Visual Arts
Highlights
The Annual Phinneywood Art Walk which takes place along the Phinney Ridge and Greenwood neighborhoods of Seattle just past Woodland Park Zoo on May 9th from 6 – 9pm and May 10th from noon to 5pm. Art by local artists and related activities for adults and kids plus food and drink can be found in almost every business along the way. Artists to look out for among the many include the following. Painter Shoko Zama and Calligrapher Yoshiko Higashimura show at Taoist Studies Institute at 275 N. 70th St. Painter Lucia Enriquez’s poetically evocative acrylic paintings are on view at Woodland Presbyterian Church at 225 N. 70th St. For complete details and an art map, go to www.phinneycenter.org/artwalk.
“A Cut Above” is a group show that explores hand-cut work in paper, wood, prints and sculpture. Continuing the focus of Asian-inspired art at The Lakeshore, this show presents unique contemporary works in a variety of mediums and perspectives inspired by traditional art practices. Co-curated by MalPina Chan. Includes the work of Betsy Best Spaden, Mia Yoshihara-Bradshaw, Julia Harrison, Laureen Iida, Naoko Morisawa and June Sekiguchi. Opening reception is Sat., May 17th from 1:30 – 3:30pm. Artist’s talks at 2:30pm. With musical performance by Kokon Taiko. On View till Sept. 14, 2014. 11448 Rainier Ave. (206) 452-3138.
Yukiyo Kawano is a third generation atomic-bomb survivor who examines that legacy by doing installation work that includes a large-scale fabric replica of the Fat Man/Little Boy nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. When the tsunami hit Japan, the Portland-based artist stayed glued to her radio as the Japanese government news station (NHK) broadcast coverage of the disaster 24/7. The radio served as her soundtrack as she thought of this current disaster with memories of another nuclear tragedy decades before in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That and her memory of her grandmother’s kimono now unstitched and free from constraint. One sees multiple images of this family heirloom drawn with ink on paper surviving through turbulent waves of rain, bombs, floods, fire, smoke and devastation lining the walls. To the left, on a small stand is a carefully constructed horizontal scroll of details on how the U.S designed and manufactured the bomb that seems wrapped in a haze of snow-white cloth like a sacred offering. Hung from the low ceiling, looming large is a sculptural replica of the atomic bomb which dominates the space with a gloom that resonates. The show is on view through May 8th. The work of Karen Garret de Luna, Carina del Rosario and Melissa Nolledo, three Northwest-based Filipina photographers is on view from May 12th – May 29th. Opening reception is Wed., May 14th from 5 – 7pm. M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery at Seattle Central Community College.1701 Broadway on Capitol Hill. Open Mon. – Fri. (206) 934-4379 or go to seattlecentral.edu/artgallery.
Carina del Rosario has a show entitled “An Ocean Apart – Photos from Madagascar and the Philippines” at Anderson House through July 1st. 17201 15th NE in Shoreline. Free and open every day. For details, call (206) 445-3659.
Negar Farajiani is a mixed-media Iranian artist who creates portraits that resemble puzzles for faces. Through May 17th. MIA Gallery at 1203 Second Ave. downtown. Open Tues. – Sat. (206) 467-4297 or go to m-i-a-gallery.com.
“Facets Of Life” is a group show featuring local ethnic artists Humaira Abid, Stewart Wong, Sabah Al-Dhaher, Esther Ervin and Gail Tremblay currently on view till June 29, 2014. Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery on the 6th Floor Plaza of Seattle Municipal Tower located at 700 Fifth Ave. For details, go to www.seattle.gov/EthnicArtGallery.
New and recent shows due to open at the Wing include the following – “RESIST – Asian American Acts of Struggle” remains on view through Jan. 18th, 2015. Wing Luke also co-sponsors a new exhibition “Voices of Nisei Veterans” at the Nisei Veterans Committee (NVC) Hall. Oral history testimonies and rare collections tell the story of Japanese American veterans before, during and after World War II. Preview these alongside a new traveling exhibition entitled “Nisei Veteran: Common Story, Common Bond” which comes with a program at 2pm. The NVC Hall is located at. A recent show entitled “transit in half-light: Lead Pencil Studio encounters The Wing’s collection” features the work of the art team of Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo. They offer an installation that integrates artifacts from the museum collection into dream-like landscapes that brings up a dialogue about migration, transit, material extraction, and labor. The artists/architects will give an exclusive tour of the installation on Sat., June 28th at 1:30pm. $10 general admission and $8 for members. On view till July 14th. Family Fun Day for May 17th at 1pm is a kid-friendly arts & crafts workshop on the ancient art of kiri-e, a Japanese art form of paper cutting. Free. Family Fun Day activity for Sat., June 21st at 1pm will feature fiber arts artist and community activist Laura Wong-Whitebear who will teach participants how to weave your very own miniature mat. Still on view is “#iconic: Power and Pop Culture” which explores how Asian American pop icons are made and what it means to look up to – or challenge – these figures. “Hometown Desi: South Asian Culture in the Pacific Northwest” is a semi-permanent display that opened Oct. 3. It will explore the history of South Asians in this area up to the present. On display through Oct. 19, 2014 is “Grit: Asian Pacific Pioneers Across the Northwest”. Stories of pioneers and trailblazers who persisted through challenges of natural disasters, racial discrimination and violence to carve out a home in this new territory. The Museum holds a “Member Appreciation Day: An Afternoon in Chiyo’s Garden” as a special thank you. This is a newly created garden in Japantown, named in honor/memory of Chiyo Murakami. Enjoy tea and refreshments with lead designer Yuko Kunugi and John Bisbee and Binko Chiong-Bisbee of KOBO at Higo. This event takes place on May 17th from 1 – 3:30pm. The garden is located behind KOBO at Higo. The Museum offers a “Songs of Willow Frost Tour” based on the latest novel by author Jamie Ford set for Sat., May 24th & May 31st at 3pm. “Summer Camp @ The Wing” offers the following activities – August 4th & 5th brings “Puppets: Shadows And Light” where participants explore the art of puppetry through storytelling, performance and hands-on workshops. August 11th – 15th is “Moving Art: The Journey” looks at art that moves with us from skateboards to kites and other things. You must register for summer camp activities by July 20th, 2014. Go to wingluke.org/summer-camp or call (206) 623-5124 x 116.The Wing is 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.
“The Way of the Brush” is the first of a year- long celebration and focus on Asian influences in the arts. Brush paintings and work influenced by that tradition are the focus of work by Karen Dedrickson, Louise Kikuchi, Fumiko Kimura, Alan Lau, Patsy Surh O’Connell and Akio Takamori. On view till May 14th. At Lakeshore retirement home located at 11448 Rainier Ave. S. in Seattle. Go to eraliving.com for details. Guest-curated by MalPena Chan with help from June Sekiguchi. This show will continue on at a future exhibition at UW Haborview Hospital (details later).
Currently on view at Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park – On view through June 29, 2014 is “INKED – Wan Qingli”. This artist trained during the Cultural Revolution, uses a sharp wit and brush to match to address contemporary social ills with playful brush strokes full of humor and universal themes. On view till June 28, 2014 is “Hometown Boy: Liu Xiaodong”. Now heralded as one of China’s renowned contemporary artists, Lui grew up in a small industrial town before moving to Beijing. As a mature artist he returns to his hometown to find childhood friends still struggling, undeveloped rice paddies and his parents’ house still the same. Now an outsider, he captures the nuances of small town life in a typical Chinese town. “Colored Vases” is the first work by Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei acquired by Seattle Art Museum. The artist took ancient earthenware vases and dipped them in buckets of industrial paint allowing them to drip dry. By covering the surfaces with a new paint, what is underneath – like history itself – is “no longer visible, but is still there.” The irony is that they play on the question on and question authenticity issues that the artist likes to raise in today’s market for Chinese Art. Seattle Asian Art Museum Foster Galleries in Volunteer Park. 1400 E. Prospect. (206) 654-3100.
The Frye Art Museum has a show entitled “Isamu Noguchi And Qi Baishi – Beijing 1930”. The show documents a period of six months when the Japanese American artist spent six months in Beijing where he studied with the modern Chinese brush painting master. Includes forty-five works by Noguchi and twenty-three works by Qi Baishi. Through May 25th. A parallel exhibit entitled “Mark Tobey and Teng Baiye – Seattle/Shanghai” looks at the relationship between contemporary American artist Mark Tobey who met Chinese artist Teng Baiye when the latter was a student at UW. Tobey studied Chinese calligraphy with him and the show considers what influence this had on Tobey’s own abstract work. Paintings by both men are on display. Call (206) 622-9250 or go to fryemuseum.org.
“Who You Were, Who You Are, Where Are You Now?” is a group show of portrait-making curated by City of Seattle’s Portable Works Collection curator Deborah Paine from their vast reserves. On view through July 1st. Seattle Municipal Tower Gallery at 700 Fifth Ave. on the Third Floor. Open Mon. – Fri. (206) 684-7132 or go to seattle.gov/arts/publicart/municipal_tower.asp.
The first exhibition held outside Japan dedicated to Japanese Art Deco entitled “Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920 – 1945” comes to Seattle Asian Art Museum May 10th – Oct. 19th. 1400 E. Prospect St. in Volunteer Park. There will be a SAM Members Viewing of this show on May 15th from 10am – 9pm. Kendall H. Brown, curator of the show will talk to art collector Robert Levenson about the show on May 15th at 7pm. “Deco Day” on Sat., May 17th from 9:30am – 3:30pm at Asian Art Museum will explore Deco style as it travels across continents and media. Five speakers present Art Deco in its Japanese, European, and American forms: and in media from architecture to anime. Go to this link for details – visitsam.org/decoday. Xiaojin Wu, SAM’s Associate Curator of Japanese and Korean Art will give a talk about the show on May 21st at 7pm. This talk takes place at Seattle Art Museum downtown. A kimono lecture and fashion show “Retro Modern” by Yu Ugawa will take place on Sat., June 7th at 2:30pm at Seattle Asian Art Museum. For details on this event, go to www.jassw.org.Tickets for all events can be purchased online. “Nature and Pattern in Japanese Design” is a related exhibition in two parts that will be shown at Seattle Art Museum downtown. Part 1 is now on view till August 3rd , 2014. Part 2 begins August 16th, 2014 and continues till April 19th, 2015. Visitsam.org. (206) 654-3100.
Bellevue Arts Museum presents the traveling exhibit “Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami” from May 16th – September 21st. Though this art form originated in Japan, this exhibit reveals how that form has evolved through the participation of modern artists from around the world. Over 140 works from international artists takes this traditional art form and pushes it into the future. A series of related events throughout the run of the exhibition are planned including talks by Lillian Mihara on May 17 at 1pm and Vanessa Gould on June 6th at 6:30pm. Festival Folding with PAPER takes place on Saturdays from 1 – 3pm on June 7th, July 12th, August 2nd and September 13th. Following the origami show is “The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942 – 1946”, A Smithsonian traveling exhibit curated by Delphine Hirasuna. The show runs from July 3rd to Oct. 12th with many events planned. So far, Curator Delphine Hirasuna talks on Thurs., July 3rd at 7pm. California-based installation artist and sculptor Wendy Maruyama gives a talk about Executive Order 9066 and her work on the subject on September 5th at 7pm. 510 Bellevue Way NE. Go to www.bellevuearts.org.
Internationally known installation artist Mel Chin has been struggling with issues such as how can art provoke greater social awareness and responsibility in the community for over 25 years. Now the New Orleans Museum of Art presents a traveling retrospective of his work in a show entitled “Re Match” which just opened. Catalog is available published by German art publisher, Hatje Cantz.
“Tender Buttons: The Art of Laura Castellanos” is on view through June 28th at ArtXchange Gallery at 512 First Ave. S. Open Tues. – Sat. (206) 839-0377 or go to www.artxchange.org.
The Portland Japanese Garden has announced their exhibitions set for 2014. “Rediscovering Lacquer: 11 Artists Reinvent a Timeless Tradition” on view June 14th – July 6th and “Urushi: Materpieces of Lacquer Ware by Kazumi Murose, Living National Treasure of Japan”, on view Oct. 25th – Nov. 16th. For details, go to http://japanesegarden.com/pressroom/50th-anniversary-press-kit/.
KOBO Gallery at Higo in Japantown/International District has the following –Currently on view are these two shows featuring work made of wood. “Wooden Heirloom Automata” by Bliss Kolb featuring mechanical creatures like birds that move and sing. And sculptor Joel Sayre’s “Wood Tumblers” that resemble those round, smooth stones you pick up off the beach. Go to koboseattle.com for updates. 604 S. Jackson St. 704 Terry Ave. (206) 622-9250.
“Clay? V” is a group show of work in clay juried by UW ceramic professors Doug Jeck, Jamie Walker and Akio Takamori. Now on view through May 17th. Kirkland Arts Center at 620 Market St. in Kirkland. Tues. – Fri. (425) 822-7161 or go to kirklandartscenter.org.
The paper cut art of Lauren Iida is on display at West Elm in the South Lake Union area of Seattle through the month of May. 2201 Westlake. (206) 467-5798. To see more of Iida’s work, go to www.laureniida.com.
Aallyah Gupta presents a show of her non-representational acrylics on Dura-lar, focusing on weather patterns and organic movement. On view with John Smither’s work through May 31st. CORE at 117 Prefontaine Place S. Open from Wed. – Sat. (206) 467-4444 or go to coregallery.org.
“Take Me There – Maps And Books from Old Japan” is an exhibit on display until June 5th at Allen Library’s North Lobby and the East Asian Library. There will be tours of the show in English on Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 12:30pm and Saturdays at 1:15pm. Tours in Japanese are on Saturdays at 2pm. All tours start at the Allen Library on the UW campus in Seattle. For more information, call (206) 543-4490.
“Capturing a Generation through the Eye of a Lens: The Photographs of Frank C. Hirahara, 1948 – 1954” is a collection of never-before-seen photos taken of Portland’s Nisei generation. It captures the social events and life in Portland’s Japantown of a now fast disappearing generation. On view through June 15th. Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center in Portland. 121 NW Second Ave. (503) 224-1458 or visit www.oregonnikkei.org. (541) 346-3027 or go to jsma.uoregon.edu.
Members of the Ikenobo Lake Washington chapter hold their annual ikebana exhibition at the Kirkland Library on Sat. from 10am – 4:30pm and Sun. from 1 – 4:30pm. May 17th & 18th. 308 Kirkland Ave. in Kirkland. (425) 803-3268 or email ShigekoPrice@msn.com.
Two exhibits by Amir Zaki and Jason Hirata share the space at James Harris Gallery through May 17th. Zaki’s “Impermanence” features a body of work depicting two series of images in the media of monochromatic photography. One is a series of trees truncated without roots and isolated in a stark background devoid of detail. The second series zeros in on scenic beachside cliffs of Southern California shrouded in banks of fog passing by. Seattle artist Hirata continues his exploration of materials and how the viewer perceives them. “New Work” is a series of eight paintings. A gessoed rectangle on raw canvas holding the markings of simple gestures of color coated with diamond dust with the edges color blocked to subtly reflect color hues onto the wall. Each painting is a study of a minimalist 3d sculptural form. 604 – 2nd Ave. (206) 903-6220.
“Meet Me at Higo” permanent exhibit- Part Two” presented and sponsored by the Wing is a multi-media presentation and self-guided tour that tells the origins and history of the store as a Japanese American five and dime. At Kobo at Higo, 604 South Jackson. E-mail info@koboseattle.com or call (206) 381-3000.
Megumi Schacher and her students present their “Annual Mother’s Day Ikebana Exhibition” May 10th & 11th at Swanson’s Nursery. Sat. is 9am – 6pm and Sun. is 9am – 4pm. 9701 15th Ave. NW. Free. For details, go to www.ikebanabymegumi.com.
The Ohara School of Ikebana have their flower arrangement exhibition at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington on June 7th & 8th. 12 – 5pm on Sat. and 11:30am – 4pm on Sun. 1414 S. Weller St. in Seattle. Ikebana demonstrations on both days at 2pm. Free. (425) 861-7865.
Seattle artist Elizabeth Jameson who recently had a show at G. Gibson Gallery is given an “artist profile” in the March/April 2014 issue of L.A. based art magazine, Art Ltd. A tribute to the contributions of the late Bay Area artist Ruth Asawa is also in this issue. Go to www.artltdmagazine.com for details.
Seattle-raised artist Roger Shimomura has a show of new work entitled “Great American Muse” from May 8th – June 28th at the Flomenhaft Gallery in Chelsea area of New York City. Opening reception is May 8th from 6 – 8pm. The artist states the following – “Central to my work is the manipulation of common objects into something other than what they seem. Recently, I became reacquainted with Great American Nude, a series of paintings by Tom Wesselmann. The interplay between the female figure, still life objects, and a familiar piece of contemporary art fascinated me as it set up multiple interpretations. By starting with Wesselmann’s premise of juxtaposing three separate motifs and adding race and culture to the mix, the level of interpretation rose exponentially, each component adding its own history and viewpoint, resulting in endless potential for dialogue and debate.”
If viewing the work of Chinese brush painter Qi Baishi at the Frye has got you interested in his work, there is another show in the Bay Area that may interest you as well. “The Carved Brush – Calligraphy, Painting and Seal Carving by Qi Baishi” now on view through July 13th, 2014. At the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco at 200 Larkin St. (415) 581-3500.
The Late Walasse Ting (1929-2010) was a beloved artist/poet who grew up in Shanghai. When he was 20 years old, he left China and lived in Paris for a few years and became acquainted with European artists associated with the avant-garde art group called COBRA. He moved again to New York in 1958 at the height of the Abstract Expressionist period. His dripping monochromatic abstractions in the manner of Paris-based Chinese painter, Zao Wouki soon changed in America. His calligraphic strokes were used to make figurative outlines infused with juicy colors and flamboyant rhythms. He worked in theatre, taught and lectured on art. He also authored a number of books of poetry. “A book like hundred flower garden”: Walasse Ting’s 1 Cent Life” was a book of poems he made illustrated with lithographs by second-generation Abstract Expressionist artists such as Sam Francis (also the book’s editor), Joan Mitchell, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and COBRA artists such as Karl Appel and Asger Jorn. A exhibit based on the book is now on view at San Francisco’s De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park through Sept. 7th, 2014. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in the park. For details, call (415) 750-3600 or email contact@famsf.org.
The Oakland Museum in the Bay Area has new shows in April worth noting. “SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot” shows the work of 15 artists associated with the groundbreaking magazine Giant Robot. Ahead of its time, this publication led the crest of the wave in interest in anime, manga, Asian American pop and alternative culture. “Vinyl: The Sound and Culture of Records”. This show delves into the social and cultural phenomenon of listening to, collecting and sharing records or vinyl. Both shows continue on until July 27th, 2014. 1000 Oak St. For information, call toll free (888) 625-6873.
“Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910)” is an exhibition currently at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Through May 26th. More than 150 works are on exhibit including screen paintings and calligraphy. The Joseon Kingdom was one of the longest surviving monarchies in the world and shaped the culture of modern Korea in numerous ways. After Philadelphia, the exhibition then travels to Los Angeles County Museum of Art from June 29th – Sept. 28th and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston from Nov. 2nd – Jan. 11, 2015.
The University of Chicago presents “Envisioning China: A Festival of Arts and Culture” on-going through June 15th. Highlights include the Chicago premiere of Chinese opera star Ling Ke and the Tianjin Peking Opera Company on April 12th The Smart Museum of Art has a show entitled “Performing Images: Opera in Chinese Visual Culture” which has on view rarely seen works from late imperial China. For details, go to envisioningchina.uchicago.edu and like the festival on Facebook at facebook.com/envisioningchina.
“Light From Shadow Illustrates Use of Gold in Japanese Art” is a show that features some of the most important Japanese works of art in the museum collection. Through June 1, 2014. Honolulu Museum of Art at www.honolulumuseum.org/.
The Asia Society in New York has the following shows opening. “Golden Visions of Densatil: A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery” is on view through May 18th. This exhibition is the first ever to explore the history, iconography, and artistic production associated with the central Tibetan Buddhist monastery known as Densatil that was destroyed during China’s Cultural Revolution. After its’ destruction, fragments of the reliefs and sculptures were dispersed around the world. This exhibition brings together a selection of works that explore the spiritual journey that was laid out in the imagery of the stupas. Nalini Malani is a contemporary South Asian artist currently dividing her time between Mumbai and Amsterdam. Her work uses allegory and symbolism to explore issues relating to gender, class and race in a post-colonial world. “Transgressions” is a video/shadow play drawn from the Asia Society Museum Collection as well as a selection of Malani’s artist books. On view through August 3rd. “Tales of Wonder: Indian Art from the Asia society Museum Collection” is on view now through May 4th. 725 Park Ave. in New York City. Go to www.asiasociety.org/new-york.
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a new exhibit entitled “Lost Kingdoms – Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century”. 1000 Fifth Ave. Go to www.metmuseum.org for more information.
“From Barbed Wire to Battlefields – Japanese-American Experiences in World War II” is a new exhibit at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on loan from the Smithsonian. It remains on view through October of this year. For more, visit www.barbedwiretobattlefields.org/home.
Joshua Chuang has joined the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, Tucson as chief curator. Previously, he served as curator of photography and digital media at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven.
Noted Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has won the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize. He is known for his innovative approach at building useful temporary shelter for victims of natural disasters and wars.
The May/June 2014 of ArtAsiaPacific magazine has a feature on a group of young Taiwanese writers, photographers and filmmakers who produced “Theatre”, the first Chinese-language magazine dedicated to experimental time-based art in the 1960’s. Go to events@aapmag.com for details.
About 150,000 Korean cultural relics are scattered throughout more than 20 countries world-wide. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation is supporting preservation and research on them as a way of promoting understanding of Korean artifacts. Recent projects have included the Koryo Museum of Art in Kyoto, the Freer Gallery, the Sackler Gallery and Honolulu Museum of Art in the US and Sevres, Cite de la Ceramique in France.
Artist Trust presents “A Workshop for Visual Artists” on Sat., May 31st from 10am – 12 pm and 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Learn what you can do to advance your career. Seattle Pacific University in Seattle at McKenna Hall 118 on campus. 350 West Bertona. Go to www.artisttrust.org/events for all the information.
Performing Arts
Highlights
“UW Night Market/I see Taiwan” presented by the UW Taiwan Student Organization takes over Red Square on the Seattle UW campus on Sat., May 10th from 5:30pm – 10:30pm. Enjoy cultural performances, games and a chance to purchase Taiwanese delicacies. Youtube star Clara C, New Heights and Lions Ambition all perform as well. Free admission but food can only be purchased with cash or pre-sale tickets which will be sold on campus all week at the TSA booth on Red Square from 10:30am – 2:30pm. For details, go to uwnightmarket.com.
Local singer/songwriter Tomo Nakayama is the latest artist-in-residence at Town Hall Seattle. Look for him to pop up at various events. Tickets & information at www.townhallseattle.org.
David Finckel, Wu Han and Phil Setzer perform a classical concert as part of the UW World Series at Meany Hall on the Seattle UW campus. May 21st at 8pm. (206) 543-4880 or go to uwworldseries.org.
Paul Kikuchi appears in a duo setting with Thollem McDonas on June 7th at 8pm at the Chapel Performance Space in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood at 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. For details on the concert, go to waywardmusic.blogspot.com/.
Heri Purwanto is the UW Ethnomusicology Department’s “Visiting Artist” this spring and Seattle audiences (and UW students) will reap the musical benefits. On May 20th, the new gamelan makes its Meany stage debut in a concert entitled “Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist Concert: Gamelan Music, Dance and Shadow Puppet Theater of Java.” With Heri Puwanto and his students, shadow puppet master Ki Midiyanto, vocalist Jessika Kenny, dancer Christina Sunardi and Gamelan Pacifica in an evening of Javanese music, dance and theatre. 7:30pm at Meany Theater on the Seattle UW campus. For information and tickets, go to www.music.washington.edu or call UW Arts Ticket Office at (2060 543-4880.
Critically-acclaimed Canadian classic professor and poet Anne Carson collaborates with local composers Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenny for a reading and musical performance inspired by classical Greek statuary. This local musical couple between them have racked up both a Stranger Genius Award and a James W. Ray Fellowship. May 13th at Town Hall Seattle. Go to www.townhallseattle.org for details.
Noted actor George Takei of “Star Trek” fame will lead this year’s Seattle Pride Parade as Celebrity Grand Marshal.
The 2014 Seattle Bon Odori takes place July 19th & 20th with traditional street dances, food, cultural activities and a beer garden. There will be dancing lessons days prior to the event for those who wish to learn. Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Church at 1427 S. Main. 4 – 10pm on Sat. and 3 – 8pm on Sun. (206) 329-0800 for more information.
Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival celebrates the arts and culture of the Philippines. Free. June 7 – 8th at Seattle Center house. Go to http://seattlecenter.com/festal/.
Early warning for 2015. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra with Myung-Whun Chung conducting and Sunwook Kim on piano take on Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 and Brahms Symphony No. 4 on April 21st at 7:30pm. Noted American cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs with Seattle Symphony on May 3rd at 2pm. At Benaroya Hall downtown at 3rd & Union. (206) 215-4747 or go to seattlesymphony.org.
“Dhrupad Days” is the annual Indian music festival featuring workshops by noted Dhrupad artists Padmashri Pandit, the Gundecha Brothers and a cello concert by Nancy Lesh Kulkarni. May 24th – 30th. Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. For details, go to http://dhrupad.com/dhrupad-days/dhrupad-days-2014/.
The Wing hosts the following performances. On Sat., May 31st at 3pm, catch award-winning musician, distinguished artist, and teacher, Debi Prasad Chatterjee as he performs classical North Indian music. The concert is followed by a Q & A. $8 General, free for members. On Sat., June 7th at 3pm, choreographer Gabrielle Nomura weaves dance, theater, and live music by Seattle Kokon Taiko into an exploration of the Japanese American experience during WWII in a piece entitled “Farewell Shikata ga nai”. $5 General, free to members. The above two concerts, reserve tickets at (206) 623-5124. As we head into June, we are talking about Summer and that means JAMFEST, the annual series of musical concerts in the buildings and streets of Seattle’s Chinatown/ID neighborhood. On Thurs., June 19th at 5:30pm the Wing hosts a cabaret. After that, hit the streets to sample performances, food, deals and more. $8 General, $6 Students/Seniors and $5 members. Season passes available. Visit wingluke.org/jamfest for details.
The Seattle Japanese Garden presents “Children’s Day” on May 26th from noon – 4pm. Expect fun performances and activities for all ages. Go to Seattle.JapaneseGarden.org for details.
Future file
The Blue Scholars are headlining the Inaugural Solstice Concert Series for the Fremont Fair this year on Sat., June 21st starting at 5pm. $20 admission for all ages. For details, go to Fremontfair.com.
“International Dance Festival” is a ten-day event of dance from around the world, around the country and around the block in indoor and outdoor venues centered along the South Lake Union area. June 13th – 22nd. For details, go to www.seattleidforg.
ACT Theatre has announced their 2014 season. Appearing Sept. 5 – 28th is “The Invisible Hand” by Ayad Akhtar. The story revolves around an American financial guru who is captured and held by a militant organization in Pakistan who must raise his won 10 million dollar ransom. To be directed by Allen Nause. For details on this play and the upcoming season, go to acttheatre.org/subscriptions or call (206) 292-7676.
For those of you who missed the performances of Jeanne Sakata’s “Hold These Truths”, her one person play on the night Gordon Hirabayashi was arrested for defying the curfew for Japanese Americans in Seattle at the beginning of WWII have another opportunity. ACT Theatre will produce this play again July 31st – August 3rd of this year with possibly Joel de la Fuente in the lead. They are currently entertaining the idea of adapting “The Tale of Heike” and bringing it to the stage in the fall of 2016. Noted playwright Philip Kan Gotanda may be working on the script with local Seattle writers.
New York- based composer, saxophonist, writer and radical activist Fred Ho died recently after a long struggle with cancer. He will be remembered for many activities including the founding of the Afro Asian Music Ensemble and his association with other Asian American musicians working within the realm of a new Asian American jazz movement. His initial recording output included “Tomorrow is Now!” and “We Refuse to Be Used and Abused” both on the Soul Note label from Italy. He also worked on ballet operas that reinvented the genre which he called “living comic books.” He covered themes as diverse as Chinese folklore, domestic abuse, the black power movement and revolutionary feminism. Ho came through the Northwest a couple of times with a saxophone quartet and once as a solo act, lecturing on the roots of Asian American music with vivid musical examples. He was a cultural warrior who used art as his weapon against the capitalist system.
Film & Media
Highlights
“Visualizing War, Visualizing Fascism: Film and Photography in Germany and Japan” is the title of a talk by Julia Adeney Thomas and Geoff Eley at UW Communications 120 on Thurs. May 8th at 3:30pm. (206) 685-9997 or email japan@uw.edu.
“HAFU: The mixed-race experience in Japan” looks at the lives of five multicultural people. Screens on May 10th at Bellevue Children’s Academy. Show times at 1:30pm and 4:10pm. Free but reservations required. Go to hafuinseattle@gmail.com. 14640 NE 24th St. in Bellevue. For details, go to www.bellevuejapanclub.com/jpn/page/home.
The Seattle International Film Festival features new films from around the world, nationally and locally from May 15th – June 8th. For details, go to http://www.siff.net/. Tickets on sale now.
“All Out Monsters Attack” is a series of Japanese vintage monster flicks created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the original 1954 Godzilla film. “Godzilla: The Japanese Original” screens through May 8th. “Infra-Man” on May 7th. All at SIFF Cinema Uptown
“Watermark” marks the return of award-winning documentary filmmaker Jennfer Baichwal and renowned environmental photographer Edward Burtynsky who teamed up to make the acclaimed documentary, “Manufactured Landscapes.” This time they tackle the subject of water and our troubled relationship with life’s most precious resource. Scenes include visits to construction sites in China, the ancient “step wells” of Rajasthan and the water-intensive tanneries of Dhaka, Bangla Desh amongst other places across the world. Opens for a week on May 2nd at a Landmark Theatre in Seattle. Go to www.burtynsky-water.com/watermark for more on the film.
The Wing and Tasveer partner together to bring you the 2nd South Asian International Documentary (SAID) Film Festival, the only one of its kind in the country. Set for the weekend of June 28th and 29th. For festival information and tickets visit: www.tasveer.org. Films will screen on-site at The Wing and tickets must be purchased.
The Japanese Cultural & Community Center presents a Japanese film series entitled “Matinee Eiga” every Sunday at 2pm. $5 for non-members and $3 for JCCCW members. 1414 S. Weller St. (206) 568-7114 or go to www.jcccw.org. Call (425) 369-1012 for details.
The Written Arts
Highlights
Veteran judge and author Vincent H. Okamoto is the guest speaker in a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Program at 1pm on Sat., May 17th at NVC Memorial Hall at 1212 South King St. in Seattle. For more info., call Keith Yamaguchi at (206) 390-1253.
Seattle poet Brian Komei Dempster visits from the University of San Francisco where he teaches to read and talk about his debut book of poetry entitled “Topaz”. The book follows the influence of the internment camp experience amongst Japanese Americans and traces the ramifications through generations of a family and a people. On May 31st he will do a program entitled “Japanese American Impisonment & Resettlement: The Power of Our Intergenerational Stories” with presentations by Janet Sakamoto Baba and Atsushi Kiuchi from the Pacific Northwest writing project, Omoide. 7pm at NVC Memorial Hall at 1212 South King St. Co-presented with the Nisei Veterans Committee, Densho, The Japanese American Legacy Project & Elliott Bay Book Company. On June 1st at 3pm, Dempster reads with fellow poet Janet Norman Knox at Eagle Harbor Books at 157 Winslow Way E. on Bainbridge Island. On June 3rd, he will be at University Book Store at 6pm in a reading entitled “Asian Pacific American Poetry Across the Generations” with poets Sharon Hashimoto, Arlene Kim and Alan Chong Lau with a special tribute reading of the poems of the late Kim-An Lieberman. 4326 University Way NE. Finally on June 5th, the poet collaborates with his musician father Stuart Dempster, artist mother Renko Ishida Dempster and storyteller Dee Goto in the theatre at the Wing Luke Museum. 6pm. 719 South King St. For details on all of his events, go to http://briankomeidempster.com/events/.
Seattle poet/educator Lonny Kaneko is teaching in China this quarter. Kaneko is a published poet and teacher at Highline Community College. To read his blog about his experiences there, go to http:/goldenchild39.blogspot.com/.
“Stories of Arrival: Youth Voices” is a community partnership project between Foster High School, Jack Straw Cultural Center, KBCS 91.3 FM Radio and the Institute for Poetic Medicine. Poet/Project Director Merna Ann Hecht worked with ELL teachers Camil Stradley and Kristin Tregillus and the Jack Straw’s team of artists. They helped Foster High School English Language Learners tell their stories through poetry and these were recorded in the studio at Jack Straw. Now hear the results every weekday evening in April at 6:55pm after Hard Knock Radio on KBCS 91.3 FM Radio. Starts April 1st in celebration of National Poetry Month. Students from Bhutan, Burma, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guinea, Iraq, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Somalia, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam all participated. Go to http://kbcs.fm/ for details.
The Elliott Bay Book Company host and co-hosts literary events at their bookstore and venues around town. Here is a sampling. All readings at the book store unless otherwise noted. Elliott Bay co-sponsors the following readings with the Gardner Center for Asian Art & Ideas at Seattle Asian Art Museum’s. auditorium. Buddhist scholar Robert E. Buswell Jr. will talk about “The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism” (Princeton University Press) which he co-edited with Donald C. Lopez on Wed., March 14th at 7pm. Evan Osnos reads from his forthcoming book entitled “Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China” (Farrar Straus & Giroux) on Wed., May 28th at 7pm.Seattle Asian Art Museum is at 1400 E. Prospect in Volunteer Park. The bookstore is at 1521 Tenth Avenue in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. (206) 624-6600 or visit www.elliottbaybook.com.
The Wing hosts three readings in their Tateuchi Story Theatre. Pakistani native and Kirkland author Maliha Masood reads from her book entitled “Dizzy in Karachi: A Journey to Pakistan” on Sat., May 17th at 4pm. Masood came from Pakistan with her family when she was 10. A return visit in the wake of 9/11 reminded her of the roots she left behind and triggered this book. There will be a discussion with the author after her reading. Free. On Sat., June 21st at 4pm, spoken-word poet and community activist Michelle Myers performs poetry with song from her new poetry book entitled “The She Book.” Proceeds from book sales will be donated to aid anti-trafficking efforts and community building in Nicaragua. Seattle-raised poet/editor/professor Brian Komei Dempster will read from his debut poetry collection, “Topaz”. The book examines the experiences and lasting intergenerational impact of a Japanese American family’s separation and incarceration in American WWII prison camps. This takes place on Thurs., June 5th at 4pm. Free. For more information, on these and more, go to wingluke.org.
Celebrate some of Seattle’s Asian American writers by checking out the Jack Straw May Reading Series hosted by this year’s curator, Felicia Gonzalez. Loreen Lilyun Lee reads on May 9th at 7pm with others. Michelle Penaloza reads on May 16th at 7pm with others. Jack Straw Studios is at 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E. in the “U” District. (206) 634-0919 or go to www.jackstraw.org/.
Kim-An Lieberman (1974-2013) was a highly accomplished poet who died all too soon after a long battle with cancer. Fortunately for us, she left behind a second book of poems entitled “In Orbit” now published posthumously by local publisher, Blue Begonia Press. In it she re-imagines the anti-Chinese riots in Seattle, the lives of her Vietnamese American family and concludes with powerful poems detailing her own experience with cancer. To purchase “In Orbit” or her first book entitled “Breaking The Map”, email the publisher at info@bluebegoniapress.com. Also available at Open Books in Seattle. Her poems will also be read at a group reading entitled “Asian Pacific American Poetry Across the Generations” led by poet Brian Komei Dempster who reads from his new book entitled “Topaz” along with guest poets Sharon Hashimoto, Arlene Kim and Alan Chong Lau on June 3rd at 6:30pm at the University Book Store’s Seattle branch in the University District. 4326 University Way NE.
Examiner contributing writer Collin Tong will do a book signing for a recently anthology he edited on Alzheimer’s caregivers on May 16th at “Discovery 2014” at Washington State Convention Center with Ann Hedreen and Esther Altschul. Go to http://alzwa.org/cms/DiscoverConf/ for details.
“The Mountain Poems of Stonehouse: A Celebration in Translation and Song” is a reading by Red Pine with vocalist/composer Jessika Kenny and musicians Eyvind Kang and Jarad Powell. Stonehouse was a 14th century Chinese hermit and poet. A book signing follows the reading. Thursday, May 22nd at 7pm. Frye Art Museum at 704 Terry. (206) 622-9250.
Tacoma poet Hannah Sanghee Park’s book, “The Same-Different” was selected by Rai Armantrout as the winner of the 2014 Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets and will be published by Louisiana State University Press in 2015. She also won the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship in 2013. Park currently attends the Writing for Screen & Television Program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she is currently developing a television pilot and feature-length screenplay.
Former Oregon Poet-Laureate and award-winning poet Lawson Fusao Inada makes his first ever visit to Japan in July of 2014 where he’ll do a reading at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum.
Congratulations to Seattle-raised poet Paisley Rekdal who was awarded a 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship for Poetry. She receives $50,000 and goes to New York on May 7th for a reception for awardees both past and present. Rekdal is currently Professor of English at the University of Utah. She is the author of a book of essays entitled “The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee”, a hybrid genre memoir entitled “Intimate” and four books of poetry entitled “A Crash of Rhinos”, “Six Girls Without Pants”, “The Invention of the Kaleidoscope” and most recently, “Animal Eye”.
“The Last Incantations” (Northwestern University Press ) is a new book of poems by David Mura that looks at the intersection of our multiracial society and his experiences as a third-generation Japanese American trying to prove his “Americaness”. For details, go to http://www.nupress.northwestern.edu/.
Tinfish Press is known for publishing some of the most exciting and experimental writing by writers of the Asian Pacific region. Their upcoming latest title will be “Proposed Additions” by Donovan Kuhio Colleps. Got to www.tinfishpress.com for details.
Seoul Selection will publish “Shadows of the Void”, a new collection of poetry by Ynhui Park as translated by Brother Anthony of Taize. The poet is internationally known for his probing and philosophical poetry that easily transcends borders.
Wing Tek Lum, author of “The Nanjing Massacre: Poems” received the Elliot Cades Award for Literature presented by the Hawai’i Literary Arts Council.
Alex Tizon was a respected staff writer for the Seattle Times and a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. Now he teaches at the University of Oregon. He has a new book due out in June entitled “Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). His book looks at the experience, psyche, and mythology of the Asian American male.
“Beyond Green Tea and Grapefruit” (Bamboo Ridge Press) is a new book of stories and poems by Hawai’i-based writer Gail N. Harada.
Two Northwest Asian American classic memoirs are being reprinted in commemorative editions with new introductions by the University of Washington Press. “Nisei Daughter” by Monica Sone tells the story of growing up in Chinatown/ID as the daughter of Japanese immigrant hotel owners. Northwest historian Marie Rose Wong does the introduction. “American is in the Heart” by Carlos Bulosan is the legendary memoir of this treasured Filipino American writer and his bitter-sweet, life-long involvement with the American dream. Asian American scholars Marilyn C. Alquizola and Lane Ryo Hirabayashi do the new introduction for this one. Other titles in this series due for new editions include titles by John Okada and Mine Okubo. For details, go to http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/.
Shin Kyung-Sook whose first book translated into English entitled “Please Look After Mom” was an international best-seller has another book just translated into English entitled “I’ll Be Right There”. The book centers on the friendship, romance and loss experienced by four university students during the tumultuous 1980’s in South Korea.
Interested in the Hawai’I literary scene? Go to the Hawai’i book blog at wwwHawaiiReads.com.
“Mechademia 8 – Tezuka’s Manga Life” (University of Minnesota Press) as edited by Frenchy Lunning is an anthology of essays on the pioneer Japanese manga artist/writer known as the “Walt Disney of Japan.” Go to http://upress/book-division/series/mechademia for details.
“This One Summer” (First Second Books) written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin Jillian Tamaki is out just in time for summer. The collaborated on the previous well-reviewed book, “Skim.” This new book looks at the lives of two teenage girls in a summer beach town and how some of those experiences will change their lives forever.
“Singapore Noir” as edited by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan is from the popular “noir” series on Akashi Books that looks at short stories on crime and suspense collected by editors in cities around the world. Tan looks at a Singapore rarely explored in Western literature and the people that inhabit its urban streets under cover of darkness.
Haroon K. Ullah is a Pakistani-American scholar and diplomat who grew up in rural Washington and has spent his life visiting and re-visiting his homeland. He feels that Westerners lack an understanding of the “real” Pakistan beneath the headlines. Over the years he focused on a family and through their eyes tried to tell the story of a nation, its dreams, its struggles and its realities. “The Bargain From The Bazaar – A Family’s Day of Reckoning in Lahore” (Public Affairs) is the fascinating result.
“Troubling Borders – An Anthology of Art and Literature by Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora” is an important new collection edited by Isabelle Thuy Pelaud, Lan Duong, Mariam B. Lam, and Kathy L. Nguyen published by University of Washington Press. Pairing image and text, this book showcases creative writing and visual images by sixty-two women of Southeast Asian descent. Watch the trailer to this book by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOxVrYYUkiAandfeature=c4-overviewandlist=UUge4MONgLFncQ1w1C_BnHcw.
Three new books on Korean culture are due to be published by Seoul Selection shortly. “100 Thimbles in a Box” introduces readers to the world of Korean handicrafts. “A Korean Kitchen Companion is a new book on Korean cuisine. “Charlie And Liz’s Seoul Subway Travelogue” is a Korean language exploration of the Korean capital through its’ subway system also available in an e-book version. Go to www.seoulselection.com for details.
Korean literature is gaining more international exposure. 10 Korean writers (all from South Korea) have been invited to attend this year’s London Book Fair.
Bay Area based writer Aimee Phan (“We Should Never Meet”, “The Reeducation of Cherry Truong”) recently penned an essay about the lack of reviews that writers of color in America receive in the mainstream media. The article entitled “Why Mainstream Critics Fail Writers of Color” cites research provided by Roxanne Gay that demonstrated that 90 percent of the books reviewed in the New York Times were by white authors. For more, go to – talkingwriting.com/why-mainstream-critics-fail-writers-color.
Art News/Opportunities
The ID Spring Roll 2014 is a benefit event that provides crucial support to the Chinatown/ID community and the Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation and Development Authority. It takes place this year on Friday, May 30th at the Wing at 6pm. $100 admission. Go to www.idspringroll.org for details.
A Japanese folk dance group is forming to dance together at this year’s FolkLife Festival on June 1st as part of their Asian Show case entitled “Journey to the East”. Very minimal dance skill is required and both men and women are welcome to join. They promise that it will be fun, get your blood pumping and make you feel good all over. Interested in joining up? Then email Karunamrita@gmail.com or call (425) 670-3974.
Local area high school jazz programs continue to win honors nationally. The famed Garfield High School Jazz Ensemble took first place in the AAAA division of the 2014 Clark College Jazz Festival as well as winning the Sweepstakes Award as the outstanding ensemble for the festival. Three members of the band nabbed Outstanding Musician Awards including pianist Alice Mar-Abe. To prove it’s no fluke, Garfield has won awards here seven times since 1995. Last year’s winner was another Seattle school, Roosevelt High School.
Workshops with international Qigong instructors Claire Johnson and Jerigtu Borjigin take place May 10th – 11th at New Seattle Massage from 11am – 6pm. Go to East/WestWellnessEnterprise.org for details.
“Furuhon Ichi” is a used book sale that takes place on Sat., May 31st from 11am – 2pm at Bellevue High School at 10416 SE Wolverine Way in Bellevue. Go to http://seajschoo0lpta.org/furuhon.html.
As part of Frye Art Museum summer art classes, Yoon-Kang O’Higgins will present an art educator workshop entitled “VTS: Practicum” August 8 – 9th from 10am – 4pm. Develop your Visual Thinking Strategies with this introduction to VTS research and theory. There will be practical work in the galleries and ample discussion and reflection. $200 members/ $245 non-members. To register, go to visualthinkingstrategies.org. Some other classes of interest include “Doll Sculptures” taught by Marita Dingus July 29th – August 1st and “Coiled Basketry: Explorations in Color and Design” taught by Gail Tremblay. For details on all summer classes, go to fryemuseum.org/classes.
Peggy Kelsey, author of “Gathering Strength: Conversations with Afghan Women” will make a West Coast tour this summer in the following cities. If anyone out there is interested in having her make a presentation on the subject of Afghan women, feel free to contact her directly. You can learn more by going to www.kelseys.net. She will be in San Francisco June 26th – 30th, Eugene on July 1st, Portland on July 2nd, Olympia on July 3rd and Seattle from July 4th – 9th.
How would you like to eat delicious Asian cuisine and learn how to make what you eat? Friends of Asian Art Association gives you that chance with their “The Art of Asian Cuisine” series. Visit with top chefs and learn how to make meals they would cook at home. Here is the schedule – India on Sat., May 17th, Japan on Mon., June 16th, Pakistan on Sun., July 13th and Korea on Fri., Aug. 29th. For more information or to register, email FriendsOfAsianArt@earthlink.net or call (206) 522-5438. Hurry as tickets are going fast!
Bay Area jazz drummer Akira Tana led a group of Japanese American and Japanese musicians living in the US on a good will tour of the devastated area of Japan where the tsunami took place last year. They performed a series of free concerts for those communities in the tsunami area still trying to put their lives back together. Now Tana plans another tour to the same area later this year but he needs your help. If you can help support the “Bringing Jazz to Japan for Earthquake Tsunami Relief Project”, go to https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bringing-jazz-to-japan-for-earthquake-tsunami-relief for details.
The Creative Capital/Warhol Foundation issues a call for visual arts writers to apply to their “Arts Writers Grant Program”. Deadline is May 21, 2014. For details, go to www.artswriters.org/eligibility.html.