2016-01-20



Visual Arts

A final pop-up art closing event for Cullom Gallery takes place on Jan. 23 from 1 – 6pm hosted by studio e gallery in Georgetown. This will be the final opportunity to see and purchase art from the gallery. Over the years, Beth Cullom has done a great service by showcasing a variety of interesting, contemporary print art by Japanese artists and other non-Japanese artists influenced by that printmaking tradition. Now she is closing due to illness, a need to spend more time with family and a focus on recuperation. New work by internationally known Japanese printmaker Ryohei Tanaka and other gallery artists will be available. Come say goodbye and buy some prints. Studio e is located in Georgetown at 609 Brandon St. For details, email info@cullomgallery.com or call 206-919-8278.

Seattle fashion designer Bo Choi has work on display at “CoCa at Rubix, Seattle/Bling it On! Contemporary Wearable Art & Jewelry Show” through Feb. 2, 2016. 515 Harvard Ave. E. Go to http://cocaseattle.org/exhibitions/upcoming/bling-it for details.

“Stratum” is SOIL Gallery’s All-Member Group Show on view through Jan. 23. Includes work by Paul Komada, Catherine Uehara and many others. 112 – 3rd Ave. S. Go to www.soilart.org for details.

The work of Margot Quan Knight and Rob Rhee is included in a group show entitled “The Potato Eaters” guest curated by Dawn Cerny and Dan Webb. Show is on view through Feb. 20. Greg Kucera Gallery. 212 Third Ave. S. 206-624-0770 or go to www.gregkucera.com.

The work of Eunice Kim, Han Hsiang-Ning and Sohee Kim is included in a show entitled “Large Works on Paper” on view through Jan. 30. The work of contemporary Japanese printmaker Hiroyuki Tajima is on view Feb. 4 – 27. A group show on “Contemporary Chinese Printmaking” opens in March. Davidson Galleries at 313 Occidental Ave. S. 206-624-1324 or go to www.davidsongalleries.com.

The work of Thuy-Van Vu is included in an upcoming group show entitled “At Large” set to run from Jan. 22 – Feb. 27 at G. Gibson Gallery at 300 S. Washington St. Go to www.ggibsongallery.com for details.

“Thought Patterns” is a group show featuring artists and craftspersons working in diverse media and how they construct their ideas in patterned and repetitive ways. Features the work of Louise Kikuchi, June Sekiguchi and others. Through Feb. 14. Bainbridge Art Museum at 550 Winslow Way E. on Bainbridge Island. (206) 842-4431 or go to www.biartmuseum.org. Open daily. Free.

“Slash And Burn” is a group show curated by Suze Woolf that looks at artists who either cut or burn material to make their art. The work of Naoko Morisawa and June Sekiguchi is included. Through Jan. 30, 2016. Kirkland Art Center at 620 Market St. in Kirkland. (425) 822-7161.

“Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty” is a show that should prove to be a family favorite. On loan from the Japanese American National Museum, the show lands in Seattle at the EMP Museum at Seattle Center through May 15, 2016. The show looks on the history of the Japanese icon and her influence on popular culture. Includes an extensive product survey, with rare and unique items from the Sanrio archives, alongside a selection of innovative contemporary artworks inspired by Hello Kitty and her world. 5th Ave. N. (206) 770-2700. $25 general admission ($20 for EMP members), $10 or youth 5 – 17. Free for kids 4 and under.

Seattle Art Museum downtown is “Conversations With Curators” series is back. The series takes place Wednesday evenings between November and goes on through June, 2016. There is a 6pm Happy Hour in the South Hall and the lectures start at 7pm in the Plestcheeff Auditorium. Some highlights include the following. “First Under Heaven: Korean Celadon” is the title of a talk by Xiaojin Wu, Curator of Japanese and Korean Art on Feb. 17, 2016. March 16 is “A Special Evening With SAM’s Newest Curator” which introduces Foong Ping, the Foster Foundation Curator of Chinese Art. Tickets are $7 per talk with a series pass at $49. Available to museum members only but members may purchase tickets for their guests at $10 per lecture. Get tickets online at visitsam.org/tickets or by phone or in person at either SAM or the Asian Art Museum. 1300 First Ave. (206) 654-3210 or go to www.seattleartmuseum.org.

“Sites of Meaning: Caring for Asia’s Cultural Heritage” is the title of the Gardner Center for Asian Art & Ideas new Winter Saturday University Series which runs from Jan. 30 – March 19 & then again on April 9 from 9:30 – 11am. On Jan. 30, Stefan Simon addresses the topic of “Sustainable Management of Change: The Science of Preserving Cultural Heritage”. On Feb. 6, Jorge Otero-Pailos talks about “Experimental Preservation in the Anthropocene”, on Feb. 13 David Park addresses “Buddhist Painting: A Fragile Inheritance”, on Feb. 20 Brent Huffman talks about “Saving Mes Aynak, a Buddhist Site at Risk in Afghanistan”, on Feb. 27, Dina Bandel looks at “Cultural Heritage and Artist Outreach in Post-Earthquake Nepal”, on March 5, Mimi Gardner Gates speaks on “Buddhist Caves at Dunhuang: Art, Spirituality, and Cultural Heritage”, on March 12, David Geary looks at “Multiple Lives of a Sacred Site in Bodh Gaya, India”, on March 19, Shiraz Allibhai speaks about “Let the Beauty We Love, Be What We Do: Restoring Gardens in Cairo, Kabul, Lahore, an Delhi”, and finally on April 9, Neville Agnew will talk about “Dimensions of Conservation at the Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang”. Full series tickets available in advance and individual tickets sold at the door on a fist-come, first-served basis, Held in partnership with the Dunhuang Foundation and the UW Jackson School of International Studies and Elliott Bay Book Company. Tickets available in person at the Seattle Art Museum or the Asian Art Museum. You can also purchase online at visitsam.org/tickets or by calling 206-654-3210. 206-442-8480 or go to gardnercenter@seattleartmuseum.org.

The work of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is included in a group show “Arboral Dreams: The Tree in Art” Feb. 13 – March 5. Krab Jab Studio at 5628 Airport Way S. Suite 150 or go to krabjabstudio.com.

“Project 562” is a series by Matika Wilbur that looks to document the lives of Native Americans today. Through June 11. The Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve at 6410 23rd Ave. NE in Tulalip. 360-716-2600 or go to hibulbculturalcenter.org.

The Yakima Valley Museum has the current exhibit, “Land of Joy and Sorrow – Japanese Pioneers of the Yakima Valley” up until 2018. It tells the history of Japanese families who created a community there before the war. Only 10% of families returned to re-settle there after the war. 2105 Teton Dr. (509) 248-0741. In related news, a softball from this collection that saw play at Heart Mountain internment camp and owned by George Hirahara has been given to the Smithsonian and was on display in the incarceration section of the exhibit, “The Price of Freedom – Americans at War”. (As reported in the North American Post.) In other news, Hirahara’s Oregon photographs of the Japanese American post-WWII experience in the Pacific Northwest are now available online at Densho. To see his documentation of Nikkei Oregon life in “New Partner Collection: Frank C. Hirahara Photographs From The Oregon Nikkei Endowment”, go to http://www.densho.org/new-partner-collection-frank-c-hirahara-photographs-from-the-oregon-nikkei-endowment/. Also a profile of the Washington State University Hirahara Collection of photos from Heart Mountain is now featured on the Japanese American History Not For Sale Facebook Page by going to https://www.facebook.com/japaneseamericanhistorynotforsale.

Seattle ceramic artist Akio Takamori and Lead Pencil Studio (Annie Han & Daniel Milhayo) were both recipients of the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards given by the Portland Art Museum which will give all winners a group show which has been re-scheduled to run from Feb. 13 – May 8 in 2016. The extension will allow some artists to do brand-new work site-specific to the PAM space. “Anish Kapoor – Prints from the Collection of Jordan Schnitzer” remains on view until Oct. 25, 2015. The Portland Art Museum is at 1219 SW Park Ave. Go to www.portlandartmuseum.org for details.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene has the following –Remaining on view until July 24, 2016 is “‘True’ Korean Landscapes & Virtuous Scholars” and “Benevolence & Loyalty: Filial Piety in Chinese Art” up until July 31, 2016. 1430 Johnson Lane. (541) 346-3027.

Korean installation artist Anicka Yi, currently based in New York will do a presentation on her work in the “Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice Art Lecture Series” at Henry Art Gallery on Feb. 11 at 7pm. Free but registration required. 15th Ave. NE and NE 41st St. On the UW Seattle campus. 206-543-2280 or go to henryart.org.

New and recent shows /activities at the Wing include the following – “New Years All Year Round” opens on Sat., Jan. 16. See how the New Year is celebrated in Japanese, Vietnamese, and Hmong cultures in this interactive and kid-friendly exhibit. Opening March 3 from 6 – 8pm is “Seeds of Change, Roots of Power: The Danny Woo Community Garden”, an exhibit that celebarates this neighborhood resource which preserves culture, tradition and identity. Free. Light refreshments provided and speaking program to follow. “Tatau/Tattoo: Embodying Resistance. Explores the practices and cultural significance of tattoos, highlighting the unique perspectives of the South Pacific communities in the Pacific Northwest. “Khmer American: Naga Sheds Its Skin”. War has had a huge impact on Khmer culture and identity. Despite these challenges, the community continues to shape the US and Cambodia. “Tales of Tails: Animals in Children’s Books is a recent show to open at the museum. “CONSTRUCT/S” is a group show that presents a diverse group of six international, national and local female artists who will transform The Wing’s art gallery into a multi-sensory, interactive exploration of identity, subjectivity, history, culture and gender. It is curated by Dr. Stacey Uradomo-Barre. It remains on view through April 17th, 2016. Artists include the following – Terry Acebo Davis from California recreates her mother’s bedroom drawing upon the fact that she is suffering from dementia. This room is a place she yearns to return to and the piece deals with a fragmented narrative of memory, loss, identity, and Filipino American culture. Kaili Chun from Hawai’I has an interactive installation of man-made steel bars that unlock to grapple with issues of subjectivity and community and reflect the continuous socio-political negotiation of Native Hawaiians with the mainstream society. Yong Soon Min from California, after a career exploring Korean American Identity and colonialism now examines her own personal struggle of pain and trauma as she tries to recover from a cerebral hemorrhage that affected her ability to form language and memories. Min has shown previously in Seattle with temporary art installations. Tamiko Thiel (Germany) & Midori Kono Thiel (Seattle) present a mother-daughter collaboration combining traditional calligraphy with mobile technology. Their augmented reality installation virtually links art and culture with physical landmarks significant to the local Japanese American community. Lynne Yamamoto from Massachusetts went to Evergreen College in Olympia as a student. She has shown here previously with an installation at Suyama Space and a show at Greg Kucera Gallery. Her new piece here was inspired by the early 20th century tent houses of Japanese immigrant farmers. This work interweaves family memories and community history, evoking the migratory nature of the Japanese American farming community. She also has a public art commission at the Seattle Public Library planned as well. A catalog for this show is available. The Young Family Collection of Qing Dynasty robes opened Jan. 15th . “Who Gets To Belong?” is an exhibit that looks at the Immigration Act of 1965 that lifted the quotas for Asian Pacific Islander immigration. This exhibit which opened March 5th will look at the cultural and political climate that pushed for this act. It closes on Sun., Feb. 14. “Do You Know Bruce?” is a major new show on the personal, intimate story of martial arts artist and film star Bruce Lee and the significance of Seattle in his life. Opens Oct. 4th with the full support of the Lee Family. The Wing is the only museum in the world, outside of Hong Kong, to present an exhibition about Bruce Lee’s life. The Lee family has plans to eventually open a permanent museum on Bruce Lee’s life and legacy in the Chinatown-ID neighborhood. Year 2 of the exhibition opens Oct. 3rd, 2015 and digs deeper into the significance of Bruce Lee and his impact in media during a time of racial stereotypes and barriers. Includes text panels by national blogger Phil Yu (aka Angry Asian Man) plus Green Hornet toys, personal letters, behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of “Way of the Dragon” and “Enter the Dragon”, hand-written film notes, rare photos inside his early Chinatown studio and much much more. A new set of Bruce Lee’s Chinatown Tours begin Oct. 6th. YouthCAN is a teen arts group at the Wing and their new exhibit entitled “Imprint: Identity through Art” done under the guidance of teaching artist Raj Makker is up for all to see until March 25, 2016. “Winter Bash In White” takes place on Sat., Jan. 23 from 6:30 – 10:30pm. Dance the night away with live music provided by Deems & side B and dance lessions from Crash Dancers. Kick off the new year with music, dancing, food, drinks and community. Those who attend are suggested to wear all white. Registration is required. $50 general and $30 for members. Tickets at the door will be $10 more. On Thurs., Feb. 4 at 11am, kids will hear from the book entitled “Year of the Monkey?”. Thurs., March 3 at 11am brings the book “Red Knit Cap Gril” which follows her and her forest friends on a journey. All activities are free with fun art activity to follow. Celebrate the new year at the Wing with a Lunar New Year Festival set for Sat., Feb. 6. At 11am a lion dance will bless the wing followed by a day of activities for the whole family. The New Year Fair starts at 11:30am until 5pm with a screening of the film, “The Monkey King”, art workshops, face painting, a zodiac stuffed petting zoo, scavenger hunt and raffle prizes. All activities are free but admission is required to enter. Childrens and students with ID are free. Sponsored by The National Committee on IUnited States-China Relations. Save the date of Sat., March 26 for The Wing’s Dinner & Auction at the Westin Seattle. For more information on this annual event, go to wingluke.org/2016auction or call 206-623-5124 ext 105. “The International Dumpling Crawl” is back by popular demand. Try a variety of the neighborhood’s delicious dumplings. Starts Jan. 23 (every last two Saturdays of the month) until March. Go to wingluke.org/tours for details. The museum is offering two week-long Landmarks of American History & Culture workshops that focus on the hidden histories of Asian Pacific pioneers, from the early 1800s to WWII. Session 1 is July 17 – 23. Session 2 is July 31 – August 6. Application deadline is March 1, 2016. These 2016 NEH Workshops are for K – 12 School Teachers. For details, go to programs@wingluke.org or try http://wingluke.org/teachers-institute. 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.

“Voices of Nisei Veterans – Permanent Exhibition and Collections” is composed of rare collections preserved by the Nisei Veterans Committee and tells the story of Japanese American veterans before, during and after WW II. Access is by pre-arranged tour only. For reservations or information, email info@nvcfoundation.org or tours@wingluke.org. Jointly sponsored by the NVC Memorial Hall and The Wing. 1212 South King St.

“Pacific Voices” is an ongoing exhibit that celebrates the language, teachings, art, and cultural ceremonies of seventeen cultures from the Pacific Rim. Burke Museum at the University of Washington. 17th Ave. NE & E 45th Streets. (206) 543-5590 or try Washington.edu/burkemuseum.

Currently on view at Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park – First Free Saturday family activity takes place from 11am – 2pm. “Paradox Of Place: Contemporary Korean Art” is a new show set for Oct. 31, 2015 – March 13, 2016 at the Tateuchi Galleries. This is the first major exhibition of Korean contemporary art in over a decade in Seattle. This show was put together in collaboration with Ms. Choi Eunju, former chief curator of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea. Six leading-edge Korean contemporary artists’ representative works will be in this show. Works range from mix-media, installation, video art, to photography, all of which are prominent forms in Korean contemporary art. Co-organized by the Seattle Art Museum and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea with generous support from the Korea Foundation. A related activity includes local artist Susie Lee who designs an experience of different personal perspectives within the show “Paradox of Place” with short talks with Royal Alley-Barnes, Lisa Fitzhugh, Evan Flory Barnes, Tonya Lockyear, Charles Mudede, and Jeffrey Mitchell. Takes place on Fri., Feb. 26 at 6pm. Ticket are $10 and $5 for members. Opening March 5 is the exhibit entitled “Journey to Dunhuang: Buddhist Art of the Silk Road Caves”. Opening April 9 is “Mood Indigo: Textiles from Around the World.” A related activity for this show is an “Indigo Workshop” with master dyer Sophena Kwon who will help you create patterns and dye your own cloth and indigo. All materials and refreshments included in the $75 ticket, SAM members, $65. Under the “Asia Talks” series you will find the following events. On Thurs., March 3 at 7pm, Director Adam Sjoberg will screen his documentary film “I Am Sun Mu” which looks at this former North Korean propaganda artist who defected and now works in South Korea under his alias meaning “no boundaries”. He transforms propaganda imagery into satirical political pop art. A discussion follows the film. $10 general and $5 for SAM members. On Thurs., March 17 at 7pm “Buddhist Art Inspiration” lets visitors view a new installation of Buddhist art in discussion with artists and professionals who have adapted Buddhist concepts into their art and other work. Tickets for this are $10 general and $5 for SAM members. Somini Sengupta is the author of “The End of Karma: Hope and Fury Among India’s Young”. Upon her return to India as bureau chief for the New York Times, she wrote this book about the world’s largest democracy at this moment of transition. She talks about it on Thurs., March 24 at 7pm. Reserve your free tickets at visitsam.org/tickets. Yuji Yamada, Professor at Mie University Department of Humanities will talk about “Skills of the Ninjas” on Thurs., May 5 at 7pm. You may have seen ninjas invested with superhuman powers and impressive skills in films and animated movies but Yamada cuts to the chase and talks about the real ninjas who actually existed. Attired in personal ninja attire, Yamada will tell you what ninjas were really like based on his research. In Japanese with English interpretation. $10 general and $5 for SAM members. “Yoni Ki Baat: A South Asian Adaptation of the Vagina Monologues” is an annual and always popular performance piece which features vivid monologues by local South Asian Women based on their own personal experiences. The cast changes yearly. Directed by Afrose Fatima Ahmed and presented with Tasveer as part of the full weekend Aaina Festival at the Asian Art Museum. On Fri., April 15 & Sat., April 16 at 7pm and Sun., April 17 from 3 – 5pm. Reserve your free tickets at visitsam.org/tickets. Seattle Asian Art Museum is at 1400 Prospect St. in Volunteer Park. 206-442-8480 or go to seattleartmuseum.org/gardnercenter or gardnercenter@seattleartmuseum.org.

Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center in Portland has “Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community” a show that celebrates the lives and contributions of Oregon’s Nikkei community, and evokes memories of shared experiences – from early settlement through the trials and tribulations of WWII and into the 21st century. Open Tu. – Sat. 11am – 3pm and Sundays, noon – 3pm. 121 NW 2nd Ave. (503) 224-1458 or email info@oregonnikkei.org.

The only print fair in the Northwest is happening soon. The Portland Fine Print Fair takes place Jan. 29 – 31. The Benefit Preview happens on Jan. 29 from 6 – 9pm. Free admission to the fair is on Jan. 30 from 10am – 6pm and Jan. 31 from 11am – 5pm. A great opportunity for lovers of the print art to see what over 15 galleries from around the country have to offer. The event takes place at Portland Art Museum at 1219 SW Park. For details, go to portlandfineprintfair.com.

“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.

Opening Dec. 11 and remaining on view until Jan. 24, 2016 is a survey of the work of South Korean contemporary artist Kim Beon. His conceptually driven videos, installations and drawings brim over with a warm sense of humor. Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby St. in Vancouver BC, Canada. (604) 662-4719 or go to vanartgallery.bc.ca.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has the following shows –On view from Oct. 30 – Feb. 7, 2016 will be “Looking East, How Japan Inspired Monet, Van Gogh And Other Western Artists”, a show created by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 200 Larkin St. (415) 581-3500.

“New Stories from the Edge of Asia: Tabaimo” marks the first solo museum exhibition of this amazing Japanese artist who uses alluring large-scale surreal animations that combine everyday objects and experiences. Opens Feb. 5, 2016 at the San Jose Museum of Art. 110 South Market St. (408) 271-6840. Not to miss!

The Japanese American National Museum has the following current and upcoming exhibitions. Ongoing is “Common Ground: The Heart of Community” is a historical group show that incorporates hundreds of objects, documents and photographs collected by the Museum on over 130 years of Japanese American history. On view until Jan. 24, 2016 is “Giant Robot Biennale 4” an annual show showcasing the diverse creative works brought together between the pages of that popular zine which is a staple of alternative Asian American pop culture. Looking further down the road is an important photography show entitled “Making Waves: Japanese American Photography, 1920 – 1940” tentatively set for Feb. 28 – June 26 of 2016 and curated by Southern California photography historian Dennis Reed who has curated a previous excellent show of the Japanese Camera Club of Los Angeles. 100 North Central Ave. (213) 625-0414.

The Skirball Cultural Center in association with the Japanese American National Museum presents “Manzanar: The Wartime Photographs of Ansel Adams” from Oct. 8 – Feb. 21, 2016. In addition to Adam’s work, the exhibition includes other photographs, documents, publications, artifacts, and works of art that detail life and conditions at Manzanar and offer personal narratives of the experience. A range of propaganda posters, films, pamphlets, and magazines portray the anger, prejudice, and overt racism of the times. Additional material comes from Adam’s contemporaries, Dorothea Lange and Toyo Miyatake. But what is the cherry on top of the sundae (at least for me) is the inclusion of “Citizen 13660: The Art of Mine Okubo”. Her work cuts to the quick and gives a very honest and personal portrayal of how life was in the camps as lived by the inmates. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles. Free on-site parking. (310) 440-4500.

In related news, the Mine Okubo Collection at the Riverside City College is believed to be the most extensive repository of Mine Okubo’s papers and art work in a single location. This is a virtual treasure trove for people interested in the work of this important American artist. To see the collection, call the Director of the Center for Social Justice at (951) 222-8846. Additional material on the artist can be found at the Japanese American National Museum, the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution and University of California at Riverside.

“Ishiuchi Miyako: Post War Shadows” is a retrospective of this self-taught photographer who emerged out of the shadows of WW II in a mostly male generation of Japanese photographers. Her work offered a different perspective on the Japan she knew, the hometown port city of Yokosuka. Later work would fuse both the personal and political as she did work on Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Frida Kahlo’s clothing and the map of the skin found on different torsos. On view until Feb. 21, 2016. “The Younger Generation: Contemporary Japanese Photography” is a complimentary group show of young women photographers that have surfaced in the 1990’s influenced by Ishiuchi’s work. They include Kawauchi Rinko, Onodera Yuki, Otsuka Chino, Sawada Tomoko and Shiga Lieko. This show has identical exhibition dates as Ishiuchi’s show. J. Paul Getty Museum. 1200 Getty Center Dr. (310) 440-7330.

“Asian Art at 100: A History in Photographs” is a survey of the Met’s Asian galleries photographed from 1907 – 19 45. Through May 22, 2016. “Celebrating The Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection”. Over 300 items from what many consider the best Japanese art collection outside of Japan are on view through July 31, 2016. 1000 – 5th Ave. (212) 535-7710 or go to www.metmuseum.org.

“Japanese Kogei/ Future Forward”. Twelve different artists show different changing approaches to Japanese “handcrafts” – especially in the area of ceramics. Oct. 20 – Feb. 7, 2016. Museum of Arts and Design in New York. 2 Columbus Circle. (212) 299-7777 or info@madmuseum.org.

“Reopening Of The Renwick Gallery”. The first building in the nation designed specifically as an art museum officially reopens after a two year renovation with “Wonder” in which nine contemporary artists were invited to create room-size installations inspired by the building itself. Maya Lin is one of them. Opens Nov. 13 and remains on view until July 10, 2016. The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery are along the museum mall in Washington, D.C.

Coming in 2016 is “Kamakura: Realism And Spirituality In The Sculpture Of Japan” More than 40 sculptures which show the relationship between realism and sacred use of the objects. The Kamakura era is often regarded as a period similar to the Renaissance in Europe. Feb. 9 through May 8, 2016. Asia Society Museum at 725 Park Ave. in New York City. Go to AsiaSociety.org/museum for details.

In March of 2016, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will take over the building designed by Marcel Breuer that was once the Whitney Museum. A retrospective of the Indian modernist painter Nasreen Mohamedi (1937-1990) will be one of three opening exhibits in this building. The Met’s current artist-in-residence, jazz composter/pianist Vjay Iyer will do a number of appearances as well. The building will now be known as the Met Breuer. Madison Ave. and 75th St. in New York or go to metmuseum.org for details. In the Museum’s efforts to widen its coverage of global art, they have hired Shanay Jhaveri as Assistant Curator of South Asian Art, a newly created position.

The first U.S. survey of the work of Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Hongtu comes to the Queens Museum of art. The artist left China in 1982 and settled in Queens. Through Feb. 28, 2016. Email info@queensmuseum.org for details.

“Sotatsu – Making Waves” is a major show of that Edo-period, 17th century Japanese screen painter taking place at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery this fall from Oct. 24th – Jan. 31st, 2016. Over 70 pieces of work from American, European and Japanese collections including work by later artists influenced by Sotatsu. 1050 Independence Ave. SW in Washington DC. (202) 633-1000.

“Martin Wong: Human Instamatic” covers the full trajectory of this Chinese American painter from his Bay Area roots to his pivotal role in documenting the multicultural environs of the Lower East Side of New York. On view through Feb. 12, 2016. “Transitions: New Photography From Bangladesh” is on view Oct. 15 – Feb.. 14, 2016. Bronx Museum of the Arts in Bronx, New York. 1040 Grand Concourse. (718) 681-6000. The West Coast site for the traveling exhibition of Martin Wong will be Sept. – Dec. 2017 at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in their new location on Center St.

Although the late Japanese artist Onichi Koshiro never traveled West, his work bore innovations from European modernism that surface in his mastery of the traditional Japanese art tradition. The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo gives him the first retrospective of his work in twenty years and includes oil paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking and book design. Jan. 13 – Feb. 28, 2016.

Korean modern sculptor/installation artist Do Ho Suh (his work is in Seattle Art Museum’s permanent collection) has a show of his translucent “fabric buildings” at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Feb. 12 – Sept. 11, 2016.

“Harajuku – Tokyo Street Fashion” looks at Harajuku’s current trends and wide influence around the world. Opens Nov. 19 and remains on view through April 3, 2016. Honolulu Museum of Art at 900 Beretania St. Go to www.honolulumuseum.org for details.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. will honor architect/artist Maya Lin for her achievements in the arts at the inaugural American Portrait Gala in November. She has completed her largest commission to date, a campus in Cambridge, Mass., for the pharmaceutical company, Novartis. It opens in December. Its exterior looks like a modern version of a New England stonewall. A new room installation entitled “Folding the Chesapeake” opens at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. A new book on her art and architecture has just been published by Skira/Rizzoli. Two ongoing projects dealing with the environment that she’s working on are “What is Missing?”, a multisite, multimedia work that focuses on a crisis of biodiversity and “Confluence” which are six outdoor installations that enable viewers to see wildlife from a different perspective.

The Whitney Museum of American Art announced that it has appointed two of their own curators to curate the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Previous editions of the biennial have been met with controversy and criticism. Christopher Y. Lew is an assistant curator at the Whitney. Mia Locks will join Lew in selecting artists. This marks one of the first times that both curators are Asian American.

Part 5 of “The Treasures of Kansong: Preserving National Identity Through Culture” displays HwaHoeYoungMo, Korea’s unique genre of plant and animal paintings. In ancient times, this genre was as popular as landscape and portrait paintings. On view through March 27, 2016. Dongdaemiun Design Plaza in Seoul. Located near Dongdaemiun Culture Park Station at Exit 1.

Rui Sasaki is a Japanese artist and educators working mainly in transparent materials. She works at Toyama City Institute of Glass Art. This summer from July 5 – 22, she will be teaching at Pilchuck a class in glassblowing entitled “Wonder bubbles”. Exploring the infinite possibilities that glass presents, students will find their own paths of expression. For this and other classes, you can apply online at pilchuck.com.

Susie Lingham, the Director of the Singapore Art Museum will step down in March, 2016. Dr. Lingham is leaving SAM in order “to pursue personal projects.” She may continue to be involved with the Singapore Biennale in which she has played an integral part of in the past.

The Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul presents its first ever exhibition devoted to Korean architecture. Photographs of Korea’s royal palaces, Buddhist temples and traditional houses taken by six prominent Korean photographers are included with architecture-related old maps, paintings, artifacts and replicas. Through Feb. 6, 2016. A five-minute walk from Hangan Jin station. Phone # is T. 02-2014-6900.

It’s a huge loss for the art world to hear that modern Indian installation artist Hema Upadhyay was murdered. Her acute understanding of gentrification and how that played a part in snuffing out the energy of shantytowns that contributed so much to the life and culture of a city as mirrored in her installation work will be sorely missed. Coming from a rural background herself, she gradually adapted herself to the metropolis and grew to love the chaos and energy it projected. As she stated more than once, this new urban environment fueled the perspective she brought to her own work. “So much chaos in my work actually comes from the city. When I work in my studio in Mumbai, there are lots of elements, of decay, of life, of chaos. It’s a double-edged condition when you see development in the making – you see growth but (also) decay, you see modern skyscrapers but (also) the mushrooming of slums.” At the time of her death, she was working on new work that will debut in April at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in the exhibition “Megacities Asia.” – excerpted from ArtAsiaPacific newsletter.

Ceramic artist and recently hired UW instructor of ceramics, Ayumi Horie has been named a USA Fellow by United States Awards based in Chicago. Only 37 were selected from over 400 nominees. Horie received an unrestricted $50,000 award.

The January 2016 issue of Art in America has a special feature on comic art. Included is an article by Seattle artist and Cornish art teacher Rob Rhee entitled “Drawn Together” that looks at the resurgence of alternative comics and zines in Seattle. Ryan Holmberg also has an article entitled “When Manga Was Pop” that counters the assertion that Pop art began in Japan through the introduction of work by Johns, Rauschenberg and Lichtenstein. Instead, the article says that Pop art in Japan goes back to the early 50’s and can be found in their manga (comic book) tradition.

Singapore Art Week takes place Jan. 16 – 24, 2016. Over a period of nine days, Southeast Asia’s leading art fair offers numerous gallery openings, special exhibitions, art tours and art talks. Tours will examine connections between Singapore’s cinematic history, the shooting locations of classic films and the visual arts. There will also be opportunities to interact with art and artists in unusual spaces such as People’s Park Complex in Chinatown, Little India, Shophouse 5 in Geyland as well as lots of public art in the Civic District. Go to artweek.sg for details.

Lighting as an art form is often taken for granted but anyone who has attended a play and seen an art show will realize how poor or effective lighting affects artistically how we see and are influenced by things. Jeong Mee and Chung Kang-wha, a married couple in Seoul who specialize in urban lighting design are trying to do something about it. After returning from study in Japan, the couple realized how stark and black the city looked. For the past few years, the couple has played a leading role in helping to design the nightscape of Seoul. They participate in the city-government-led “Seoul Night View Project” and consult on the “Euljiro Light Way 2015 Festival”. Excerpted from an article by Park Hung-Soo in the Korea Joongang Daily. Go to http://koreajoongangdaily.join.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3013494 to read the full article.

Asia Society in New York has received a 2 million dollar grant from Minnesota-based Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation.

Performing Arts

“Celebrate Asia”, the annual concert that highlights and presents programs with Asian composers and performers at Seattle Symphony’s Benaroya Hall is just around the Corner. This year’s concert features Xiaogang Ye’s “Starry Sky for Piano and Orchestra’ which had its premiere at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will also feature local community choruses performing popular Asian folks songs including “Jasmine Flower” and “Arirang”. Performers include Conductor Jindong Cai, classical pianist Charlie Albright who hails from Tacoma, Santoor player Anjali Joshi from Seattle and accordion player, composer and teacher Murl Allen Sanders. The concert takes place on Sun. Jan. 31 at 4pm in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium. A free pre-concert at 3pm in the lobby will feature Bellevue Children’s Academy Choir, Kinnaly Lao Music and Dance Troupe, Karoun Persian Dance Ensemble and Northwest Kung Fu & Fitness Lion Dancers. Also after the concert, a post-concert featuring Chikiri and The School of Taiko and Rhythms Of India Bhangra/Bollywood Dancing takes place at 6pm in the lobby. For details, log on to http://www.seattlesymphony.org/concerttickets/calendar/2015-2016/concerts/seattlesymphony/celebrate-asia.

ReAct Theatre brings back their first box office smash of Craig Lucas’s romantic comedy, “Prelude to a Kiss” (see related article this issue) for their 15th anniversary. Jan. 8 – 31 at West of Lenin performance space in Fremont. Directed by ReAct Theatre Director David Hsieh. Cast includes William Poole, Ai Nguyen, Tee Dennard and many other ReAct regulars. 203 N. 36th St. Early bird tickets available via Brown Paper Tickets. You can reach the theatre at 206-364-3283 or email react@reacttheatre.org.

A new play by Seattle playwright Seayoung Yim entitled “Do It For Umma” hits the boards at the Annex Theatre from Feb. 2 – 17. Directed by Sara Porkalob, the play is performed on Tues. – Wed. Industry night is Mon., Feb. 15. In this surreal comedy/detective story, a deceased mother returns to haunt a Korean convenience store she once ran with an iron fist, needling her daughter to avenge her suspicious death. Cast includes Skye Stephenson, Ina Chang, Christian Ver, Maggie Lee, Katie Driscoll, Laura Dux, Anna Saephan and Corrine Magin. 1100 E. Pike St. at the corner of 11th Ave. at E. Pike. For details, email info@annextheatre.org.

UW Department of Political Science presents China specialist/National Book Award Winner Evan Osnos who will lecture on “Truth, Faith and Fortune in China” on Wed., Feb. 17 at 7:30pm in Kane Hall on the Seattle UW campus. Osnos is a New Yorker correspondent and received the National Book Award for his book entitled “Age of Ambition”. He was based in Beijing from 2005 – 2013 as the country became a world power. He is now the New Yorker’s Washington correspondent. Osnos will sign books following his talk. For further questions, contact the UW A;umni Association at 206-543-0540.

In honor of the Japanese American Day of Remembrance, the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, Friends of Minidoka and Seattle University present this year’s “Day of Remembrance Taiko Fundraiser 2016” on Sun., Feb. 21 from 1 – 4pm. The concert features taiko groups from around the Northwest in concert. Proceeds will go to scholarships for youth and former internees over 80 years old so that they might attend to the pilgrimage to Minidoka, a former internment camp that many Japanese Americans from the Seattle area were incarcerated at during WW II. Seattle University is at 901 – 12th Ave. For advance tickets, try Brown Paper Tickets. For more details, go to http://www.minidokapilgrimage.

ON The Boards has another exciting season of performance art in all genres. Tanya Tagaq is an amazing Inuit throat singer who digs into past, present and future with a flexible, powerful voice that will have you on your feet as she blends native tradition with electronica, industrial and metal influences to tear apart the walls of the silent movie, “Nanook of the North” projected behind her as she sings. One night only on April 6, 2016. 100 Roy St. (206) 217-9888.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the programs Seattle Symphony has to offer under the baton of Music Director Ludovic Morlot later this year going into 2016. Want comedy with your music? The duo of Ingudesman & Joo return to Seattle after their success in 2012 at Benaroya with an all new show that mixes laughs with classical music and popular culture on March 3rd at 7:30pm.If you want a preview of the music the Symphony will be playing on their upcoming tour of Asia, check out the Ravel Piano Concerto as performed with Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano along with music by Faure and Dvorak on June 5th.

Seattle Opera has announced their 2015/16 season under new General Director Aidan Lang. Director Lang returns to stage directing Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”. Chinese-born bass-baritone Shenyang (see related article this issue) makes his Seattle Opera debut as Figaro. Jan. 16 – 30. McCaw Hall at Seattle Center at 321 Mercer St. (206) 389-7676 or try 1-800-426-1619 or go to tickets@seattleopera.com.

Winter got you down? Come down to the beach and sunshine and catch Hawaiian slack-key guitarists Keola Beamer & Henry Kapono on Jan. 21 at The Triple Door. 216 Union St. in downtown Seattle. 206-838-4333. For even more aloha spirit, catch HAPA on Sat., Feb. 27 at 7:30pm at Edmonds Center For The Arts. 410 Fourth Ave. N. in Edmonds, WA. 425-275-9595 or go to ec4arts.org.

Tea ceremony demonstrations continue at Seattle Art Museum downtown every Third Thursday at 5:30pm and every Third Sunday at 2:10pm. Free with admission.

The UW World Series season for 2015/2016 has some extraordinary performances booked from around the world at their UW Seattle Meany Hall location. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center consisting of CMS Co-Artistic Director and Pianist Wu Han and violinists Sean lee and Benjamin Bellman take solo turns in music by Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn. One night only on March 19th, 2016 at 7:30pm. The Daedalus Quartet plays Friday, April 29th, 2016 at 7:30pm with work by Beethoven and the world premiere of a new work by UW Music composer Huck Hodge. In the “Special Events” category, the Peking Acrobats and sitarist Anoushka Shankar make appearances. Peking Acrobats come to perform their daring balance maneuvers with live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments on Sat., Jan. 23, 2016 at 3pm and 7:30pm. Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of the late virtuoso sitar master, Ravi Shankar brings her own genre-defying mix to the instrument with Indian music, electronica, jazz, flamenco and Western classical music all playing a part. She performs on Sat., April 9th, 2016 at 8pm. (206) 543-4880 or go to uwworldseries.org or get tickets in-Person at 1313 NE 4lst St. Ticket

Trumpet player/composer and UW Jazz Professor Cuong Vu remains active locally performing in various concerts on the Seattle UW campus. He joins UW faculty member Melia Watras in a concert of “Schumann Resonances” along with Winston Choi on piano, Matthew Kocmieroski on percussion and Michael Jinsoo Lim on violin on Jan. 26 at Meany Theater at 7:30pm. New works by Richard Karpen, Vu and Watras will also receive their world premieres. (206) 543-4880 for tickets.

Pacific Northwest Ballet Concertmaster Michael Jinsoo Lim participates in a UW Faculty Chamber Music Concert on March 6 at 7:30pm at Meany Theater on the Seattle UW campus. (206) 543-4880 for tickets.

As part of Seattle Rep’s 2015/2016 new season, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar’s “Disgraced” will be performed Jan. 8th – 31st. The story is about a Pakistani-born successful New York lawyer whose life is turned upside-down when his Muslim heritage is questioned. 155 Mercer St. (206) 443-2222 for tickets.

Rupa & The April Fishes, popular Bay Area folk/world music group opens for singer/songwriter Ani Difranco on tour. Comes to the Neptune Theatre on Sun., March 6. 8pm show. All ages. Vietnamese American singer/songwriter Thao Nguyen and her Get Down Stay Down band play on Sat., March 26. 1303 N. 45th St. Tickets at tickets.com or charge by phone at 1-800-225-2777. Tickets also at Paramount Theater Box Office downtown. Co-produced with True West.

Noted local playwright Maggie Lee has written the third play in her well-received trilogy of steampunk plays entitled “Hand of Talons”. Presented by Pork Filled Productions, it will run from April 29 – May 21 with a multi-racial cast. Directed by Amy Poisson. At the Theatre off Jackson at 409 – 7th Ave. S. For details, go to info@porkfilled.com

“The Frye Art Museum Guitar Series” presents Connie Sheu on Sat., April 16, 2016. Sheu teaches at Pasadena Conservatory of Music. She specializes in performing original music for guitar by female composers.

“Caught”, a play by Christopher Chen gets a production by Seattle Public Theater as part of their 2015-16 Mainstage Season. It runs May 20th – June 12th, 2016 with a preview on May 19th. The play is a mind-bending satire about truth, art, and deception. When an art gallery hosts a retrospective of the work of a legendary Chinese dissident artist, the artist himself appears and shares with patrons the details of his ordeal that explores truth, art, social justice and cultural appropriation.7312 W. Green Lake Drive N. Go to www.seattlepublictheater.org for details.

“Ethnomusicology Visiting Artists Concert: Ade Suparman; Sudanese Music of Indonesia” takes place on June 2, 2016 at 7:30pm at Meany Hall on the Seattle UW campus. Go to www.music.washington.edu or call Arts UW Ticket Office at (206) 543-4880.

Seattle composer/performer/musician Byron Au Yong participates in the inaugural “New Strands Festival” presented by American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco from Jan. 21 – 24, 2016. Of the over dozen events presented, Au Yong will participate in “Yerma” by Federico Garcia Lorca on Jan. 22 at 7:30pm and “Contemporary Music Experiments” on Jan. 23 at 6pm along with Dohee Lee and Luciano Chessa. For details, go to act-sf.org.

Noted playwright David Henry Hwang was stabbed in the neck while walking home in New York. He writes about this incident and whether it was a possible hate crime in his essay in the New York Times. Go to http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/08/fashion/mens-style/the-time-i-got-stabbed-in-the-neck.html?_r=0.

“The Dream Of The Red Chamber” by Cao Xueqin ranks as one of China’s greatest classical novels that recounts the love triangle between a young nobleman and two very different women: one his spiritual soulmate and the other, a beautiful heiress. As well known in China as “Romeo and Juliet” in the West, this book will have its world premiere as an opera with music by Bright Sheng and a libretto by David Henry Hwang and Sheng. It is commissioned by San Francisco Opera. On stage Sept. 1 – 29. Presently, it is only available as a package to season ticket holders. Individual tickets go on sale on June 27, 2016. 415-864-3330. Go to http://sfopera.com/discover-opera/201617-season/dream-of-the-red-chamber/.

UW Music Librarian Judy Tsou has been appointed to a five-year term on the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The NPRB includes representatives from professional organizations and expert individuals concerned with the preservation of recorded sound. In addition to her career as a librarian, Tsou is also a musicologist and serves as affiliate professor in the UW’s Music History program. Under her leadership, the Music Library has made great strides toward keeping pace with technological advances in the preservation of its audio holdings.

Film & Media

Ip Man was the first person to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun and Bruce Lee’s teacher. Opening on Jan. 22 is Ip Man 3, third in the series starring Donnie Yen as Man. Directed by Wilson Yip, this new feature has Man taking on a corrupt landowner played by Mike Tyson who wants to take over the city. Danny Chan stars as a young Bruce Lee wishing to study with Man. My guess is that this film will probably open downtown either at Pacific Place or the Regal.

The Seattle Children’s Film Festival (see related article in this issue) returns Jan. 22 – Feb. 7 to the Northwest Film Forum with more than 130 films from over 30 countries including Indonesia and Afghanistan. A special feature is a series of films by indigenous filmmakers. 1515 – 12th Ave. 206-829-7863.

“Detective Chinatown” is a new Chinese film directed by Chen Sicheng and starring Liu Haoran and Wang Baoqiang. The plot revolves around a goofy, bumbling Chinese version of Holmes and Watson trying to solve a murder in Bangkok’s Chinatown before they are arrested for the crime themselves. Playing now at AMC Pacific Place II in downtown Seattle. 800 Pine St.

A pair of contemporary Japanese films come to the Grand Illusion Cinema. “The World of Kanako” by Tetsuya Nakashima is an uncompromising revenge thriller of operatic scope. It follows a detective on the hunt for his missing teenage daughter. Stars Koji Yokusho as the detective. Screens Jan. 22 – 28. Tatsuyuki Nagai’s “Anthem of The Heart” is a feature-length animated feature about a girl secluded from society who blossoms when she returns and stars in the school play. Jan. 22 – 24. “Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu”, a full length animated feature by Akiyuki Shimbou screens Feb. 27 – March 3. When a high school student hears rumors of a blonde vampire in town, the eventual encounter gives him more than he bargained for. Also in April, the theatre will screen 5 classic films by legendary avant-garde Japanese director Seijin Suzuki in collaboration with Northwest Film Forum. 1403 NE 50th St. in the University District. 206-523-3935.

“Silver Screen Buddhas” is the title of a contemporary Korean film series introduced by Sharon Suh that portrays elements of Buddhism, gender and Korean society. Ki-duk Kim’s “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring” screens on Sun., Jan. 24 at 3pm. Im Kwon-taek’s “Come, Come Upward” screens on Thurs., Jan. 28 at 7pm. Shown as part of the program activities to complement the exhibit, “Place of Paradox: Contemporary Korean Art” on view through March 13, 2016. Seattle Asian Art Museum on Volunteer Park on upper Capitol Hill. (206) 442-8480.

Other new films with dates not yet set for release but probably due by 2016 are the following – Jia Zhangke of all of China’s directors seems to have his pulse on a China evolving so quickly that its own people can barely keep up. “Mountains May Depart” is a dark portrait of a capitalist-era family through the decades as they struggle to survive in China and abroad. Gus Van Sant’s “The Sea of Trees” opened at Cannes and was picked up by Roadside/Lionsgate for distribution. The film stars Matthew McConaughey and Ken Watanabe who meet on Mr. Fuji bent on suicide. Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s newest entitled “Journey to the Shore” has a piano teacher going on a second honeymoon with her missing husband who returns as a ghost. Adapted from the novel by Kazumi Yumoto Stars Eri Fukatsu and Tadanobu Asano. Due out next year is the long-awaited new project by Martin Scorsese in which he adapts Shusaku Endo’s historical novel on Christians in Japan in a period when Christianity was not allowed. A priest played by Andrew Garfield travels to Japan to confront rumors that his mentor has abandoned the church. Shot on location in Taiwan. The director remarked that “The subject matter presented by Endo was in my life since I was very, very young.” Kazuhiro Soda’s 21/2 hour documentary entitled “Oyster Factory” was a Locarno Film Festival Official Selection and takes a close look as globalization comes to a small Japanese village whose sole industry is the harvesting of oysters. July Jung’s “A Girl at My Door” played the Cannes Film Festival and has received numerous awards on the festival circuit. Donna Bae plays a police officer removed from her post in Seoul following a sex-related scandal. She is re-assigned to a remote seaside town until the controversy dies down. The quiet town is struggling economically and run by an exploitive owner of the local fishing industry. When the police officer assists his shy stepdaughter who is being bullied at school and abused at home, things began to erupt. “The Boy and the Beast” is a new animated feature directed by Mamoru Hosoda with Koji Yokusho voicing the main character. The story concerns a young orphan living on the streets who is taken in by a warrior beast. Gradually the two become like father and son but their bond is put to the test when trouble looms. This film will be released in February. A documentary film with the working titled of “Honokaa Hero: The Story of Katsu Goto” is busy trying to raise funds to complete production. Goto was an early Japanese immigrant who came to Hawai’i in 1885. He worked as a laborer along the Hamakua coast of Hawai’i island and then became a successful businessman and labor leader. He was lynched and killed in Honoka’a in 1889 while helping Japanese sugar plantation workers. Project Lead and Executive Producer is Patsy Iwasaki. For a preview of this film, go to http://katsugotomovie.org/2015/05/14/short-six-minute-preview-of-katsu-goto-movie-released/. Go to www.katsugotomovie.org for details.

Although there are a number of Asian American animators working for Pixar studios, “Sanjay’s Superhero”, a new short by Sanjay Patel qualifies as the first film by an Asian American from Pixar. Patel says he grew up hating his parent’s Hindi culture and just wanted to fit in. While his father sat in the living room in meditation to his God, the son sat enthralled by his Gods, the TV cartoon superheroes of his youth. The film is an appreciation of his parent’s culture and his own identity. It will show alongside the Pixar feature length film “The Good Dinosaur”.

Feature-length animation film director Isao Takahata of the famed Ghibli Studios in Tokyo has won the Winsor McCay Award for his career contribution to animation as announced by the International Animated Film Society in Hollywood. Takahata, now 80, is known as the director of such films as “Hotaru no Haka” (Grave of the Fireflies) and Kaguyahime no Monogatari” (The Tale of Princess Kaguya) which was nominated for this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. An earlier Takahata film that has never been seen in the U.S. is the 1991 production of “Only Yesterday.” The film revolves around a 27 year old woman who while on a trip to the countryside to work, reflects on memories of herself as a schoolgirl. It will be released later this year in a new English dubbed version featuring the voices of Daisy Ridley and Dev Patel.

“Brahmin Bulls” is a VOD release coming up on Jan. 19. Directed by Mahesh Pailoor, the film tells the story of an Indian American young man and his estranged father who reconnect amid the architecture of Los Angeles. It stars Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Justin Bartha. Though the story revolves around Indian characters, it deals with universal themes of family and forgiveness without relying on stereotypes. The script was written by LA-based writers Pailoor and Anu Pradhan. Pailoor comments that “the goal was to tell an American story that had a multi-cultural cast. Although the lead characters are Indian American, their Indian heritage adds a specificity to their respective characters, but it doesn’t define their central conflict.” Available now via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and other VOD channels.

The Written Arts

“The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome: A Tsunami Boat Comes Home” (Humboldt State University Press) is a new bi-lingual children’s book by co-authors Lori Dengler and Amya Miller with illustrations by Amy Uyeki. The book tells the story of a lone boat that drifted across the Pacific in the wake of the tsunami in Japan only to land two years later on the shores of Crescent City, California. Discovered by local high school students who pursued its’ origins to a high school in Rikuzentakata, Japan, the book tells the story of how the two high schools communicated. The result was an uplifting cross-cultural meeting between students resulting in the return of the boat to Japan. There will be two local readings in both Japanese and English with a discussion and book signing by the authors and illustrator. On Sat., Jan. 23, they will be at Bellevue Children’s Academy at 1:30pm after the Saturday Japanese School classes. 12640 NE 24th St. in Bellevue. On Sun., Jan. 24th they will be at Kinokuniya Books at Uwajimaya’s Seattle store at 2pm. The location is 525 South Weller St. in the Chinatown/ International District neighborhood. For more details you can contact illustrator Amy Uyeki at akuyeki@gmail.com or call 707-826-0163.

Elliott Bay Book Company presents a series of readings and events. All are at the bookstore unless noted otherwise. Seattle artist Patti Warashina known for her ceramic artwork which has been exhibited internationally will be interviewed by Gage Academy co-founder and Seattle Times art critic Gary Faigin in a talk entitled “Oh, These Women of Clay” on Thurs., Jan. 21 at 7:30pm at Town Hall Seattle. $5 tickets available at the door starting at 6:30pm or in advance via www.townhallseattle.org (1-888-377-4510)l Town Hall Seattle is at 1119 Eighth Ave. at Seneca. For details on this event, call 206-652-4255 or see www.townhallseattle.org. Co-presented with Town Hall Arts & Culture and Gage Academy Of Art. Seattle writer Sunil Yapa’s audacious first novel takes on a story set amidst the 1999 WTO protests that rocked Seattle and the world. “Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist” (Lee Boudreau Books/ Little Brown) gives you a street level look at all the action through the eyes of a chorus of voices on all sides. Sat., Jan. 30 at 7pm. On Sat., Jan. 30 at Folio: The Seattle Anthenaeum located within the YMCA Building at 314 Marion St., visiting conductor Jindong Cai (here for the annual “Celebrate Asia!” concert at Benaroya Hall) will appear with co-author Sheila Melvin on behalf of the book “Beethoven in China: How the Great Composer Became an Icon in the People’s Republic (Penguin China). Reading starts at 6pm. This venue is a newly established library and cultural center in the heart of downtown. Admission is $5 at the door or free with Folio membership. Please see www.folioseattle.org for more information about this new organization by the folks who brought you Town Hall Seattle. This event co-presented with Folio with assistance from Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Historian Pamela Rotner Sakamoto discusses her new book entitled “Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds” (Harper) on Mon., Feb. 1 at 7pm. It tells the story of the Fukuhara family of Auburn who had one son working as a bi-lingual interpreter for the U.S. army and two other sons serving in the Japanese Imperial Army. On Tues., Feb. 9 at 7pm at Hugo House there will be a ceremony, celebration and group reading entitled “Passing The Laurel: Washington State Poet Laureate” in which current Washington Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen will pass the ‘mantle’ of the role to newly appoi

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