.org/NY. 725 Park Ave. New York City, New York. 212-327-9721 or go to www.asiasociety.org for more details.

The Noguchi Museum has the following show through Jan. 27, 2019. “Akari – Sculpture by Other Means” looks at how Noguchi’s paper lanterns can create and transform space in different warp through installation. 9 – 01 33^rd Rd, Long Island City, NY. 718-204-7088.

The Guggenheim has the show, “One Hand Clapping – The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative Finale Exhibition”, a group show of contemporary Chinese artists Samson Young, Wong Ping, Cao Fei, Duan Jianyu and Liu Yilin on view through Oct. 21, 2018. 1071 Fifth Ave. New York, NY. Go to Guggenheim.org for details.

The work of Japanese photographer Joe Nishikawa explores life and industry in contemporary Japan especially in the aftermath of environmental disaster. It is included in a group show of under-represented photographers that received awards from We Transfer. Sept. 10 – 26, 2018 at New York’s Aperture  Foundation. 547 W. 27^th St – 4^th Floor in New York City. 212-505-5555. Go to aperture.org for details.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has the following –

The Yayoi Kusama “Infinity Mirrors” show continues its tour with a stop here July 7, 2018 – Sept. 30, 2018. 11150  East Blvd.  216-421-7350.

Museum of Fine Arts Boston has the following. “10,000 Miles Along The Yangzi River” allows viewers to embark on a transcontinental journey in imperial China via the visual stimulation of Chinese brush painting. July 21 – Sept. 30, 2018.  9300 Avenue of the Arts. 465 Huntington Ave. Go to mfa.org or call 617-267-9300.

The Peabody Essex Museum presents “Empresses of China’s Forbidden City”, the first major international exhibition to explore  the role of empresses in China’s Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Includes many works never seen before in the U.S. Through Feb. 10, 2019. 161 Essex St. in Salem, MA. 978-745-9500 or go to pem.org. This show moves on to the Freer/Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Mall in Washington D.C. March 30 – June 23, 2019.

“Beyond The Pedestal: Isamu Noguchi and the Borders of Sculpture” is on view Oct. 5, 2018 – Jan. 6. 2019. Portland Museum of Art at 7 Congress Square in Portland,Maine. 207-775-6148 or try [email protected].

The Art Institute of Chicago presents the following.  “The Yoshida Family: Three Generations of Japanese Print Artists” runs through Sept. 30, 2018. Many members of this family have figured prominently in the history of Japanese printmaking throughout the years.   “Rhythm of the Weave” includes a wide range of textiles from around the world from the 14^th century to the 20^th century on view through Oct. 21, 2018. 111 South Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has the following. “Enchanted Mountains: Chinese Landscape Painting from MIA’s Collection” through Nov. 18, 2018. “Love Affairs: The Tale of Genji in Japanese Art” through March 10. 2019. “Without Boundaries: Fiber Sculpture & Paintings by Women Artists” featuring work by Yayoi Kusama through July 21, 2019. “Emblems of a Prosperous Life: Women’s Robes of Late Imperial China (1700s-1800s) through June 30, 2018. Minneapolis Institute of Art. 2400 Third Ave. S. Call toll free at 888-642-2787.

The Saint Louis Art Museum presents the following – “Sun Xun: Time Spy” is on view through Oct. 21, 2018.  Contemporary Chinese artist Sun Xun uses woodblock printing, a centuries-old technique, to reimagine and transform the 21^st century medium of digital animated film. More than 10,000 woodblocks were carved, than inked and digitally scanned to create animation cells. A selection of the woodblocks used to create the film will also be on display. Since the artist’s work is in constant dialogue with art history, the Museum will also display four prints by Albrecht Durer in recognition of the German Renaissance artist’s influence on his own practice. “Chinese Buddhist Art, 10^th – 15^th Centuries”  remains on view through August 30, 2018. One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. 314-721-0072 or go to slam.org.

The Dallas Museum of Art has the following – “Asian Textiles: Art Along the Silk Road”  stays on view until Dec. 9, 2018. 1717 N. Harwood  in Dallas, TX. 214-992-1200.

Asia Society Texas Center in Houston presents the debut of Japanese artist Ayomi Yoshida’s large scale installation that looks at investigations of time, life cycles in nature and sensory memory. The piece includes video projections, vinyl applications on glass, hard carved and painted wall installations and a scrim complemented by intricate silkscreen-printed paper suspensions hung from the ceiling. The work is also inspired by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi’s design. On view  through Jan. 13, 2019. Free and open to the public. 1270 Southmore Blvd. in Houston. 713-496-9901 or go to asiasociety.org.

Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-1799) was  one of the most eccentric and imaginative brush painters in Edo, Japan. The exhibition “Rosetsu: Ferocious Brush” unravels the many mysteries of his enigmatic career. This marks the first time a large gathering of his work will be shown together outside of Japan. Sept. 6 – Nov. 4, 2018. Museum  Rietberg at Gablerstrasse 15, 8002 in Zurich, Switzerland. 41-44-415-31-31 or go to rietberg.ch.

Tokyo Opera city Art Gallery has the following shows. Through Sept. 24, 2018 is “Isamu Noguchi: From Sculpture to Body and Garden.” “Tsuyoshi Tane: Archaeology of the Future – Digging & Building” from Oct. 19, 2018 – Dec. 24, 2018. “Naoki Ishikawa: Capturing the Map of Light on This Planet” is a survey of this Japanese photographer’s work on view from Jan. 12 – March 24, 2018. 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo,Japan. +81- (0) 3-5353-0756.

“Takiguchi Shuzo And the  Artists Who Captivated Him” through Sept. 24, 2018. “A Group Show from the MOMAT Collection” on view through Sept. 24, 2018. National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. 1-1 Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku,  Tokyo, Japan.

Miho Museum in Shiga. “100 Modern Tea Scoops – Connoisseurship and Society” on view Oct. 20 – Dec. 2, 2018. “Red And Blue – Exploring The World of Sacred Colors”  on view through August 26, 2018. “Ancient Civilizations of The Americas – The Human and the Supernatural” on view from Sept. 8 – Oct. 8, 2018. Go to www.miho.or.jp/en for details.

“New Wave: Japanese Contemporary Art of the 1980’s” on view from Nov. 3, 2018 through Jan. 20, 2019. The National  Museum of Art, Osaka. 4-2-55 Nakanoshima,  Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan. +81-3-3212-2485.

“Make A Joyful Noise” is a permanent exhibit where you can view, hear, touch and play instruments from around the world. Hamamatsu  Museum of Musical Instruments. 3-9-1 Chuo, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. O53-451-1128.

The new Transbay Transit Center in the Bay Area has opened with a design in the grand hall by Bay Area artist Julie Chang. It’s a swirling design of flora and fauna accented with geometric patterns from African textiles, Chinese calligraphy, pottery designs, genetic mutations and Islamic tile and wallpaper.

In the township of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, there once stood a Japanese teahouse  which was looted and destroyed during the height of anti-Japanese violence at the start of WWII.  In 1942 the Canadian government began uprooting Japanese Canadians from the West Coast. Now historical researchers and a Japanese cultural association are hoping the municipality will agree to rebuild this Japanese teahouse in Gorge Park on the very same spot the original teahouse once stood.

Noted Japanese architect Kengo Kuma says he tried “to create a new living room for the city” as the Victoria & Albert Music opened a new museum in Dundee, Scotland. The Scottish Design Galleries will be the heart of the collection representing a wide range of design disciplines from the decorative arts to fashion, architecture, engineering and digital design.

Monyee Chau, local artist, event coordinator and service specialist at the Wing gets a full color spread in the “Lifestyle” page  of the Sept. 2018 issue of CityArts.

Performing Arts

Hawaiian music  seems to have  a regular venue at The Triple Door in downtown Seattle. Kahulanui, Hawai’i’s Kings of Swing play on Wed., Sept. 5 at 7:30pm. Led Kaapana and Mike Kaawa spin their guitar magic on Sept. 30. 216 Union St. 206-838-4333.

India’s well-known film composer A. R. Rahman (“Slumdog Millionaire”) performs in Everett at Angel of the Winds Arena on Sept. 7 at 7:30pm. 2000 Hewitt Ave. 1-888-332-8499.

The Thai Association of Washington State presents “Thai Festival Seattle 2018” on Sat., Sept. 8 from 11am – 5pm. North Seattle College. This family friendly event highlights Thai culture and performances including traditional and contemporary music, dances and theatre. Thai cooking demo and  over 80 vendors selling Thai food, drinks, snacks and arts & crafts. 9600 College Way N.  Parking available at North Parking area by NSC Childcare Center.

Intiman Theatre presents a comedy by noted Latina playwright Karen Zacarias entitled “Native Gardens” that looks at race, privilege and gardening. Directed by Arlene Martinez Vazquez with set design by Lex Marcos. Runs from  Sept. 6 – 30, 2018. At the Jones  Playhouse at 4045 University Way N.E. in the University District. For tickets try intiman.org/nativegardens or call 206-315-5838.

Kultura Arts will produce four short plays by local playwright Robert Francis Flor (see related article in this issue). Supported by the Filipino Community of Seattle, 4Culture, Kultura Arts and Robertflor.com. Rachel Rene Araucto directs an ensemble cast. Plays are as follows – “Pinakbet” is about the trials and tribulations of an interracial couple as they negotiate society as it was in the 1940’s. “Pinoy Hills” is a story about teenage angst during the 50’s & 60’s as reflected at 4^th of July picnics in Seward Park. “The Injury” looks at a Filipino American softball team that played in the Rainier Valley in the 70’s. “Salamangka’s Barber Shop” is a tribute to the many Filipino barbers who inhabited Chinatown/ID through the years.  Sat., Sept. 8 at 7pm. Filipino Community Center at 5240 MLK Way. Suggested donation is $20 at the door or you can get advance tickets through brownpapertickets.com.

Forward Flux Productions with Pratdhwani present “A Small History of Amal, Age 7” by Lindsay Joelle as Directed by Samip Raval on stage at West of Lenin from Sept. 19 – Oct. 6, 2018. Inspired by a play by Rabindranath Tagore, this play is set in Mumbai, India in 2006 on the day of the Mumbai train bombings. It’s the story of a little who must use his skills and imagination to fight the god of death. It examines our connection to family, our city and the world. Go to forwardflux.com for details.

Vashon Japan Festival is a traditional Japanese-style Street Festival that will feature a children’s village with games and art, Taiko drummers, Bon Odori dancers, a sake garden with food and drink, local artisans, educational speakers and more. Takes place from 10 – 4pm on Sat., Sept. 22, 2018 at Mukai Farm & Garden on Vashon Island. 18017 – 107^th Ave. SW. Go to mukaifarmandgarden.org for details.

“llha Formosa: Music of Taiwan” is a collaboration of Seattle Music Exchange Project and Philharmonia NW. It brings together over 100 musicians from Taiwan, Canada and the U.S. to perform masterworks by Taiwanese composers of past and present. Local music director Julia Tai will conduct the orchestra in performances of Gordon Chin’s Triple Concerto, Tyzen Hsiao’s Requiem for Formosa’s Martyrs and other works. Set for Sat., Sept. 29 at 2pm at Benaroya Hall. SMEP founded by Angelo Rondello has created musical cultural exchanges between Seattle and other countries around the world. For details, go to seattlemusicexchange.com.

Seattle Miyagi-Kai presents a free traditional Japanese music concert with koto, sangen and shakuhachi on Sun., Sept. 30 at 2pm. At Camp Burton Lodge on Vashon Island. 9326 SW Bayside Dr. Go to http://www.campburton.com for details.

The Arteast Art Center presents “USTAV!”, a 3-month celebration of Asian Indian culture featuring art, music, dance, and Indian traditions July 17 – Sept. 12, 2018 in Issaquah. Activities include exhibitions, classes, demos, and summer camp ending in a final, full-day community event on Sept. 8 in downtown Issaquah. Find event registrations and art calls at arteast.org. Presented in partnership with Issaquah Highlands Council, Downtown Issaquah Association and India Culture Club. Arteast Art Center is located at 95 Front St. N. in Issaquah. 425-392-3191  or try www.arteast.org.

The ever-busy Seattle actor Ray Tagavilla (He’s interviewed in the Sept. 2018 issue of CityArts) is part of the talented cast in Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s production of Craig Lucas’s “Prelude to a Kiss” which runs Sept. 6 – Oct. 6 (no performance Sept. 10) at 12^th Avenue Arts on Capitol Hill. The play is about a newly-wed husband who wonders if his beautiful young wife has changed bodies with a terminally ill septuagenarian on their honeymoon. Directed by Greg Carter. 1620 – 12^th Ave. 1-800-838-3006 or go to strawshop.bpt.me.

Aasif Mandvi, author, RV and film producer, former “The Daily  Show” regular and star of Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” brings his one-man show/comedy performance entitled “Aasif Mandvi’s Mid-Life Crisis”  to the Eastside’s Parlor Live Comedy  Sept. 6 – 8, 2018. 700 Bellevue Way NE, Ste. 300 on the third floor of Lincoln Square. 206-602-1441 or go to www.parlorlive.com.

Japanese Heritage Night takes place during the Seattle Mariners/New York Yankees game at Safeco Field on Sept. 7 starting at 7:20pm. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto throws out the opening pitch. A fun-filled night of  Japanese culture and of course, baseball. Get your tickets at mariners.com/japan.

C-ID Night Market is back on Sat., Sept. 9, 2018 at the Chinatown Gate from 4pm to midnight. Food,local arts & crafts, entertainment, beer garden and more.

William Shakespeare Company is the Puget Sound Region’s year-round professional classical theatre. Upstart Crow Collective is dedicated to producing classical works with all-female casts for contemporary audiences. These two groups join forces to present “Richard III” as directed by Rosa Joshi (see related article this issue) from Sept. 12 to Oct. 7, 2018 at Leo K. Theatre at Seattle Repertory Theatre at 155 Mercer St. downtown. 206-733-8222  or try seattleshakespeare.org.

“Bellwether” is a 10 day festival of the arts curated by artist collective SuttonBeresCuller designed to showcase Bellevue as the artistic hub of the Eastside. See the work of 50+local and international artists including Guillermo Gomez Pena, Hasan Elahi, Trimpin, Brent Watanabe, Tariqa Waters, Sara Rastegarpouyani, Monyee Chau/Alex Britt and many others. Opening party on Sept. 14 from 6 – 9pm at Bellevue Arts Museum at 510 Bellevue Way. On Sat., Sept. 15 from 5 – 9pm, catch performances in Compass Plaza at NE 6^th St. and 106^th Ave. NE. Also Sept. 15 at 8pm at Bellevue Arts Museum, catch a performance entitled “The Most (un)Documented Mexican Artist.”  Guillermo Gomez-Pena does a workshop at Bellevue Arts Museum on Sun., Sept. 16 from 1 – 5pm. On Sept. 22 at 5pm, catch poetry at Bellevue Arts Museum. Also on Sat., Sept. 22 from 5 – 9pm, Music and performances at Bellevue Downtown Parks at 10201 – NE 4^th  St. Bellevue Arts Museum will offer free admission during the run of this festival.For details, try bellwetherartsweek.org or email [email protected].

Pioneering all-girl Japanese rock group Shonen Knife still gather no dust. They will be rocking out with Ichi Bichi on Sun., Sept. 30 at 8pm. The Tractor Tavern at 5213  Ballard Ave. NW.  206-789-3599.

Sun., Sept. 30, 2018 is the annual Nichiren Chow Mein Sale from 11am – 3pm. Also available is teriyaki chicken, imogashi and homemade sweets. Seattle Nichiren Buddhist Church at 1042 Weller St. Call 206-323-2252 for details.

“Solo: A Festival of Dance” takes place Oct. 4 – 7, 2018. Out of 98 applications, the curatorial team of Rachel Cook, Clare Hatlo and Charles Smith narrowed it down to 16 artists. Includes Alyza DelPan-Monley, Naomi Macalalad Bragin, Kiruthika Rathanswami and many others. Advance tickets at https://www.ontheboards.org/performances/2018-solo-a-festival-of-dance or by calling the Box Office from Tues. – Fri., 12 – 4pm at 206-217-9886×1019.

Khaled Hosseini, best-selling author of “The Kite Runner” followed that up with “A Thousand Splendid Suns” that looks at the story of Afghani women and daughters. San Francisco’s ACT Theater under then Director Carey Perloff commissioned Irish Indian playwright Ursula Rani Sarma to adapt the novel into a play in 2017. Perloff also directs the Seattle Rep production in association with SF’s ACT. On stage here  from Oct. 5 –  Nov. 10, 2018. 206-443-2222 or go to seattlerep.org.

A touring production of Broadway’s Tony [email protected] musical “Come From Away” makes its debut at 5^th Avenue Theatre this fall.  Oct. 9 – Nov. 4, 2018. By Irene Sankoff & David Hein, directed by  Christopher Ashley, musical staging by Kelly Devine & music supervision/arrangements by Ian Esendrath. This musical tells the true story of the 7,000 stranded passengers in the aftermath of 9/11 and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Christine Toy Johnson is in the large cast Single tickets on sale now and at www.5thavenue.org or by calling 206-625-1900. 1308 5^th Ave. in downtown Seattle.

Dukesbay Theater was founded by Randy Clark and Aya Hashiguchi at the  Merlino Arts Center in Tacoma to support theatre in the area. Opening Oct. 19 and running through Nov. 4, 2018 will be a play by Philip Kan Gotanda entitled “Yohen.” It tells the story of a young Afro American G.I. in Japan who meets and weds a Japanese woman. Flash forward to their life in America. As he settles into retirement, their marriage unravels. In a trial separation, he volunteers for a non-profit community center and she focuses on pottery. The play explores love, marriage, aging, cultural & racial bridges and the beauty of creation in your own art and life. 568 South Sixth Ave. #10. 253-350-7680 or try [email protected].

The Meany Center For The Performing Arts – Looking forward to the 2018/2019 season, look out for the following. The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble are one of the premier Indian Classical Dance ensembles performing today. They have the distinction of making the New York Times “Best Dance of the Year” list two years running. They will make their Meany debut with special guest artists from Sri Lanka’s Chitrasena Dance Company to perform the critically acclaimed collaborative piece “Samhara” performed with both Indian and Sri Lankan musicians. Oct. 4 – 6, 2018  at 8pm. The Taiwan Philharmonic has been hailed as one of Asia’s best. They make their Seattle debut on Nov. 3, 2018 at 7:30pm under the baton of Shao-chia Lu. They perform Brahms, noted Taiwan composer Gordon Chin’s “Dancing Song” and are joined by pianist Stephen Hough for Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq returns to Seattle on Feb. 8, 2019. Her vocal improvisations bridge traditional roots with contemporary culture, stirring in punk, metal and electronics. Time for Three is a ground  breaking string trio that transcends tradition as well by mixing elements of pop and rock into their classical foundation. They perform on April 18, 2019. Yekwon Sunwoo won the Gold Medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He makes his Seattle debut in a program of Schumann, Liszt, Beethoven and Schubert. One performance  only on Sat.,  May 4, 2019  at 7:30pm.  All tickets now available as part of a Meany Center subscription package and remaining single tickets go on sale on August 1, 2018. You can order online at meanycenter.org or call 206-543-4880 or visit the ticket office at 41st Street between University Way  NE & Brooklyn Ave. NE. tickets available via FAX too at 206-685-4141.

Stand-up comic Aparna Nancherla appears at the Neptune  in Seattle’s University District on Sept. 22, 2018. Go to stgpresents.org or call 1-800-982-2787 for details.

Conductor Ludovic Morlot ends his tenure with the Seattle Symphony with a varied and stimulating series of concerts. Some highlights include  noted soprano Yasko Sato who is featured in Seattle Symphony’s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Dec. 28 – 30, 2018. At the Taper auditorium. The annual “Celebrate Asia” concert is back on Jan. 27 at 4pm in Taper Auditorium. The theme this year is Korea. The orchestra will be led by highly touted conductor Shiyeon Sung known for finding the right balance between dynamic passion and even handed music making. Pianist Seong-Jin Chao won the Gold Medal at the Chopin International Competition and has never looked back. He will be a featured soloist. Soprano Kathleen Kim is a regular guest at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera and will grace the stage with her beautiful voice. The program consists of work by John Adams, Rachmaninov, Narong Prangcharoen, Unsuk Kim and traditional Korean folk songs. Taper Auditorium. The Silkroad Ensemble (featured in a documentary film) returns with the world premiere of Kinan Azmeh’s clarinet concerto, composer/pianist Vijay Iyer’s “City of Sand”, Edward Perez’s “Latina 6/8 Suite” and a world premiere by noted composer Chen Yi. Wed., Feb. 6 at 7:30pm in the Taper Auditorium. All concerts at Benaroya  Hall in downtown Seattle. Go to seattlesymphony.org for details.

Seattle Pro Musica specializes in the performance and promotion of modern and ancient choral music under the direction of artistic director Karen Thomas.  They present a concert entitled “Pacific Voices – Choral Music by Asian and Asian American Composers” on Sat., March 9, 2019 at 7:30pm at Seattle First Baptist Church at 1111 Harvard Ave. in Seattle and again on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 7:30pm at Trinity Lutheran Church at 6215 196^th St. WW in Lynnwood, WA.  Composers performed are Hyo-Won Woo, Sungji Hong, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Budi Susanto Yohanes, Victor Paranjoti and A. R. Rahman of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame. Advance tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets or you could get them online at seattlepromusica.org.

The Olympic Music Festival takes place at Fort Worden’s Joseph F. Wheeler Theater in Port Townsend, WA throughout the summer into early September, 2018. Concerts start at 2pm. Includes Jinjoo Cho on violin, Eunae Koh on violin, Ayane Kozasa on viola, Sung Jin Lee on viola, Julia Yang on cello, Kristin Lee on violin, Yura Lee on violin and many others. 360-385-9699 or try http://www.olympicmusicfestival.org/.

“Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy (registered trademark)”  with Seattle Symphony returns to Seattle on Wed., Sept. 12, 2018 at 7:30pm & Thurs., Sept. 13, 2018 at 7:30pm. This concert features the music of Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu who will be in attendance. It will be conducted by  Grammy Award winner Arnie Roth. This concert combines video and music to immerse the audience in the fantastical video game world of  Final Fantasy. Limited VIP meet & greet pre-sale tickes available now. Try [email protected].

September 9, 2018 marks the “Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival” held at Seattle Center’s Armory. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

Emerald City Music kicks off a new season on Sept. 14, 2018 with a concert entitled “Four Seasons.” Bella Hristova, Chad Hoopes, Kristin Lee (violins), Ayane Kozasa (viola), Paul Wiancko (cello), Daxun Zhang (bass), JP Jofre (bandoneon) and Li-Tan Hsu (piano) will perform tunes by Tartini, Wiancko, Bottesini and Piazolla. 8pm.  415 Westlake. 206-250-5510  or try www.emeraldcitymusic.org.

The city of Renton celebrates their diversity with a Multi-Cultural Festival held September 14 – 15. 425-430-6600 or go to rentonwa.gov.

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma’s historic theater district presents the Chinese Warriors of Peking on Sept. 20, 2018.  253-591-5894  or try broadwaycenter.org.

The Hawaiian music group Kalapana perform on Sept. 27, 2018 at 7:30pm at Club Sur at 2901  1^st Ave. S. For details, call 206-819-8377.

The Seattle Chinese Orchestra presents a concert entitled “Jubilant Journey to the East” on Sat., Sept. 29 at 7pm. Combining traditional Chinese instruments with classical Western instruments, founder Warren Chang’s Seattle Chinese Orchestra as conducted by Roger Nelson will perform in Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. Includes performances  from the Northwest Chinese Guzheng Orchestra, the US China Music Ensemble, The Seattle Chinese Orchestra and more special guests. 200 University St. in downtown Seattle. 206-215-4800.

October 20, 2018 marks the day of “Diwali: Lights of India Festival” at Seattle Center Armory. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

T-T, also known as Tizzy T is a noted young rapper and hip-hop producer from Guangzhou. He won the Southern China Beat Box Competition in 2010. Known for his colorful outfits and punchy style, he performs live at The Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, Coquitlam B.C. Canada. Go to ticketmaster.ca for details and tickets.

November 3, 2018 is the “Hmong New Year Celebration” at Seattle Center’s Armory. 206-684-7200 or try  www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

Early Music Seattle brings the highly praised Bach Collegium Japan with legendary conductor Masaaki Suzuki to Bastyr University Chapel. They will bring the best of the Baroque period to life. The program features harmonic inspirations from Vivaldi, Handel’s motet Slete Venti with soprano Joann Lunn and French-inspired dances by Bach. Sat., Dec. 8, 2018 at 7:30pm. 14500 Juanita Dr. N.E. in Kenmore, WA. Free Parking.  206-325-7066  or earlymusicseattle.org.

In local theatre news, Sara Porkalob is working on “Dragon Cycle” for 2019 at American Repertory Theatre. Justin Huertas is working on “Lydia and the Troll”  set for Seattle Repertory Theatre’s spring 2019 season.

“Strip Alone Complex: A Burlesque Tribute to the music of Yoko Kanno” by Scarlett O’Hairdye & friends pays tribute to the cyberpunk composer of “Cowboy Bebop” fame. Sept. 14 – 15, 2018 at  The Rendezvous at 7pm.2322 – 2^nd Ave. 206-441-5823.

Seattle-bred, New York-based brass quartet The Westerlies (Riley Mulherkar plays trumpet in this group) return to Seattle to present the first annual Westerlies Fest, a four-day music festival in Seattle from Sept. 20 – 23 at Seattle Pacific University with Common Tone Arts and various other sites around the area like the Wing. Seattle spoken word artist Troy Osaki will be one of the special guests curating spoken word collaborations. More information, and tickets available at westerliesfest.org.

“Sound Travels: Performing Arts of Asia” is a series that’s part of Gardner Center’s Fall Saturday University Lecture Series set from Sept. 29 early Dec. Presentations at 11:30am in Seatte Art Museum’s Plestcheeff Auditorium. Haicheng Wang from UW talks and performs a presentation entitled “Strike the Bells Solemnly: Music of Ancient China” Sept. 29. UW Professor Christina Sunardi presents “East Javanese Dance Performance and Female Power” on Oct. 6. On Oct. 13, Vietnamese musician/composer Van-Anh Vo plays her zithers “Breathing New Air Into Tradition”. On Oct. 20, Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy from UCLA presents “Musical Arts of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, Rajasthan”. On Oct. 27, Katherine In-Young Lee of UCLA presents “Dynamic Korea and Rhythmic Form”. On Nov. 3, Tomoko Sugawara, kugo harp with Gus Denhard on lute and Antonio Gomez on percussion perform “Music of the Tang Dynasty: Connections to Japan”. Nov. 10 brings Hari Krishnan from Wesleyan University with two members of InDANCE from Toronto to present “Movement and Metaphor in South Indian Court Dance”. Nov. 17 brings Behrooz Alavi on ney flute with Ali Ghaemmaghami on kamancheh, and Sarang Amritbar on vocals and tombak presenting “Modes and Melodies of Classical Persian Music.” Dec. 1 brings Julie Iezzi from the University of Hawai’i presenting “Exploring Kyogen: Comical Drama of Medieval Japan.  Another concert entitled “Songs of Rajasthan” brings local Indian vocalist Srivani Jade and her Ensemble to the Seattle Art Museum’s Brotman Forum  on Thurs., Nov. 15 at 7pm.Visitsam.org/tickets or call 206-654-3210.

Earshot Jazz brings their star-studded Fall Earshot Jazz Festival which begins Oct. 7, 2018 with the best in jazz, ethnic and improvised music locally, nationally and internationally. Some performers include –  Pianist Helen Sung will be at the Chapel Performance Space on Mon., Oct. 8 at 7:30pm.  Jovino Santos  Neto & Jasnam Daya Singh perform on Tues., Oct. 9 at 8pm at PONCHO  Concert Hall at Cornish College of the Arts. Award-winning vocalist Jen Shyu brings her “Nine Doors” ensemble to Poncho Concert Hall on Sat., Oct. 20 at 8pm at Cornish College of the Arts. Composer/bassist Linda May Han Oh visits as part of the Pat Metheny Group on Sun., Oct. 21 at 7pm at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton. Smooth pianist Deems Tsutakawa shares the bill with Seattle guitarist Michael Powers on Thurs., Oct. 25 at 8pm at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Visit www.earshot.org for upcoming details as fall draws closer.

“Beyond Ideas” is the title of Artswest’s 2018-2019 season. Some highlights include David Henry Hwang’s “M. Butterfly” set for January 24 – Feb. 17, 2019, Julia Cho’s “Office Hour” May 2 – May 26, 2019 and Justin Huertas’s musical, “The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion” June 20 – July 28, 2019.Learn more details about the entire new season at artswest.org. Artswest is located in West Seattle at 4711 California Ave. SW.

Zakir Hussain makes his annual visit to Seattle with his always  compelling “Masters of Percussion” ensemble featuring some world-class musicians. Set  for April 2, 2019 at the Moore Theatre. Presented by STG Presents. 206-812-1114.

Local spoken word poet, singer-songwriter, music producer & audio engineer Nic Masangkay releases his new single “Forever” (featuring Falon Sierra) recorded at Jack Straw Cultural Center by Camelia Jade Lazenby to all platforms on Sept. 21, 2018. The song was inspired by his friends’ experiences as queer survivors of color. It comes from Masangkay’s new album set for Oct. 2018 release. If you are interested in supporting this recording project, go to https://www.patreon.com/nicmasangkay. The album with a multimedia show will be performed live at Gay City Arts in May 2019. To contact Nic Masangkay, go to [email protected].

“88 Degrees & Rising Tour” features 18 year old Chinese Indonesian sensation Rich Brain who taught himself English by listening to popular hip hop artists. He will appear with Joji, Keith Ace, Higher Brothers KOHH, Niki August 08 & Don Krey. Oct. 27, 2018 at 7pm. Doors open at 6pm. For details, try accessoshowarecenter.com or 253-856-6999. For tickets, try www.tickets.accessoshowarecenter.com. Concert is at Accesso Showare Center.

Playwright Young Jean Lee, originally from Eastern Washington became the first Asian American woman playwright to have a play open on Broadway with her play entitled “Straight White Men”. An earlier version of that play had a brief run in Seattle a few months back. The play looks at a family of white males feeling marginalized because they were now being labeled. The play stars Armie Hammer of “Call Me By Your Name” fame. It opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre.

Sam Miller, former director of Jacob’s Pillow, past president of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and former managing director of Pilobus passed away this spring. He was beloved by the New York dance community and was known as a visionary administrator for dance. A celebration of his life will be held at New York’s Danspace on Sat., Sept. 15, 2018 from 11am – 10pm. Performances from some of the city’s finest will fill the event. The famed dance team of Eiko and Koma will make a rare evening appearance in his honor.

Film & Media

SIFF & The City of Issaquah Arts Commission present Issaquah International Film Festival set for two days, Sept. 15 & 16 at Cinebarre Issaquah located at 1490 11^th Ave. NW. Free but RSVP is required. Go to SIFF.net/issaquah2018 for reservations. For those without reserved tickets who turn up at the theatre day of the show, there may be a possibility to get in  as reserved tickets not claimed will be released on a first come/first served basis. Some films of interest include “Dobara Phir Se” from Pakistan set for Sept. 15 in which an unlikely story of soulmates always turn up at the wrong place at the wrong time for all the right reasons. On Sept. 16, foodies will want to check out a documentary film by Alexandra Cuerdo entitled “ULAM: Main Dish” which looks at the rise of the Filipino food movement in America. For complete information on all the films, try https://www.siff.net/year-round-cinema/film-festivals/issaquah-film-festival for details.

“Haunted Healing: Confronting Intergenerational Trauma Through Film And Poetry” takes place on Wed., Oct. 3 at 7pm. View a screening of Daryn Wakasa’s short film “Seppuku” which treats the lingering effects of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans as a form of intergenerational haunting. Hear poet Melissa Bennent share writing that explores the painful resonances of the boarding school and mental health systems that separated native peoples from their culture, homeland, language, faith and family. Both Wakasa and Bennett will discuss their work and the creative possibilities for healing in the community. Presented in partnership with Densho & Evergreen Longhouse Education and Cultural Center. The event is held at Seattle Central Library’s Microsoft Auditorium. 1000 Fourth Ave. 206-386-4636 or go to www.spl.org.

Grand Illusion Cinema has the following – “HAIKYU!: The ZMovie: Battle of Concepts: Crunchyroll Anime Night” screens Sept. 19, 21 & 22. Based on the 3^rd season of the popular TV anime Series HAIKYU!” The compilation film focuses on Karasuo High Boys Volley ball team preparing for their final face off to represent the prefecture in the volleyball national championships. “Outrage Coda”, the long awaited conclusion to Takeshi Kitano’s crime trilogy screens Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2018. Grand Illusion Cinema is at 1403 NE 50^th in Seattle’s University District. 206-523-3935.

“Matatangi/Maya/M.I.A.”, a documentary film by Stephen Loveridge looks at the genesis, artistry and politics of the subversive hip-hop star from Sri Lanka known as M.I.A. Opens Oct. 5, 2018.

SIFF Cinema Uptown is at 511 Queen Anne Ave. N. 206-464-5830.

In Megumi Sasaki’s documentary film “A Whale of a Tale”, American journalist Jay Alabaster tells the story behind the whale-hunting tradition in Wakayama, Japan, contrasted by the protests of environmental activists. Screens Sept. 14 – 16. SIFF Film Center.305 Harrison St. 206-464-5830.

Parade Deck Films present acclaimed filmmaker and Peabody Award-winner Leon Lee’s social justice documentary film “Letter From Masanja”. The film shines a light on human rights violations in China. It follows the true story of an Oregon woman who finds a desperate SOS letter penned by a political prisoner in her Halloween decorations and the chain of events it sparks when she makes the letter public. It took home the audience Award for Documentary Feature at the 2018 Asian American International Film Festival. Opens Sept. 14, 2018 in New York and L.A. with other cities to follow. A VOD/digital version will debut Dec. 4, 2018.

ASIANCRUSH, the leading streaming service for Asian programming will premiere a new Chinese theatrical release each week from leading Chinese  theatrical distributors China Lion and Orchid Tree. To get more information on this continuing film series, visit www.digitalmediarights.com.

“Conscious Cartoons International Animation Festival is a three-day festival for those who care about social issues as told through the power and artistry of animated films. Includes “Jeom” by Kangmin Kim, “The Fish Curry” by Abhishek Verma and “Contagion” by Rachel Yingzong Xin. Screens Friday – Sun. , Sept. 14 – 16,  2018 at the Vashon Theatre on Vashon Island.  Get tickets at smrths.com/ConsciousCartoons_Tickets2018 or for more info., try [email protected].

Local Sightings Film Festival is the Northwest Film Forum’s annual celebration of Northwest filmmakers. It takes place Sept. 21 – 29, 2018. Besides screenings, there will be artist talks, performances and networking events. 1515 12^th Ave. on Capitol Hill. Go to www.localsightings.org for details.

The late, legendary Japanese Anime director Satoshi Kon (“Paprika”) will have his first film “Perfect Blue” screened in a brand-new digital transfer on Sept. 6, 2018 (Japanese version) and Sept. 10 (English dubbed version) at 7pm. The story is about a rising pop star who is threatened by a stalker killing  off those around her. Screens at the AMC Pacific Place 11, the Regal Meridian 16 and the Regal Thornton Place 14 in Seattle. Go to www.FanthomEvents.com for tickets.

Coming to the SIFF Cinema Egyptian on Nov. 17, 2018 is a one-time free screening of “Ponyo” by Ghibli Studio. It’s the tale of a five year-old boy who develops a relationship with a goldfish  princess. Free but reservations must be made. It is jointly sponsored by  Delta Dental with a visit by the tooth fairy. 805 E. Pine. 206-324-9996.

Fathom Events and Toei Animation, Inc. will bring three throwback Dragon Ball Z titles to theatres this fall. “Dragon Ball Z – The Legendary Super Saiyan” screens Sat., Sept. 15 at 12:55pm and Mon., Sept. 17 at 7pm. The double-feature “Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan” on Sat., Nov. 3 at 12:55pm and Mon. Nov. 5 at 7pm. Screens at theatres across the Puget Sound. Go to www.fathomevents.com for the complete schedule of theatres.

If you have enjoyed an animated feature film from Japan’s Ghibli Studios and wished you could see more, here’s your chance. Fathom Events brings a Studio Ghibli Film Festival starting in March and going through November, 2018. The films will screen at Pacific Place 11, The Varsity in the University District & Thornton Place 14 in Seattle and Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue. All screenings at  12:55pm in the afternoon. Here are the titles and dates. Please note that some screenings will be dubbed and others will be with subtitles. “My Neighbor Totoro” is Sept. 30 (dubbed), Oct. 1 (subtitled) and Oct. 3 (subtitled). “Spirited Away” is Oct. 28 (dubbed), Oct. 29 (subtitled) and Oct. 30 (subtitled). “Castle in the Sky” is Nov. 18 (dubbed), Nov. 19 (subtitled) and Nov. 30 (dubbed).

It’s not too early to start contemplating another visual feast of films from South Asia. Tasveer South Asian Film Festival celebrates its 13^th year with a 10 day festival of films and forums on the South Asian diaspora with a spotlight on Pakistan and the theme of “# Know Me” which asks the audience and filmmakers to challenge narratives and assumptions about South Asia. The festival screens over 60 films from Sept. 28 – Oct. 7, 2018 around the Puget Sound in Seattle, Bellevue, Bothell, Redmond and Renton. Here are some highlights – The 13^th TSAFF Festival Launch Party on Thurs., Sept. 13 at 6:30pm at Seattle University with two-time Academy Award winning Pakistani director Sharmeen Obald-Chinoy and a screening of her Oscar-winning film entitled “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.” Sept. 28 Opening Night Red Carpet Gala includes the screening of Asim Abbasi’s “Cake” at 6:30pm at Seattle Art Museum. With visiting filmmakers (like Mehreen Jabbar whose film “Lala Begum” screens on Sept. 29), the director/cast in attendance, live entertainment and appetizers.  “Drawn Together: Comic Diversity And Stereotypes” starts on Sat., Sept. 29 at 2pm. A screening of a film by Harleen Kaur and a multicultural panel of comics creators (including Vishavjit Singh, Sikh Captain America) who will discuss cartooning and its connection to race and identity, and the power of media representation to dispel stereotypes. TasVR is a virtual/augmented reality experience that invites you to immerse yourself in stories from Pakistan, India and more. Takes place on the weekend of Sept. 29 – 30 from noon – 4pm at SIFF and again on Mon., Oct. 1 at 6:30pm at the HIVE Media Lab at KCTS .”Centerpiece Film Focus” will be a screening of “Salam: The First Nobel Laureate” by Anand Kamalakar on Thurs., Oct. 4 at 6:30pm. Producers Zakir Thaver and Omar Vandal will be in attendance. The TSAFF 2018 Symposium includes thought-provoking panels and discussions on media, activism and social justice from South Asia and its diaspora on Fri., Oct. 5 starting at 9am at UW, Bothell. “Closing Night Awards Ceremony With Director Vishal Bhardwaj” on Sun., Oct. 7 at 4pm at Seattle University with a special feature film screening of one of his films and post-film Q & A with Vashal Bhardwaj, followed by awards announcements and reception. For more information, 206-349-4478 or try tasveer.org or filmfreeway.com. Also #TSAFF2018 #KnowMe/@TasveerSeattle.

The Tacoma Film Festival goes on Oct. 4 – 11, 2018 with passes on sale now. Go to tacomafilmfestival.com for details.

“TWIST -The 23^rd  Seattle Queer Film Festival” screens from Oct. 11 – 21, 2018 around the Puget Sound with local,  national and international films. Go to www.threedollarbillcinema.org for more details.

Crosscut and KCTS launch a new arts and culture video series hosted by artist/entrepreneur and scientist Susie Lee entitled “The Art of the Matter/The Stuff Around Us.” The first episode is on “Northwest Clay.” Episodes are every other week on Facebook or Twitter. Video  by Stephen Hegg and Aileen Imperial. Go to crosscut.com for details.

A rare early Indian film by Himansu Rai and Franz Ostan entitled “A Throw Of Dice” in which two kings gamble for a woman was shot in 1920s Rajasthan. It screens on Sun., Jan. 13 at 2pm with a new music score. Seattle Art Museum  auditorium downtown. $10 or  SAM members, $5.

Actor Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”) will play the title character in Armando Iannucci’s screen adaptation of Charles Dicken’s “David Copperfield”. It’s the latest case of color-blind casting and Patel’s not alone. Benedict Wong plays Mr. Wickfield and Nigerian-born Brit, Nikki Amuka-Bird plays Mrs. Steerforth. Ealing Studios has titled the film “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and it will come out next year. Other upcoming examples include “Mary Queen of Scots” in which Brit.-Chinese actress Gemma Chan plays the aristocrat Bess of Harwick. A new biopic of French writer “Colette” has Asian-Brit Ray Panthaki and a black actor, Johnny K. Palmer. Excerpted from an April 2018 issue of The Guardian.

The Written & Spoken Arts

Town Hall Seattle continues their stimulating series of events all over town as their original space is being renovated. Maya Rao is a staff writer in the Washington DC bureau of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She will talk about her new book entitled “Great American Outpost: Dreamers, Mavericks and the Making of an Oil Frontier.” It is a firsthand account of the breakneck capitalist microcosm that is the modern day gold rush in North Dakota’s oil fields. Co-sponsored by Third Place Books, the reading takes place on Thurs., Sept. 6, 2018 at 7:30pm at The Collective at 400 Dexter Ave. N.

Filipino American Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas reads from his memoir  “Dear America, Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018 at 7:30pm. Dubbed “the most famous undocumented immigrant in America”, Vargas talks about the sense of homelessness, the unsettled and unmoored psychological state that undocumented immigrants like Vargas find themselves in. Seattle First Baptist Church on First Hill at 1111 Harvard Ave. Go to townhallseattle.org for details.

Seattle writer Nguyen Cong Khanh will read from his new book entitled “The Last Wild Buffalo on the Island”, a collection of essays set in King County and Vietnam that examines the author’s Vietnamese heritage. A book signing and reception will follow. Sunday, Sept. 16 at 12 pm. Please note that this book is written in Vietnamese and presented in Vietnamese. Seattle Central Library Microsoft Auditorium. 1000 Fourth Ave. 206-386-4636 or go to www.spl.org.

Open Books has the following events –Sept. 22, 2018 at 7pm is a group reading from “They Said: A Multi-Genre Anthology of Contemporary Collaborative Writing.” Includes IE contributing writer/poet Michael Schmeltzer who joins a talented group of other writers. Local poet/educator Rick Barot teaches a workshop  entitled “The Personal & the Political” Oct. 21 at noon and Oct. 28 at 10am. Pre-registration fee of $75 per person. The class will look at a handful of poets for ideas on how to pivot between the personal and political in our own writing. Barot has published three volumes of poetry and directs the Rainier Writing Workshop MFA program in Creative Writing at PLU in Tacoma. His new book “The Galleons” is forthcoming from Milkweed Editions in 2020.

Mia Ayumi Malhorta, a former UW MFA graduate returns to town from the Bay Area for a book launch reading from her debut poetry collection entitled “Isako Isako” (Alice James Books) on Oct. 26 at 7pm. The book looks at generations of Japanese American women in her own family and how they were affected by the history of internment during WWII. Local poet Dujie Tahat joins fellow 2018 Jack Straw writers Kamari Bright, Jalayna Carter, Bryan Edenfield and Corbin Louis in a 2018 Jackstraw Writers Reading on Nov. 30, 2018 at 7pm.  Open Books is a poetry only bookstore located in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood at 2414 N. 45^th St. 206-633-0811 or try [email protected].

The University Book Store presents the following authors at various Seattle locations. Kazu Kibuishi talking about his latest fantasy graphic novel entitled “Super Nova (Amulet #8)” on September 25  at 7pm at University Temple United Methodist Church.  A $24.99 ticket admits the family and includes one copy of the book. Advance tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets. 1415 43^rd St. 206-632-5163. On Sunday, Sept. 30 at 2pm, catch Juleah del Rosario reading from “500 Words or Less” at the University District branch of the University Book Store. It’s a young adult novel about a high school girl who tries to re-define her sullied reputation by writing college admission essays for her Ivy League obsessed classmates. Along the way she loses her moral compass and self-doubt sets in. How can she turn it around? A novel in  verse form. 4321 University Way NE. 206-634-3400.

Elliott Bay Book Company continues to sponsor readings in their Capitol Hill bookstore as well as co-producing events all over the city. Below you will find a partial listing of some of their events. Events are at the bookstore located at 1521 Tenth Ave. unless otherwise noted. 206-624-6600. On Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7pm, Cindy Domingo talks about “A Time to Rise: Collective Memoirs of the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP)” (UW Press), her book about the work of the KDP to form a national organization to mobilize their community into civil rights and anti-war movements in the U.S. and the fight for democracy and national liberation in the Philippines. Domingo is the sister of the late Filipino American activist/organizer Silme Domingo slain along with fellow activist Gene Viernes by Marcos government assassins. Seattle civil rights attorney Michael Withey shares the evening and talks about his book entitled “Summary Execution: The Seattle Assassinations of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes” (Wild Blue Press). A close friend of the slain men, he worked with the Committee for Justice for Domingo and Viernes to pursue the case in court for justice against the Marcos regime which ordered the assassination. On Wed., Sept. 19 at 7pm, the store welcomes Sharon H. Chang (see related story in this issue) & Friends. Chang reads from “Hapa Tales and Other Lies”, a book that chronicles the journey of a mixed race woman whose search  for roots in Hawai’i also uncovers the real impact of colonization and corporate tourism on that island’s people and culture. Joining Chang this evening will be performers Marianmaca Pinlac, Selena Velascok Angel Alviar-Langley and Ryann Kalei Okalani Harumi Onzuka.  Novelist Preti Taneja reads from “We That Are Young” (Knopf) on Sept. 24 at 7pm at the bookstore. In this book, a family saga plays out as the young siblings of a family company are locked in a power struggle that spans palaces, slums and luxury resorts all over India. Join Co-editor Frank Abe (see related article in this issue) and contributors Shawn Wong and Stephen Sumida in a talk and discussion with Tom Ikeda of Densho about a new anthology entitled “John Okada – The Life &  Rediscovered Work Of The Author of NO-NO Boy” (UW Press) edited by Frank Abe, Greg Robinson, and Floyd Cheung. This event billed as “John Okada: a Celebration And Book Launch” takes place on Sept. 22, 2018 at 2pm at Seattle Central Public Library (Microsoft Auditorium) where Okada once worked as a reference librarian. 1000 4^th Ave. in downtown Seattle. 206-386-4636 or go to www.spl.org. Editor Arjun Singh Sethi will discuss “American Hate: Survivors Speak Out” (The New Press) on  Sept. 27 at 7pm also at Seattle Central Public Library’s Microsoft Auditorium. This new collection features interview with immigrants in America who have been victims of hatred and racial prejudice before and after Donald Trump was elected President. On the same night, Thurs., Sept. 27 at 7pm at Elliott Bay there will be a program entitled “Writers From All Over The World: Bayasgalan Batsuuri, Cai Tianxin, Don Coman and Bejan Matur.  The University of Iowa International Writing Program presents a group reading of authors from Mongolia, China, Romania and Turkey. Nicole Chung (see related article elsewhere in the paper) talks about her memoir about being a Korean adoptee entitled “All You Can Never Know” at the Microsoft Auditorium in the Seattle Central Public Library on Oct. 4 at 7pm. South Korean fiction writer Kim Sagwa will appear on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7pm with local translators Bruce & Ju-Chan Fulton to read from her translated English debut, “Mina” (Two Lines Press). The book is a portrait of three Korean teenagers trapped in the grip of middle class affluence and Western cultural hegemony with no place to escape. Also on the bill is local poet/translator Dom Mee Choi. This event takes place at the book store.

Seattle journalist, editor and filmmaker Frank Abe will talk about the anthology he co-edited entitled  “John Okada – The Life & Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy” (UW Press) on Sat., Oct. 6 at 2pm. Kinokuniya Bookstore in Uwajimaya at 525 S. Weller in the CID.

Former Seattle resident Amy Bhatt will talk about her new book “High Tech Housewives” on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7pm. Brick & Mortar Books at 7430 – 164^th Ave. NE, Suite B105 in Redmond. 425-869-0606.

Hugo House, that venerated Northwest center for writers and poets re-opens in brand-new digs with expanded space but in the same location. Catch the following readings and celebrate their new space.  Former Hugo House writer-in-residence Sonora Jha hosts “South Asian Writers of the Pacific Northwest” which features Jordan Alam, Sasha Duttchoudhury, Jasleena Grewal and Shankar Narayan. Sept. 27 at 7pm. Noted science fiction writer Ted Chiang is interviewed by fellow science fiction author Karen Joy Fowler on Oct. 16, 2018.   Bay Area poet/musician P. C. Munoz performs his sound/text performance of “Half-Breed” which explores historical and contemporary perceptions of multiracial people and mixed-race identity. Seattle writer Sharon H. Chang opens. Oct. 22, 2018 at 7pm. The always entertaining Hugo Literary Series returns on Nov. 9, 2018 with Singer/songwriter Shelby Earl and writers Jim Shepard, Lauren Groff, R. O. Kwon and Kim Fu. Also with the opening of the new Hugo House, the writing center rolls out a new series of classes/workhops with a varied number of subjects taught by a talented group of writers like Nisi Shawl, Sonora Jha, R. O. Kwon, Anne Liu Kellor, Michelle Penaloza, Richard Chiem, Diana Xin, Anglela Garbes, Lora Shinn, Aimee Bhausar and Shankar Narayan. If you have questions, try [email protected]. 1634 – 11^th Ave.

R.O. Kwon reads from her debut novel entitled “The Incendaries” on Sat., Nov. 10, 2018 at 7pm. The book centers around a college freshman tormented over her mother’s death and drawn into an extremist religious cult. Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. 17171 Bothell Way NE. Lake Forest Park, WA. 206-366-3333.

Seattle Arts & Lectures returns with their always stimulating series of writers, poets and a new journalism series. As part of the “Women You Need To Know” series, award-winning writer & director of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, Soraya Chemaly comes on Jan. 31, 2019 to speak about her new book entitled “Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger.”   As part of the Poetry Series, acclaimed poet Kimiko Hahn will come April 25, 2019 for a program entitled “Poems For The Planet” which will include her and a group of friends. It’s a celebration of both Earth Day & National Poetry Month with eco-poetics as a mode of creative resistance. Visit or call for more information at 206-621-2230×10 or lectures.org.

Tasveer and Elliott Bay Books present “Tasveer Reads: South Asian Lit Fest” on Sat., Jan 12 & 19 at 2pm. Discussions with writers from South Asian diasporas are featured in this festival. Seattle Art Museum downtown in Plestcheeff Auditorium. Visitsam.org/tickets or call 206-654-3210.

Noted historian/writer/educator Dawn Mabalon passed away in August, 2018 at the age of 46. A Stockton native, she taught as Associate Professor in the Department of History at San Francisco State University. Her groundbreaking publication was “Little Manila Is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipino American Community in Stockton, California.” Forthcoming is a book for children entitled “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong”, co-written with Gayle Romasanta due out this fall.

Actor Keanu Reeves has been known to take on other projects besides acting. He’s been part of a mid-90’s alt-rock band, co-founded a motorcycle manufacturer and now is engaged in bookmaking. Along with business partner/visual artist Alexandra Grant, he has launched a small press called X Artists’ Books. They combine the release of these books with other activities such as staged performances or art exhibitions. The books are stocked in art bookstores in cities around the world or available through an online subscription program.

Bamboo Ridge Press’s 40^th Anniversary Gala & Fundraiser “Not Pau Yet Party!” takes place on Sat., Oct. 20, 2018 at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i from 5 – 9pm. For over four decades, Bamboo Ridge has furthered the cause of Hawai’i’s literature through publication, readings, workshops and events. Go to www.bambooridge.com for details.

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. Please contact me if anyone is interested in reviewing any of the below titles for the International Examiner. Thanks! –

Arcadia Publishing presents a new history book in their “Images of America” series entitled “Minidoka National Historic Site” by Hanako Wakatsuki, Mia Russell and Carol Ash. An exploration of the history of this internment camp that imprisoned 13, 000 American citizens and legal resident aliens of Japanese ancestry from 1942 – 1945. Includes archival photographs with text. Published August 2018.

“America Is Not The Heart” (Viking) by Elaine Castillo responds to Bulosan’s classic story with a modern retelling of three generations of Filipina women struggling to balance the promise of the American dream with the unshakeable grip of history.

“The Incendiaries” (Riverhead) by R.O. Kwon tells the story of a classic love triangle between two college students and God. She examines the lines between faith and fanaticism and the rational and the unknowable.

“Autobiography of Death” (New Directions) by Kim Hyesoon translated from the Korean by Don Mee Choi with drawings by Fi Jae Lee. A powerful new book of poems that represent each, a single day during which the spirit roams after death before it enters the cycle of reincarnation. Death’s history is Korea’s and the poet chronicles it with an unflinching eye for detail and truth. The translation is by an award-winning Seattle poet.

“Son of Amity” (Oregon State University Press) by Peter Nathaniel Malae. This novel examines three lives on the verge of ruin in a small Oregon town. A half-Samoan ex-con, an Iraq war veteran and a woman who is a recent convert to Catholism interact around a little boy who could be their saving grace.

“NCRR: The Grassroots Struggle for Japanese American Redress and Reparations” (UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press) by Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress is the first comprehensive exploration of NCRR’s roots, history and continuing impact over four decades. The book is based on first-hand accounts of the fight for redress. What emerges is a rich portrait of voices and narratives that illustrate how a popular, egalitarian, grassroots campaign for social justice blossom into a powerful voice for ordinary people and made the fight for redress a people’s campaign. Edited by Lane Ryo Hirabayashi and NCRR. Go to www.ncrr-la.org for ordering information.

“If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi” (Flatiron) by Neel Patel. Patel undermines stereotypes while he tells the stories of first-generation Indian Americans from different strata of life in all their human complexity.

“Newcomer” (Minotaur) by Keigo Higashino is the latest in a series of best-selling mysteries by this Japanese crime novelist. When a woman is killed in Nihonbashi, a detective new to the department must unravel the secrets of dozens of suspects to bring the actual murderer to justice.

“The Storm” (Atria) by Arif Anwar follows the lives of numerous characters in the wake of a devastating cyclone that hits Bangladesh. He shows us how families love, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another when disaster strikes.

“What We Were Promised” (Little Brown) by Lucy Tan. This debut novel tells the story of Chinese immigrants who leave America to return to their hometown of Shanghai. It reveals the persistence of the past, the inevitability of the present and the complexities of balancing individuality with community.

“The Dead Eye And The Deep Blue Sea – A Graphic Memoir of Modern Slavery” (Seven Stories Press) by Vannak Anan Prum tells the story of a Cambodian man held hostage for years on a fishing vessel as told to Jocelyn and Ben Pederick. Opens a window to the slave trade and the plight of destitute boys and men forced to work on fishing boats in Asia, trapped on the Indian Ocean. With text and powerful artwork by the author.

“Playing Changes – Jazz for the New Century” (Pantheon) by Nate Chinen. This astute Asian American music critic has written and commented about this music for over twenty years at the New York Times, Jazz Times, WBGO Radio and NPR Radio. His essays follow the music and flows to where it takes him. He avoids the convenience of boxes and categories to get a real take on where jazz sits today.

“Dim Sum of All Fears” (Noodle Shop Mystery Book 2) by Vivien Chien is the second in a series of mystery novels that take place in a Chinese suburban shopping mall. On St.  Martin’s paperbacks. Out August 2018.

“Immigrant, Montana” (Knopf) is the latest novel by Amitava Kumar in which a young South Asian immigrant man learns some painful truths about exile, grad school and sex in a new country he has come to call his home.

“High-Tech Housewives-Indian IT Workers, Gendered Labor, and Transmigration (UW Press) by Amy Bhatt. Looks at these workers and their struggles to navigate career paths, citizenship, and belonging as they move between South Asia and the United States.

“Takashi Murakami, Lineage of Eccentrics, A collaboration with Nobuo Tsuji And The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston” (MFA) is the exhibition catalog for a show that shows the roots of contemporary Japanese artist Murakami go back far and are inspired by eccentric Japanese artists from another era as pointed out by a noted Japanese art critic.

“The Court Dancer” (Pegasus Books) is the latest novel by Kyung-Sook Shin (“Please Look After Mom”) based  on the true story of an orphan living in the final years of the Korean empire and her life at court until she is swept away by the love of a French diplomat to live in France. But homesickness and her eventual return to Korea lies fraught with tragedy.

“A Thousand Beginnings And Endings: 15 Retellings Of Asian Myths And Legends” (Greenwillow) edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman. The editors invite acclaimed Asian American authors (including Melissa de la Cruz, Renee Ahdieh and Julie Kagawa) to reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

“Super Simple Sumi-e – Easy Asian Brush Painting for All Ages” (Little Bigfoot) by Yvonne Palka breaks down this Asian painting tradition for kids and adults alike in a way they can understand and begin to have fun with this method of painting.

“Isako Isako” (Alice James) by former UW graduate student/poet Mia Ayumi Malhorta traces a single family lineage spanning four generations of cultural trauma – internment, mass displacement and rampant racism – in the U.S., and how it weaves together with current events.

“All That I Can Fix” (Simon & Schuster) by Crystal Chan is a young adult novel that weaves together an intense and complicated story that tackles issues as diverse as race, gun control, mental health, the new media and animal activism based on an exotic zoo outbreak in Ohio in 2011.

“Soseki – Modern Japan’s Greatest Novelist” (Columbia) by John Nathan is a vibrant portrayal of the transformation of a modern Japan as witnessed through the story of one of that country’s best writers.

“The Science Of Breakable Things” (Random House) by Tae Keller is a young adult novel about a high school girl who must navigate school while at the same time worrying about a mother suffering from depression at home.

“Daido Moriyama – Record” (Thames & Hudson)

Edited by Mark Holborn. This modern Japanese photographer has a “shaky-blurry” style that explores photography as a kind of performance within itself. It served as the perfect foil to capture the change in Japan as seen through its political protests to its avant-garde dance performances. This carefully edited book is culled from the photographer’s many little magazines published throughout the years.

“Ba-chan – The Ninja Grandma, An Adventure with Little Kunoichi the Ninja Girl” (Little Bigfoot) by Sanae Ishida is a continuation of this popular picture book series in which we learn about the Ninja Girl’s grandmother who is in turns wise, creative and eccentric. The charming artwork highlights this adventure for kids.

“Rich People Problems” (Anchor Books) by Kevin Kwan is the third  and final installment of his fictional series now all in paperback that started with “Crazy Rich Asians” (soon to be a major motion picture) and continued with “China Rich Girlfriend”. This satiric series looks at the lives of the rich and famous Singaporean Chinese who jet from Shanghai to Manila and back in a quest for money and status.

“Young Frances”(Adhouse Books) by Hartley Lin is a graphic novel that looks at the meaning of work within a corporate culture and the finesse required by his female protagonist to exist in such an environment.

“Unnamable-The Ends of Asian American Art” (NYU Press) by Susette Min challenges the notion of Asian American art as a site of reconciliation for marginalized artists to enter into the canon.

“Suicide Club – A Novel About Living” (Henry Holt) by Rachel Heng is a life-affirming book about death which makes you look closer at how you live your life. The author hails from Singapore.

“Barbara Takenaga” (Delmonico / Prestel Books) is an exhibition catalog for a show of this artist’s work curated by Debra Bricker Balken at Williams College of Art. Obsessed with dots, these vertiginous patterns allude to other worlds – the night sky, the cosmos, and the depths and swells of the sea.

“Being Muslim – A Cultural History of Women of Color in American Islam” (NYU Press) by Sylvia Chan-Malik maps how communities of American Muslims became sites of safety, support, spirituality, and social activism, and how women of color were central to their formation.

“Convenience Store Woman” (Grove Atlantic) is a novel by Sayaka Murata as translated by Ginny Tapley. It tells the story of a thirty-something Japanese single woman who has never fit in until she begins working at a chain convenience store. This dark comedy looks at work and the pressure to conform.

“Our Story – A Memoir of Love And Life In China” (Pantheon) by Rao Pingru is a graphic memoir illustrated by the author in charming color sketches. It celebrates a marriage that spanned the twentieth century in China. The author penned this book when he was eighty-seven as a way of mourning the loss of his life’s companion.

“The Serpent’s Secret – Kiranmala And The Kingdom Beyond” (Scholastic) by Sayantani Dasgupta is a fantasy novel about a New Jersey Indian teenager who finds her parents have vanished and how she must accept her destiny as an Indian princess if she has any chance of saving her mom and dad.

“How to Reach Japan by Subway – America’s Fascination With Japanese Culture, 1945-1965” (Nebraska)  by Meghan Warner Mettler. This book explains why and how Americans found themselves embracing Japanese culture after WWII.

“My First Mandarin in Words With Gordon & Li Li” (Scholastic) by Michele Wong McSween. A pair of charming  pandas teach your kids how to learn Mandarin in this colorful, easy-to-use language book.

“Someone to Talk To” (Duke University Press) is a novel by Liu Zhenyun as translated by Howard Goldblatt & Sylvia Li-chun Lin. It is a generational novel of loss and miscommunication in a Chinese village.

“Monsters, Animals, And Other Worlds – A Collection of Short Medieval Japanese Tales” (Columbia) edited by Keller Kimbrough and Haruo Shirane brings twenty-five tales of the fantastic and supernatural to entertain and chill Western readers.

“The Way You Make Me Feel” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) by Maureen Goo is a young adult novel. The care-free summer a teenage girl envisions is shattered when she is forced to work next to her dad and her worst enemy in a Korean-Brazilian food truck instead of staying with her mom. Yet somehow, things have a way of working out.

“Naoya Hatakeyama – Excavating the Future City” (Aperture) is the first English language survey of this Japanese photographer by Yasufumi Nakamori, Toyo Ito and Philippe Forest. It examines his work and how he sees architecture not as a moment of completion but about the totality of time and space extending throughout the processes of design, construction, completion and utilization.

“Words on Edge” (Black Square Editions) by poet Michael Leong. Working at a necessary and constantly evolving counter intuition – uneasy, agitated, restless and ceaselessly inventive, this book clocks the alarm of those who “wake late” in a world of fragments and found materials.

Southeast Asia – A Very Short Introduction” (Oxford) by James R. Rush traces the history of a varied region in easy-to-grasp analysis that accommodates its ethnic, religious and political complexities.

“The Invisible Valley” (Small Beer Press) by Su Wei as translated by Austin Woerner. When a young Chinese man is sent to the countryside for agricultural re-education, he encounters an outcast polyamorous family of woodcutters in extreme circumstances. This lyrical fable looks at the shapes into which human affection can be pressed in extreme circumstances.

“Eye Level” (Graywolf) is Jenny Xie’s debut book of poetry. The apt title brings us a poet with a sensitive eye that surveys the world in intimate detail as it and the observer continually change. Winner of  the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets.

“American Panda” (Simon & Schuster) is the debut young adult novel by Gloria Chao. It tells the story of Mei Lu whose life seems planned out until in college, she sees things change. Forced to confront the secrets around her, she learns powerful lessons about family, love and staying true to yourself.

“Meet Yasmin!” (Capstone) by Saadia Faruqi and illustrated by Hatem Aly looks at the adventures of a  bright, intelligent young girl and her multi-generational Pakistani American family.

“Go Home!” (Feminist Press) is an anthology of new writing that looks at the theme of home as explored by a variety of Asian American writers. Edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan with a foreword by Vet Thanh Nguyen.

“Warlight” (Knopf) by Michael Ondaatje is a new novel by the acclaimed Canadian author set in London during the WWII blackouts. A brother and sister are left in the care of kindhearted criminals in their rooming house after their parents disappear.

“The Emissary” (new Directions) by Yoko Tawada. A novel of the not-too-distant future of a post-Fukushima time where children are born so weak they can barely walk and the elderly are the only ones with get-go. Tawada focuses on a boy, who despite his frailties radiates hope.

“God – A Human History” (Random House) by Reza Aslan looks at how through the ages, humans have made God in their own image.

“Waiting For Tomorrow” by Nathacha Appanah (Graywolf) looks at an immigrant family in France and investigates the life of an artist, cultural differences in a marriage and the creation/destruction of a family.

“The Golden Legend” (Vintage) by Nadeem Aslam is a novel that looks at Pakistan’s past and future influenced by corruption, resilience, love, terror and the disguises necessary for survival.

“Registers of Illuminated Villages” (Graywolf) by Bangladeshi American poet Tarfia Faizullah transverses the globe and brings readers poems that illuminate acts of resistance in the face of injustice and violence.

“All You Can Ever Know” (Catapault) is a memoir by Nicole Chung who was placed for adoption by her Korean parents and how she finds her identity by tracing the path through which she came into the world.

“My Brother’s Husband – Vol. 2” (Pantheon) is the second and final volume of this graphic novel by Gengoroh Tagame as translated by Anne Ishii. A best-selling award-winner in Japan, it tells the story of a Japanese dad and his young daughter and the surprise visit they receive when the dad’s late broather’s husband from Canada knocks on their door. Issues of how Japanese society looks at gay marriage and relationships surface through the vividly drawn narrative.

“Millie’s Missing Yawn” (Gibbs-Smith) by you Jung Byun is a lovely picture book about a little girl who loses her yawn and can’t go to sleep without it. She travels the world in search of it, meeting a whole host of interesting characters along the way.

“Rage Becomes Her – The Power of Women’s Anger” (Atria) by Sorayu Chemaly. Looking at female rage, the author calls for women to turn that anger into action for change in today’s authoritarianism.

In “Brainfever” (Norton), Kimiko Hahn uses recent findings in science, ancient Japanese aesthetics and observations from her life as a woman, wife, mother, daughter & artist into  sharply observed poems.

In “Patient X – The Case Book of Ryunosuke Akutagawa” (Knopf), acclaimed British author David Peace weaves together twelve interconnected tales about this early-twentieth-century  Japanese writer into a tapestry. Fascinated by the writer and inspired by his stories, essays and letters, Peace creates an evocative portrait of genius and creativity.

Young adult author Traci Chee  unspools a fantasy landscape of vivid characters in a trilogy entitled “Sea of Ink and Gold” (Putnam’s). This epic starts with “The Reader”, then proceeds to “The Speaker” and concludes with “The Storyteller”. It  tells the story of a family plagued by murder and kidnapping and what they must do to seek justice in a world gone awry.

“Hawk of the Mind – Collected Poems of Yang Mu” (Columbia) as translated by Michelle Yeh. Mu is a towering figure in modern Chinese poetry and this volume of his work presents his reverence for classical Chinese poetry while remaining rooted in his native Taiwan and its colonial history. His subtle, lyrical voice  is smoothly translated by Yeh.

“Hawker Fare – Stories & Recipes from a Refugee Chef’s Isan Thai & Lao Roots” (Anthony Bourdain/Ecco) by James Syhabout with John Birdsall tells a unique family history and the food of N.E. Thailand and Laos. The author initially turns away from his heritage to become a classically trained chef in Europe, only to find something still missing. The hole isn’t filled until he re-traces the food of his childhood.

“Hazel And Twig – The Birthday Forutne” (Candlewick) by Brenna Burns Yu provides a charming introduction to Korean first-birthday traditions in this delightful children’s picture book story of two sisters with big dreams.

“Dust and Other Stories” (Columbia) by Yit’ Aejun as translated by Janet Poole restores the reputation of a Korean writer who went to Pyongyang in 1946. This book of short stories captures the precarious daily life of ordinary Koreans under post-war occupation.

“The Chinese Must Go – Violence, Exclusion, and the Making of the Alien in America” (Harvard University Press) by Beth Lew-Williams. In this book, the authors traces anti-Chinese violence in the American West and shows how American immigration policies incited this violence and how it provoked new exclusion and how this exclusion produced the concept of the “alien” in modern America.

“Goong-Goong – From Tuscany to Shanghai – The Story of a Chinese Patriarch Through the Eyes of His Italian Daughter-in-law” (Long River Press) by Patrizia Chen. In the end, it’s left up to the Italian American daughter-in-law to tease out the details of the history of this Chinese American family by interviewing her reluctant, taciturn father-in-law.

“Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods” (Copper Canyon) by Tishani Doshi is a third volume of poetry by this South Asian poet that confronts the violence against women. Her resonant, lyrical voice speaks out for those who have endured abuse, and those who have been permanently silenced. Due out October, 2018.

“Fukushima Devil Fish” (Breakdown) by Katsumata Susumu as translated by Ryan Holmberg and edited by Asakama Mitsuhiro is a collection of critical and biographical essays in a graphic novel style by this late, legendary Japanese alternative manga figure. His is known as the most prolific producer of cartoons directed against nuclear power even prior to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

“Patriot Number One – American Dreams in Chinatown” (Crown) by Lauren Hilgers. A journalist offers a story of the newly arrived Chinese immigrants and a look at the Chinese community in Flushing, New York which is one of the fastest-growing immigrant enclaves in the U.S.

In “People Like Us: The New Wave of Candidates Knocking at Democracy’s Door” (The New Press), political scientist Sayu Bhojwani shares stories of a diverse and persevering range of local and state politicians across the country who are challenging the status quo and paving the road for other people of often forgotten demographics to follow in their wake. Due out Oct., 2018 just in time for our fall elections.

“Looking Like The Enemy – Japanese Mexicans, the Mexican State, and US Hegemony, 1897 – 1945” (University of Arizona) by Jerry Garcia takes a penetrating look at the history of Japanese migration to Mexico and compares it to other immigration histories in the North/South hemisphere.

Alexander Chee is one of the most loved novelists of his generation but in his latest offering, he returns to nonfiction in “How To Write An Autobiographical Novel” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). In a series of essays, he presents memoir-in-essays about his growing up, his father’s death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11 and the odd jobs that kept him afloat so that he could continue to write.

“Pious Fashion – How Muslim Women Dress”  (Harvard University Press) by Elizabeth Bucar. This book looks at young Muslim women and offers first-person observations from the stores and streets of three cities in Muslim-majority countries on the varied ways they dress and the choices made.

“Not Here” (Coffee House Press) by Hieu Minh Nguyen looks at the poetic voice of a queer Vietnamese American and his confrontation with whiteness, trauma, family and nostalgia.

“Painting Peace: Art in a Time of Global Crisis” (Shambhala) by Kazuaki Tanahashi. This revered modern artist and Zen teacher offers his story about how his art has been the expression of a life of social activisim.

“The Night Diary” (Dial) by Veera Hiranandan is a young adult novel that looks at the 1947 partition of India through a child’s eyes as she searches for home, her own identity and a hopeful future.

“Quiet Girl in A Noisy World” (Andrews McMeel) by Debbie Tung. This graphic novel reveals the experiences of an introvert in an extrovert’s world. It follows her from college to navigating the real world. Along the way she learns to embrace her introversion and find ways to thrive in life while still fulfilling her need for quiet.

“Valmikis Ramayama: An Illustrated Retelling (Rowan & Littlefield) by Arshia Sattar. This writer retells a classic Indian epic for children by building her characters from the inside out. She makes this fable of good over evil, family relationships, love & loss, duty & honor, jealousy & ambition into a vital story for contemporary times.

“The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore” (HMH) by Kim Fu follows a group of young girls at summer camp and what it takes for them to survive when stranded and how that experience reverberates through the rest of their lives.

Muralist and community artist Katie Yamasaki celebrates the cultural diversity of her family in “When the Cousins Came” (Holiday House), a delightful picture book on the fun that ensues when city kids visit their country cousins.

“Rainbirds” (Soho) by Clarissa Goenawan is a genre-bending novel that moves from mystery to magic realism and tells the story of a family and loss. The author is an Indonesian-born Singaporean writer.

“This Is My Eye – A New York Story” (Candlewick Press) by Neela Vaswani uses the lens of photography to view how a young girl sees this vital city from rooftops, on the ground and under the water.

One gets a look at celebrated Chinese writer Yu Hua’s early short stories in this collection entitled “The April 3^rd Incident” (Pantheon) slated for Nov., 2018 release. A tale of fractured realities in the mood of Kafka, these stories are surreal, thought provoking and darkly comic. A record of the changes going on in modern  Chinese literature in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

How does a family survive when the internet goes down? In “The Manic Panic” (Creston), Richa Jha and Mithila Ananth create a young heroine who shows the way.

“Killing Commendatore” (Knopf) is popular Japanese fiction writer Haruki Murakami’s latest offering. A portrait painter discovers a previously unseen painting in a famous artist’s attic which leads to a journey that must be completed. A story of love, loneliness, war and yes, a loving homage to “The Great Gatsby.”

“The Chinese Pleasure Book” (Zone) by Michael Nylan due out Oct., 2018 delves into ancient philosophy to provide modern readers with a theory of pleasure informed by writers and courtesans and poets from Chinese literary history.

“D is for Dragon Dance” (Holiday House) is a new reprint of a picture book by Ying Chang Compestine that uses letters of the alphabet to illuminate the joyful elements of the new year as richly portrayed by artist YongSheng Xuan.

“Hybrid Child” (Minnesota by Mariko Ohara as translated by Jodie Beck is a classic of Japanese speculative fiction that blurs the line between consumption and creation when a cyborg assumes the form and spirit of a murdered child. This is the first English translation of a major work of science fiction by a female Japanese author.

“Imperial Twilight – The Opium War And The End of China’s Last Golden Age” (Knopf) by Stephen R. Platt. The author looks at one of the most potent turning points in that country’s modern history and how it set the path towards nationalism and communism in the twentieth century.

“Natsumi” (Penguin Young Readers) by Susan Landroth and illustrated by Priscilla Burris traces the life of a curious, rambunctious Japanese girl who does everything in a big way. Can she find the right way to put her exuberance to good use?

“Though I Get Home” (Feminist Press) by YZ Chen is a book of short stories that consider what it means to find one’s own voice within systems committed to suppressing it. Using her native Malaysia as a backdrop, the author fills her book with characters who must re-invent themselves to survive and be true to their own muse.

“The Barber’s Dilemma And Other Stories From Man Maru Street” (Tara Books) by Koki Oguma as translated by Gita Wolf. In this picture book, the author/illustrator shows us the neighborhood he lives in around Tokyo as he watches people go about their business. Zany, imaginative artwork makes the streets come alive.

“Van Gogh And Japan” (Yale) is the exhibition catalog for a show that delves into how deeply this Dutch artist was inspired by Japanese art as shown at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam recently.

Angela Garbes, former food writer for The Stranger became a mother and has a new book out entitled “Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy” (Harper Wave). She’s interviewed about it in the May 2018 issue of CityArts.

“The Perfect Gift” (Lee & Low) by Paula Yoo and illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez is a children’s book in which a girl searches for the perfect gift to celebrate her little brother’s 100-days birthday.

“Sunzi – The Art of War” (Princeton) by C. C. Tsai is a cartoonist who has spent his career bringing Chinese classics to life and modernizing them yet straying true to the essence of each story. He does this again with this ancient book on warfare and strategy still consulted by those in the know.

“Modern Ink – The Art of Wu Changshi” (Mozhai Foundation & UH Press) by Britta Erickson and Craig L. Yee is Volume 3 in a series on Chinese brush painting. Wu Chang Shi rejected both Western themes and the glorified past to forge his own rough-hewn style from engravings in stone and metal by anonymous artisans who lived in remote areas.

“Sanpaku” (Archaia) by Kate Gavino gives voice to the insecurities that abound in teens of all cultures. A graphic novel done  in somber black and white.

“Preserving Historical & Cultural Treasures – Hmong Story Cloths” (Schiffer) by Linda A. Gerdner provides a visual documentation of the historical and cultural legacy of the Hmong people from Laos.

“Ocean Meets Sky” (Simon & Schuster) by Eric Fan & Terry Fan is a stunning picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather once told him about.

“Mixed – A Colorful Story” (Henry Holt) is a kids picture book  by Arree Chung that uses the simple motif of colors fighting for power and how a never-before-seen color saves the day by bringing peace and harmony as a life lesson.

“Sick – A Memoir” (Harper Perennial) by Porochista Khakpour takes readers along on her struggles towards health. Intelligently written, this is a powerfully rendered memoir of chronic illness, misdiagnosis, addiction, and the myth of full recovery.

“Moon – Letters, Maps, Poems” (Tarpaulin Sky Press) by poet Jennifer S. Cheng. This book mixes fable and fact and draws on various Chinese mythologies about women. Inquiry as art.

“Amal Unbound” (Nancy Paulsen) is a young adult novel about indentured servitude and how a young girl struggles to become educated and free against all odds.

News/Opportunities

The Jack Straw Residency Programs offer established and emerging artists in diverse disciplines an opportunity to explore the creative use of sound in a professional atmosphere through residencies in our recording studios and participation in our various presentation programs. Artists can apply to only one program per year. Deadline is Nov. 1, 2018. All applications online via submittable! Or email [email protected] or call 206-634-0919. There will be two Informational Applicatiion Workshops where staff and resident artists will share work and talk about the application process. On Sunday, September 16 at 11am at Washington Hall at 153 – 14^th Ave, join Daemond Arrindell, Etsuko Ichikawa and Paul Kikuchi. On October 6, 2018, at 2pm at Jack Straw Cultural Center, join Kathleen Flenniken, Leilani Lewis and Nic Masangkay. Go to www.jackstraw.org/programs/asp/2019_apps.shtml for details.

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.

Congratulations to the following artists who got 2018 Artist Trust Fellowships. Cathy Linh Che and Diana  Xin in the “Literary” category. Christopher Icasiano in the “Music” category. Haruko “Crow” Nishimura in the “Performance” category  and Taiji Miyasaka in the “Visual Arts” category. Artist Trust offers workshops state-wide and webinar workshops on topics of interest to artists of all genres such as assistance on how to apply for a GAP Grant,  resources on how to get to know local arts organizations, cultivating professional relationships, organizing your resume and much more.  Upcoming events include the following – “ABNS: Promotional Fundamentals” in Seattle Sept. 6 – Oct. 11, 2018. “ABNS: Business Fundamentals Oct. 15 – Nov. 5, 2018 in Seattle. Branding for Artists on Instagram” Sept. 19 from 7 – 9pm in Seattle. “Webinar: Appliying for a 2018 La Salle Storyteller Award on August 15, 2018. “Office Hours”, a free grant writing support program for all artists (20 minutes) in person at the Artist Trust office or via phone. August 13 & 20 and Sept. 5, 2018. Artist Trust can be found at 1835 – 12^th Ave. in Seattle’s Capitol Hill or go to artisttrust.org for more details.

The Henry Teen Art Collective is a group of young thinkers, makers, and leaders who propose new ideas and build community around contemporary art. They are now looking for new members. Collective members meet weekly to meet artists, explore exhibitions, and collaborate on projects aimed at supporting youth voices through art. The program offers a stipend or community service credit. Youth of color, LGBTQ+ and individuals of all abilities are encouraged to apply. Deadline for applications are by midnight on Sept. 30, 2018. Accepted members will be notified by Oct. 10, 2018. First session starts on Nov. 1. For details and application try [email protected].

Volunteers are needed for the 28^th Japan-American Grassroots Summit. From Sept. 18 – 24, 2018, nearly 150 Japanese people will visit Washington state for the 28^th Japan-America Grassroots Summit, an international exchange program. They will experience two days in Seattle and three days in 14 localities across the state. If you are interested in helping show our warm hospitality to visitors from Japan, the host organization of The Japan-America Society is actively seeking volunteers. To sign up and for more information, visit https://jassw.info/Grassroots2018 for details.

“AMAZON AIR: Artist-in-Residency Program 2019 is open to visual artists based in the Greater Pacific Northwest and provides regional artists with a temporary and unique work environment, project support and a new audience. Artists selected receive $10,000 in project support. They must commit to a minimum of 16 hours a week in studio over a ten week period, as well as hold an in-house workshop and lecture during their residency. Artists are also asked to exhibit current work on site, and contribute a current piece to Amazon’s collection. The first residency 0f 2019 will start Feb. 1. There is a $15 application fee. The request for proposals is open now and will close on Sept. 25, 2018. Artists can apply at https://shunpike.submittable.com/submit/117158/call-for-artist-in-residence-2019. AIR is presented by the Amazon Expressions Lab and powered by SHUNPIKE. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

The Washington State Historical Soceity recently announced their annual History Awards honorees. Deva Leinani Aiko Yamashiro posthumously received the Peace And Friendship Award for her work as founder and director of the Ke Kukui Foundation, a non-profit dedicated  to sustaining and sharing Hawaiian culture. Under her leadership, Ke Kukui brought thousands of people together to learn about Hawaiian culture through classes, competitions, music and festivals.

“American Muslims: An Anthology of Contemporary Writing” as edited by Kazim Ali will be published by Red Hen Press. Send poetry (5 – 10 poems) or prose (no more than 3,000 words) to Kazim Ali at [email protected] no later than Sept. 15, 2018.