THE APPA Newsletter

August 30, 2006

Labor Day:

 

http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/september96/labor_day_9-2.html

 

See This Weekend

 

MISSION STATEMENT:

Promote full utilization of the capabilities of the Enterprise's employees and champion the betterment of the company and community. Promote interest in Asian Pacific issues and culture and act as a bridge to all groups within our community. (substitute in your Enterprise and company, etcÉ)

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ed. by Douglas Ikemi

(dkikemi@pacbell.net)

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Back issues of the newsletter for all of 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 are available at http://www.ikemi.info/APPA/newsletters.html if you want to look up some past event. The website www.apa-pro.org no longer exists. This newsletter was originally published under the auspices of the Hughes Asian Pacific Professional Association (no longer extant). It currently has no affiliation and is available to anyone who is interested in downloading it.

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Please send in information on cultural events and news items to dkikemi@pacbell.net or dkikemi@mac.com . Thanks to those who have.

 

Long range calendar items:

 

Chinatown Farmers Market Every Thursday, 3:00pm to 7:00pm Chinatown Business Improvement District http://www.ChinatownLA.com/  For Information (213)680-0243 

 

Los Angeles Public Library Celebrates our DiverseCity

http://www.lapl.org/kidspath/events/diversecity/index.html

 

Mani Wall and A Sacred Geography

Exhibition at UCLA June 11 - September 10, 2006

In 1996, artist/writer Mary Heebner and her husband, photographer Macduff Everton, traveled to the walled Kingdom of Lo in NepalÕs Mustang district to visit HeebnerÕs daughter, Sienna Craig, an anthropologist and writer who lived in Nepal intermittently from 1993Ð2005. They rode horses and trekked, stopping at villages along the way. In 2004, Heebner and Everton returned again to visit Craig, who was then working as a medical anthropologist in Lhasa, Tibet.

ÒMani Wall and A Sacred GeographyÓ Ñ on view at the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History from June 11 through Sept. 10 Ñ is the result of a creative collaboration by Heebner, Craig and Everton, inspired by the landscape of these regions and the wall of painted boulders etched with Tibetan prayers (mani) that they encountered in Nepal.

In 2003, Heebner made individually pulp-painted sheets of paper, using variations of the ochre, gray and white stripes of the mani walls, to frame a collection of 12 sonnets that Craig had written about the Himalaya and Tibet. These sheets of paper became the loose-leaf pages of the elegant, limited-edition book, ÒA Sacred Geography: Sonnets of the Himalaya and Tibet,Ó which will be displayed at the Fowler in its entirety.

Heebner later used the same hues to create the ÒMani WallÓ series of paintings, also on display. Interspersed along the gallery walls will be a selection of 14 panoramic photographs of Nepal by Everton. Together, the words and images from this family project create a loving and personal tribute to this sacred region.

About the artists

Mary HeebnerÕs collages, paintings, works on paper and artistÕs books are exhibited throughout the United States. A version of her artistÕs book, ÒOn the Blue Shore of Silence: Poems of the Sea by Pablo Neruda,Ó was published in 2004. She also writes travel articles for several magazines including CondŽ Nast Traveler, Travel + Life and National Geographic Traveler.

Macduff EvertonÕs widely published photographs are exhibited and collected around the world. He is a contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler and Islands Magazine, as well as a correspondent for Virtuoso Life. Currently he is updating his seminal book, ÒThe Modern Maya.Ó

Sienna Craig is completing a Ph.D. in medical and cultural anthropology from Cornell University. In 1998Ð99, Craig and her husband, Kenneth Bauer, founded DROKPA, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to form partnerships with pastoral communities in the Himalaya and Central Asia to implement grass-roots development and catalyze social entrepreneurship. In addition to her dissertation research, since 2002 she has been an ethnographer and research coordinator with a National Institutes of Health/Global Network for WomenÕs Health project based in Lhasa, Tibet. Her memoir, ÒHorses Like Lightning: A Passage Through Mustang,Ó will be published in 2007.

Visiting the Fowler

ÒMani Wall and A Sacred GeographyÓ is presented in conjunction with the debut of a major, traveling exhibition, ÒThe Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama,Ó and will be on view in the Fowler MuseumÕs Goldenberg Galleria. The Fowler Museum, part of UCLAÕs School of the Arts and Architecture, is located in the north part of the UCLA campus.

Related event: 1Ð4 p.m., Saturday, June 24, A World of Art Family Workshop: Books of Place

Write original poems about a special place Ñ real or imagined Ñ and combine them with watercolor paintings to create your own artistÕs book based on the exhibition ÒMani Wall and A Sacred Geography.Ó The cost is $10 for members; $15 for non-members. Reservations are required; call (310) 825-7325.

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

UCLA Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, CA 90095

 

The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama

Exhibition at UCLA  June 11 - September 10, 2006

 UCLA Fowler Museum to Premiere the Traveling Exhibition 

Seventy-seven contemporary artists from 25 countries have contributed artworks for an exhibition inspired by the messages, vision and values of the Dalai Lama. ÒThe Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai LamaÓ Ñ on view at the UCLA Fowler Museum from June 11-Sept. 10 Ñ explores themes of peace, compassion, patience and tolerance. Participating artists have considered the Dalai Lama in a broad array of new and existing works made in a variety of media expressing their personal interpretations of and reflections on his philosophies and ideals.

A photograph of the Dalai Lama taken in India in 1998 by the late Richard Avedon was among the first works contributed to ÒThe Missing Peace.Ó Many artists, including Bill Viola, Mike and Doug Starn, Sylvie Fleury, El Anatsui, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Michal Rovner and Chuck Close, have created new works for the exhibition. For example, Viola recently traveled to India to meet with the Dalai Lama to create a new work that will debut at the Fowler.

All works in the exhibition have been donated by the artists and will be auctioned to raise funds for the peace initiatives of the Dalai Lama Foundation and the Committee of 100 for Tibet, the co-sponsoring organizations. The Dalai Lama, who has met with ÒThe Missing PeaceÓ organizers on several occasions, supports the project and will be lending a work of art from his personal collection.

Darlene Markovich, president of the Committee of 100 for Tibet, is executive director of ÒThe Missing Peace,Ó leading a team of more than 20 individuals and 17 international advisers who have been organizing the exhibition for more than two years.

ÒOur goal is to use art as inspiration and a catalyst to shift attention towards peace. We hope the exhibition will inspire others to explore and embrace these ideals,Ó Markovich said. ÒPeace may be elusive in our world, but the Dalai Lama consistently shows us that dedicating oneself to peace can have widespread positive impact.Ó

Randy Rosenberg, curator of ÒThe Missing Peace,Ó formerly served as curator for the art collections of The World Bank and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

ÒThe exhibitionÕs 77 artists bring their individual stories and experiences as well as a rich and diverse array of media and styles,Ó Rosenberg said, Òbut together their works speak eloquently to the Dalai Lama's vision of compassion, peace and the unity of all things.Ó

The exhibition and associated educational programs endeavor to make an enduring contribution to the global dialogue about peace. Extensive public programming planned in conjunction with the exhibition, from artistsÕ panels to family workshops that will encourage dialogue about peace and ethics, will be announced in the spring.

The Dalai Lama Foundation, founded in 2002, supports the development of our shared global capacity for ethics and peace. The Dalai Lama Foundation runs three initiatives: a free study guide and study circles on ethics and peace based on the Dalai LamaÕs book ÒEthics for a New Millennium,Ó online courses on ethics and peace topics, and curricula for ÒThe Missing Peace.Ó Visit http://www.dalailamafoundation.org/.

Visiting the Fowler

The Fowler Museum is open from noon to 5 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays; and from noon until 8 p.m. on Thursdays, The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The Fowler Museum, part of UCLAÕs School of the Arts and Architecture, is located in the north part of the UCLA campus. Admission is free. Campus parking is available for $8 in Lot 4.

For more information, please visit http://www.dlportrait.org

Time: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

UCLA
Fowler Museum
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Cost: Free

www. fowler.ucla.edu

 

From Heart to Hand

Exhibition at Pacific Asia Museum June 22 - September 17, 2006

Modern Japanese Prints from the George and Marcia Good Collection. From Heart to Hand focuses on 15 modern Japanese prints from the post war era as represented in the George and Marcia Good collection, donated to Pacific Asia Museum in 1990. These prints have been selected to present a sample of the wide array of styles and techniques found in works of the modern Japanese print movement.

Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N Robles Ave, Pasadena, CA  91101

Special Instructions

Wednesday Ð Sunday 10 a.m. Ð 5 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m. Ð 8 p.m.

Tel: (626) 449-2742, www.pacificasiamuseum.org

 

Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China

Exhibition at The Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Through September 17, 2006

Representing the only California venue, this groundbreaking exhibition is the first comprehensive look at the innovative photo and video art produced since the mid-1990s from China.  A portion of the exhibition will be presented simultaneously at the Contemporary Arts Forum from July 1 through August 26.

Featuring 130 works by 60 Chinese artists, many of whom are exhibiting for the first time in the United States, the exhibition reflects the enthusiastic adoption of media-based art by younger Chinese artists.  Their works, often ambitious in scale and experimental in nature, reflect a range of highly individual responses to the unprecedented changes now taking place in ChinaÕs economy, society and culture.  In addition to introducing a remarkable body of work to American audiences, the exhibition will also provide insights into the dynamics of Chinese culture at the start of the 21st century.

The significance of the subject matter is only matched by the considerable scope of the exhibition which includes not only photographs, but also video and installation pieces that amplify the exhibitionÕs four main themes:

History and Memory

The works in this section explore the contemporary legacy of ChinaÕs past.  Some artists, for example, update motifs drawn from the rich heritage of Chinese art.  Still others examine the consequences of such recent historical moments as the Cultural Revolution, a period of traumatic upheaval that many of the artists experienced in their childhood.

Reimagining the Body

In this section, many works document performances that use the human body to fashion sometimes disturbing metaphors for the violent changes that have swept through every corner of Chinese life in recent decades.

People and Place

In the past two decades, ChinaÕs urban life has been completely transformed.  A massive building program has created sprawling skyscraper cities, and at the same time tens of thousands of city dwellers have been displaced from the inner city to the outskirts.  These conditions have brought about a growing alienation between the city and its residents Ð they no longer belong to each other.  The works in this section both reflect and respond to the new textures of ChinaÕs metropolitan culture.

Performing the Self (at Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum)

Arising from a culture that has traditionally been marked by the subordination of the individual to the collective, these works all reflect the emergence of hybrid new conceptions of selfhood and personal identity in contemporary China.

The exhibition is organized by the International Center of Photography, New York, and the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, in collaboration with the Asia Society New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago with support from the Smart Family Foundation.

In Santa Barbara, this exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of Stephanie and Fred Shuman, with additional support from the Management Companies of the Archstone Partnerships, the Wallis Foundation, Charles and Mildred Bloom Fund, PhotoFutures, Jill and John C. Bishop, Jr., and Julie and Bruce G. Wilcox.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art 
1130 State Street. 
Santa Barbara, CA 90095

Docent tours: September 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 16, 17 at noon.

www.sbmuseart.org

 

Merging: The Art of Diana Shui-Iu Wong March 18, 2006 Ð October 15, 2006

Merging features a collection of work that spans four decades, from WongÕs early impressionistic portraits and landscapes to recent abstract compositions inspired by the Chinese philosophy of the I Ching or The Book of Changes.

While WongÕs classical training in both Chinese and Western painting form the basis for her techniques, her study of the I-Ching offered her a decisive break from traditional modes as well as new creative directions. In 1962, Wong began to experiment beyond the conventions of her formal art training to explore the liberating complexity of abstraction. Discovering that she could express pride for her heritage and culture through her work, Wong has also found self- empowerment through her art making. WongÕs most recent work ventures boldly into abstraction while grounded in nature and the elements. Her striking images, like color-flooded snapshots of the cosmos, explore universal questions about being and balance.

Chinese American Museum

El Pueblo de Los Angeles

125 Paseo de la Plaza

Los Angeles, California 90012

www.camla.org, (213) 485-8567

 

Chrysanthemums on the Eastern Hedge: Gardens and Plants in Chinese Art

Exhibition at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

From Aug. 5, 2006 Ð Jan. 7, 2007

The HuntingtonÕs first-ever exhibition of Chinese art will explore the symbolism and tradition of five plants frequently used as decorative motifs---lotus, orchid, plum, bamboo, pine, and chrysanthemum---and the profound significance they hold in Chinese culture.  The exhibition will examine how these plants became the conveyors of important themes in Chinese art, representing harbingers of seasonal change, the triumph and transience of beauty, or the symbolic expression of moral strength and virtue through times of great social and political change.   These plants, and their symbolism, also play a key role in the HuntingtonÕs Chinese Garden, currently under construction.  (see related item, below.)  The 55 works on display in the exhibition, ranging in date from the 10th to the 19th century, will include painted scrolls, textiles, ceramics, wood block prints, lacquer, glass, and jade.   They are drawn from the collections of The Huntington, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Pacific Asian Museum, and several private lenders.  The exhibition is made possible by Cathay Bank.  Additional support provided by the Blakemore Foundation, the Robert F. Erburu Exhibition Endowment, and the Peter Paanakker estate through the Carrie Kolb Foundation.  (Library, West Hall)

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108

Tel: (626) 405-2140, lblackburn@huntington.org ,

www.huntington.org

 

September 9, 2006 AADAP Showtime Benefit Concert 2006

Produced by the Asian American Drug Abuse Program

(AADAP, Inc.)

"Showtime 2006" - Changing Lives and Saving Families

A benefit concert featuring the dynamic comedy of the "Seoul Brothers" - Bobby Lee, Steve Bryne, Dr. Ken and Kevin Shea, as seen on the Kims of Comedy DVD.

This benefit concert is to help raise critical funds to aide Asian and Pacific Islander families affected by substance abuse, its associated problems, and to help AADAP provide needed prevention programs, counseling, and outreach.

For more information contact AADAP at (626) 683-8243, (323) 293-6284 or visit their website, www.aadapinc.org

https://scs.fidelity.com/tpv/logout_webxpress.shtml Showtime Poster.

Saturday, , 7pm - 9:30pm

$40 General Admission

Aratani Japan America Theatre

Japanese American Cultural and

Community Center

244 South San Pedro Street, Suite 505 (between 2nd and 3rd Streets)

Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012 (213) 628-2725

Aratani/Japan America Theatre Box Office Info: (213) 680-3700

 

Sept 10 Aki Matsuri (sponsored by WLA JACL Auxiliary*) 

Sat., 9:30 am - 3:30 pm

Venice Japanese Community Center - 12448 Braddock Dr., Los Angeles CA  90066

 

Sept 10 Japan Cultural Fair in Orange County, 1-4:30PM, Woodbridge Village Shopping Center in Irvine. Presented by the Orange County Japanese American Association (714-283-3551) and Irvine Yamaha Music Center (Kimiko Fujita 949-559-5440)

 

THE TENTH ANNUAL HISTORYMAKERS AWARDS BANQUET

Celebrating A Decade Of Achievements

LOS ANGELES (August 9, 2006) Ð On Sunday, September 10, 2006, the Chinese American Museum (CAM) will celebrate the Tenth Annual Historymakers Awards Banquet at the Hilton Hotel, located at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive in Universal City. Themed, ÒShowcasing Our Heritage: Stories, Images, Artifacts,Ó this yearÕs Banquet marks a significant milestone in CAMÕs history as it will commemorate a decade-long celebration of extraordinary individuals whose achievements have helped to shape and advance the Chinese American community; since the BanquetÕs inception in 1997, over fifty individuals/organizations, have been recognized and honored for their outstanding leadership and work.

Prominently recognized as one of the premiere Chinese American events in Southern California, the Banquet heralds the inspiring achievements of individuals/organizations within the fields of art, literature, science, community, business, government, law and athletics who have made significant and lasting contributions to the Chinese American community. Past honorees include U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang, Dr. Steve Chu, Michelle Kwan, Honorable March Fong Eu, and Joan Chen. In addition, the Banquet also serves as the chief annual fundraising event for CAM. Proceeds from the event will help propel CAM into its next phase of expansion where over 16,000 square feet of space currently await transformation into additional exhibition and educational and multi-purpose rooms.

The Historymakers Honorees for 2006 are Assemblymember Judy Chu, Excellence in Government; Tim Dang, Excellence in Entertainment; C.Y. Lee, Excellence in Literary Arts, Reverend Dr. Hoover Wong, Excellence in Community Service; and Robert and Edith Jung, Dr. Dan Louie, Jr. Award. In addition, as a special tribute in this milestone year, all past honorees will be invited back to participate in this yearÕs program.

Over 600 guests are expected to attend the evening gala, including government officials, community leaders, museum grantors, patrons, donors and supporters. The evening will formally open with a traditional Silent Auction and cocktail hour featuring vacation packages, extravagant gift baskets and certificates, and original artworks donated by past and current artists who have exhibited at the Museum. Such artists include Tyrus Wong, Steve Wong, Cindy Suriyani, Milton Quon, and Diana Wong.

The Tenth Annual Historymakers Awards Banquet will take place on Sunday, September 10, 2006 in the Sierra Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel at Universal City, located at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive in Universal City. Cocktail hour and Silent Auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the program will commence at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $250 per seat or $2,500 per table.

The Chinese American Museum (CAM) is jointly developed and operated by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum (FCAM) and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, a department of the City of Los Angeles. Located at 425 North Los Angeles Street within the El Pueblo Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, CAM is housed in the last surviving structure of the CityÕs Original Chinatown. CAMÕs mission is to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of AmericaÕs diverse heritage by researching, preserving, and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continuing contributions of Chinese Americans.

Contact: Linh Duong

(213) 626-5240

camla.org

 

Symposium - Promoting and Resisting Westernization in Meiji Japan

At Scripps College

September 15-17 2006

To be held in the Humanities Auditorium and in conjunction with 2 exhibitions of Meiji arts

Opening Lecture:      

Friday (15/9) 7:30pm

William Steele, ICU Tokyo 

"Casting Shadows on Japan's Enlightenment: Sada KaisekiÕs Attack on Lamps"

Chikanobu's Depictions of Women:    

Saturday (16/9) 10 am

Kyoko Kurita, Pomona 

"Images of Women's Future in Meiji Japan"     

Miya Lippett, USC  

ÒTrue and New Beauty: Artistic Portraiture of the Meiji PeriodÓ

 Lisa Morrisette, Denison 

"Dressing, Deportment and Desire: Fashion in the Meiji Prints of Chikanobu"

Anne Walthall, UC Irvine 

"Late nineteenth century nostalgia: Chikanobu and the Women of Chiyoda Palace"

Reviving the Past in Meiji Prints and Paintings:  

Saturday (16/9) 2 pm

Allen Hockley, Dartmouth 

"Whose Heroes? Whose Nostalgia?" 

Joshua Mostow, UBC      

"Chikanobu and the Feminization of the Past" 

Julia Sapin, WWU  

ÒAdvertising the KimonoÓ

 Juli Wolfgram, Cal Tech  

"Meiji Publishing & Miyatake Gaikotsu: Ukiyoe ReduxÓ

Harper FundÓ Lecture:     

Saturday (16/9) 4:30 pm

Ellen Conant   

"Meiji Painting: Rhetoric and Reality"

Exhibition Openings:                                     

Saturday (16/9) 7-9 pm

"CHIKANOBU: Modernity and Nostalgia in Japanese Prints" 

Williamson Gallery, Scripps College

"Moderninizing the Arts in Meiji Japan" - Clark Humanities Museum, SC

Religious Responses to the Changing World of Meiji:   

Sunday (17/9) 10am

Michel Mohr, Brown   

"Fascination for Religious Unity: The Case of  Murakami Sensho (1851-1929)"

Janine T. Sawada, U Iowa  

"The Impact of 'Civilization and Enlightenment' on Mt. Fuji Devotionalism: Maruyamakyo"

Paul B. Watt, DePauw   

"The Reception of the Tokugawa Buddhist Master Jiun in Meiji Buddhism"

Creating Art for a World Audience: Sunday (17/9) 2pm

Christine Guth, Stanford 

"Hasegawa's Fairy Tale Books: Marketing Japan to Children of All Ages."

Morgan Pitelka, Occidental 

"Raku Goes Global: Reconfiguring the Arts of Tea in Meiji JapanÓ

Alice Tseng, Boston U 

"The Nude in the Room: On Public Exhibition in Modern KyotoÓ

Bert Winther-Tamaki, UCI 

ÒWestern Painting ('Y™ga') and the Acquisition of Western  CultureÓ

*Speakers are listed in panels alphabetically.

Date: Friday, September 15, 2006

Time: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Scripps College

Claremont, CA 

 

September 16, 2006 Queen Mary Asian Heritage Festival Saturday - 5:00 pm  Queen Mary Special Events Park, Long Beach, CA

 

September 16 - 17,  Echo Lew's Charity Art Exhibition for Helen Keller International 

Sponsored by IDEA International Inc.

Echo Lew is an award winning Taiwanese photographer. "See the Light" is his latest series of art, full of essences of the beauty of human emotions in an abstract form. Echo believes the purity of art can be an invaluable therapy to the human soul and can be a relevant means of fundraising for causes that aim to heal physical brokenness, such as malnutrition, blindness, and cancer. Helen Keller International is among the oldest international nonprofit organizations devoted to fighting and treating of preventable blindness and malnutrition.

Saturday and Sunday,  2006, 10am to 5pm

For more information visit the following websites:

www.echolew.com

www.hki.org

Free Admission

George J. Doizaki Gallery

Japanese American Cultural and

Community Center

244 South San Pedro Street, Suite 505 (between 2nd and 3rd Streets)

Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012
(213) 628-2725

Aratani/Japan America Theatre Box Office Info: (213) 680-3700

 

Sept 17 About Face: Artists Discuss Portraiture, Portrait-Making, and Identity

How are contemporary artists using portraiture and portrait-making processes to examine, reflect, and/or challenge constructions of identity?

Join us as an eclectic group of artists gather to discuss the role of ethnicity, race, class, age, gender, and sexuality, among others, in shaping their work. The conversation promises to be a lively commentary on ways of the seeing the self and others.

Sunday 2PM

In conjunction with the exhibition kip fulbeck: part asian, 100% hapa

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

 September 19, 2006CHINESE KUNQU OPERA & "PEONY PAVILION"

Talks, demonstration, & dinner at the Pacific Asia Museum

Presented by the Pacific Asia Museum and co-sponsored by Town Hall Los Angeles.

Talks by famed author Kenneth Pai (Pai Hsien-yung) - writer/producer of the Young Lovers' edition of Peony Pavilion - and Professor Richard Strassberg (UCLA), plus a demonstration of scenes from Peony Pavilion by members of the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Company.

A reception & dim sum dinner (included in the price of admission) will follow the talks and demonstration. 

The dinner has been generously funded by the Chinese Arts Council of the Museum, the Taipei First Girls High School Alumni Association, and the Southern California chapter of the National Taiwan University Alumni Association.

Tuesday, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Pacific Asia Museum

46 North Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91101

Cost: $7 ($5 for seniors)

Tel: (626) 449-2742 xtn 10

http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/index.htm

 

September 25, 2006 THE ART OF KUNQU: ACTING & SINGING

Demonstration by renowed kunqu artist Hua Wenyi and talk by Dr. Susan Pertel Jain (UCLA)

As an ancient form of theater that has been evolving for more than four centuries, Kunqu Opera is famous for a singing style that is characterized by elegance and delicacy. The dancing moves and postures are highly expressive, yet always retain a touch of subtlety. This lecture and demonstration, presented by Susan Pertel Jain, an expert on Kunqu Opera, and also featuring prestigious Kunqu Opera actress Hua Wenyi, will display to the audience the hauntingly beautiful melodies of Kunqu singing and its richly expressive moves that one might be too fleeting to be captured during a normal stage performance.

Monday,  7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

314 Royce Hall

UCLA
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Admission is Free

Special Instructions

RSVP required

For more information please contact

Richard GundeTel: 310-825-8683

gunde@ucla.edu

www.international.ucla.edu/china/mundanting

 

September 25, 2006 A Conversation on "The Peony Pavilion"

A roundtable discussion

This roundtable discussion is designed to encourage reflection on the history of kunqu, the significance of Kenneth PaiÕs production of The Peony Pavilion, the role of the performing arts in China's growing international influence, and any other questions audience members might raise. Each panelist will speak for approximately ten minutes on the subject of his/her own interest and expertise before entertaining questions from the audience and fellow panelists.

Cost: Free

Seating is limited. Reservations are essential:

RSVP (310) 825-8683 - leave a message with the number & names of the guests and your telephone number

or

Send an e-mail, with the number & names of the guests, to china@international.ucla.edu

Monday, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

314 Royce Hall

UCLA

Los Angeles, CA 90095

For more information please contact

Richard Gunde Tel: 310-825-8683

gunde@ucla.edu

www.international.ucla.edu/china/mundanting

 

September 26, 2006 THE MUSIC OF KUNQU

Demonstration by Li Chi (Ethnomusicology, UCLA) & her troupe and talk by Prof. Helen Rees (UCLA)

The repertory of Kunqu Opera is an indispensably precious part of Chinese music. Using instruments with distinctive characteristics, such as the Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute), Huqin (Chinese two-stringed violin), Guzheng (Chinese zither), and a range of percussion instruments, Kunqu music creates an ambience of poetic melancholy that is characteristic of Kunqu Theater.

Prof. Helen Rees, an ethnomusicologist specializing in Chinese music, with Prof. Li Chi, a highly accomplished and versatile musician, assisted by a troupe of musicians, will introduce these instruments to the audience and demonstrate their use in kunqu performances. 

Tuesday,  7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Schoenberg Hall

UCLA

Los Angeles, CA 90095

 Free Admission

RSVP

For more information please contact

Richard GundeTel: 310-825-8683 gunde@ucla.edu

www.international.ucla.edu/china/mundanting

 

September 27, 2006 KUNQU & THE HISTORY OF CHINESE THEATER

Lecture by Professor Sophie Volpp (East Asian Languages & Cultures, UC Berkeley)

Prof. Sophie Volpp will give a talk on the historical development of theater art in Chinese civilization

Date: Wednesday,

Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

314 Royce Hall

UCLA

Los Angeles, CA 90095

 Free Admission

RSVP

For more information please contact

Richard Gunde

Tel: 310-825-8683

gunde@ucla.edu

www.international.ucla.edu/china/mundanting

 

The Peony Pavilion: Book 1 of 3

The Suzhou Kun Opera Theater of Jiangsu Province makes it Los Angeles Debut.

From the mists of the Ming Dynasty comes a tale of love, beauty and marriage so profound that it still resonates with modern audiences more than 400 years later. One of the worldÕs greatest artistic accomplishments, The Peony Pavilion is the supreme example of Chinese kunqu opera, an art form refined over centuries combining literature, music, dance and drama. No one has succeeded more brilliantly in interpreting Tang XianzuÕs epic love story (often compared to Romeo and Juliet) than the esteemed Taiwanese literary scholar and producer Kenneth Pai. This abridged version of the original sweeping text features a handpicked young cast from Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, with exquisite handmade costumes.

The Peony Pavilion may be seen and ordered as a complete series or as single performances. It is not part of the International Theatre Festival (ITF) series, and must be purchased separately.

Book I: The Dream of Love

Fri, Sep 29 at 8pm

Du Liniang, a sheltered, lonely girl of 16, dreams of a handsome scholar. Saddened that he was only a dream, she pines away. Before she dies, she paints a self-portrait and hides it in the garden. Her mother buries her under a plum tree and builds a shrine in her memory.

Book II: Romance and Resurrection

Sat, Sep 30 at 8pm

Liu Mengmei, an impoverished scholar, dreams of a beautiful lady under a plum tree. He finds Du LiniangÕs portrait, and falls in love with the image. Du LiniangÕs ghost appears, and convinced of his love, reveals herself. Liu Mengmei opens the grave and Du Liniang returns to life.

Book III: Reunion and Triumph

Sun, Oct 1 at 7pm The lively resolution to the story, features some of the most humorous scenes in kunqu. Liu Mengmei succeeds as a scholar, but not before being punished on suspicion of grave robbing. Du Liniang is reunited with her parents, but not before her stern father admits that love can conquer death.

Pre-performance discussions prior to each performance

Learn more at the Peony Pavilion website created by the UCLA Center for Chinese Studies http://www.international.ucla.edu/china/mudanting/

Purchase tickets at UCLA Live http://www.uclalive.org/Event.asp?Event_ID=330

Royce Hall

Los Angeles, CA 90095

Cost: $65, 46, 30 ($17 UCLA students)

 

September 30, October 1, 2006,  "Circled With Folks" Concert

Sponsored by Herald Community Center (HCC)

Hong Kong artists Ruth Ng, Brenda Lo, and Albert Lui are coming to town to meet with L.A. fans for the Herald Community Center Charitable Concert, September 30 and October 1. They will take us back in time to scores of memorable folk oldies such as The Circle Game, California Dreaming, Country Roads, Try To Remember, and Leaving On A Jet Plane.

This is a charitable concert. All donations will be used for the HCC community services.

For more information contact Herald Community Center (626) 282-2600 or visit their website, www.cchc.org.

$35, $50, $60, VIP Reserved Seating - Tickets are available through Herald Community Center.

Saturday,  2006, 7pm

Sunday, 4pm

Aratani Japan Amreica Theatre

Japanese American Cultural and

Community Center

244 South San Pedro Street, Suite 505 (between 2nd and 3rd Streets)

Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012
(213) 628-2725

Aratani/Japan America Theatre Box Office Info: (213) 680-3700

 

October 7 34th Annual Akimatsuri Fall Festival 12-8PM East  San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center,

1203 West Puente Avenue                   

West Covina, California 91790 

 http://esgvjcc.741.com/home.htm

 

Oct 29 Akira Fuse Concert, Japanese Language Scholarship benefit at El Camino College Center for the Arts Marsee Auditorium, 323-882-6545, www.jlsf-aurora.org

 

SAVE YOUR SATURDAY NIGHTS FOR COLD TOFU!

AND NOW - WATCH VIDEOS ONLINE!

Join us for our monthly improv shows at Maryknoll!

Upcoming shows in 2006!

JULY 22, 7:30 pm

AUGUST 19, 7:30 pm

SEPTEMBER 23, 7:30 pm

OCTOBER 21, 7:30 pm

NOVEMBER 18, 7:30 pm

DECEMBER 16, 7:30 pm

Maryknoll Catholic Center

222 S. Hewitt St., LA 90012 (Located east of Alameda, between 2nd & 3rd Streets) Admission: Pay-What-You-Can

Make your reservations by calling (213) 739-4142 or e-mail us at coldtofu@hotmail.com. Email for details. www.coldtofu.com

 

See LA Library DiverseCity events at http://www.lapl.org/kidspath/events/diversecity/index.html

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This Weekend (and earlier)

 

September 1st, 2nd, & 3rd  E Hula Mau 2006 E Hula Mau is Southern California's only Hula and Chant competition, staged annually every Labor Day weekend since 1995 by Na Mamo, a non-profit organization based in Southern California.

Our goal is to blend honored traditions with innovative ideas, and to present for everyone from participating halau to special friends and guests, a wonderful experience from the Hawaiian people.

For halau, we strive to give them a setting where their artistry can be presented at its best. For the audience, an opportunity to experience the kinetic poetry that is hula. We wish for all that they have the feeling of being welcomed as `ohana, or family.

E Hula Mau is three days of hula, mele, arts, crafts, food, and fellowship. It is held in the beautiful Terrace Theater of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California. Participating halau come from all over the mainland United States.

E Hula Mau is Not Only a Competition...

E Hula Mau has cultural workshops to share the Hawaiian heritage. It also has associated events such as the E Hula Mau Kanikapila Jam, featuring live entertainment, hula show, `ono foods, local snacks (crackseeds), and beautiful arts and crafts. Bring your guitar or `ukulele and jam with us Saturday night after the competition at the host hotel in the courtyard. Check our website periodically for additional information.

To top off the weekend, the Mahalo Bash is held Sunday night after the competition, always featuring the best in contemporary Hawaiian entertainment.

The heritage lives on through you.

It's official, E Hula Mau 2006, the 12th annual edition of the event, is scheduled, so mark your calendar now. The specifics are:

Labor Day Weekend, September 1st, 2nd, & 3rd, 2006

Terrace Theater

Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center www.longbeachcc.com/maps.htm

namamo.org

 

September 02, 2006 Karishma: An Enchanting Evening of Bollywood Dance Under the Stars At Ford Amphitheatre

A tantalizing explosion of eastern and western dance, Bollywood comes alive in blue13 dance companyÕs exotic Indian fairytale of romance, magic and mystery inspired by A Midsummer NightÕs Dream and The Wizard of Oz. 

Saturday, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Ford Amphitheatre

2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East

Hollywood, CA 90068

Full price $22, Children 12 & under $12, Open seating

Tel: (323) 461-3673 www.fordamphitheatre.org/en/performance/september.asp#0902

 

September 02, 2006 Performance - Shruti Sadolikar and Anupama Bhagwat in Concert At Herrick Chapel

Presenting one of IndiaÕs most distinguished female vocal artists, Shruti Sadolikar in a concert also featuring the young sitar virtuoso, Anupama Bhagwat. Setting a standard for female singers in the North Indian classical tradition, Shruti Sadolikar is known for her brilliant vocal capabilities and wide range of vocal genres from light classical bhajans to khayals and thumris. Beginning music in early childhood under the tutelage of her father, she has become a major performing artist in India and abroad as well as leading recording artist and much sought-after teacher. Also beginning music at a young age, Anupama Bhagwat is a rising virtuoso, one of the few high-level female soloists on the sitar, a primary instrument in North Indian classical music. She superbly brings out the cadences of the sitar within her disciplined development of the raga. She plays in the gayaki style, a lyrical and subtly-nuanced technique modeled after the human voice. Both performers will be accompanied by Anadogopal Bandopadhyay on the tabla and Jyoti Goho on the harmonium.

Saturday, 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Herrick Chapel

Occidental College Campus

Eagle Rock, CA 900041

Special Instructions

$25 General, $15 Music Circle Members, $5 Students with ID

Tel: (626) 449-6987

www.musiccircle.com

 

Traditional & Contemporary Calligraphy

Exhibition at Korean Cultural Center

August 25 - September 7,2006

This exhibit will feature the works of Koran American Calligraphy Association.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Korean Cultural Center

2nd floor Art Gallery

5505 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90095

Special Instructions

Gallery Open Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10a.m.-5p.m., Sat. 10a.m.-1p.m.

For more information please contact

Heeseon Choi Tel: 323-936-7141(x112)

www.kccla.org

 

Sept 7"LA Menu Munchies" by Collage Ensemble Inc.

LA Menu Munchies is a digital magazine that portrays Los Angeles' urban fabric through the needle and thread of food.

Join its creators, Collage Ensemble Inc.--Alan Nakagawa, Mona Kasra, and Alex Alferov--in the world premiere of their DVD, where cooking-show meets cultural explosion.

6:30PM

The DVD will be available for sale through the Museum Store. Please call 888.769.5559 or order through the Museum Store Online in September.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

Sept. 7 1st & Central Summer Concerts: Dengue Fever

FREE
6:30 PM - Opening Act
7:00 PM - Featured Artists

Critics around the country have hailed this six-member band that fuses Cambodian pop with psychedelic rock as one to watch. Fronted by the amazing vocalist, Chhom Nimol, Dengue Fever closes this year‰Ûªs concert series with sounds that are both familiar yet at absolutely unique ... The result is a concoction all their own.

Free. Reservations are not needed. Sponsored, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and the Irvine Foundation. Media sponsors: KFPK 90.7 FM and Downtown News.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

 

Last weekend I went to: 

 

Las Vegas

 

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Links to selected articles from the LA Times. To actually access the articles, you may have to sign up for a free account.

 

Nobelist's Fiction Brought to Life His Beloved Cairo

By John Daniszewski, Special to The Times

9:47 PM PDT, August 30, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mahfouz31aug31,0,6888559.story?coll=la-home-headlines

 

Country Radio Gets the Blues

Is media consolidation good or bad for L.A.'s stranded legions of country music fans?

August 27, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-radio27aug27,1,940801.story

 

Why a Racial "Survivor" Is a Good Thing

Reality show gimmick will force conversation and maybe show that skin color doesn't matter.

By Tony Pierce, TONY PIERCE is the editor of LAist.com.

August 26, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-pierce26aug26,1,1974453.story

 

Hundreds Mourn a 'Legend in Little Saigon'

Publisher Yen Do's legacy to Orange County's Vietnamese is an enduring sense of community, a packed Santa Ana church is told.

By Seema Mehta, Times Staff Writer

August 25, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-yendo25aug25,1,3898786.story

 

A VISUAL HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES

The Southland's ethnic transition

August 25, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ethnicl.a.25aug25,1,5606251.story

 

Wong Wielded Clout in a Low-Key Manner

By Ralph Frammolino, Times Staff Writer

August 24, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-profile24aug24,1,5570610.story

 

A woman of color who's seeing red

By Barbara E. Hernandez, Special to The Times

August 24, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-wk-tell24aug24,1,2272014.story

 

Threat Is Seen to Free Speech in Japan

Politician targeted by an arsonist after criticizing the premier calls for an end to the intimidation.

By Bruce Wallace, Times Staff Writer

August 30, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-arson30aug30,1,7919851.story

 

TIMES PAST

Immigrants are forced to register

August 28, 2006

 

Aug. 28, 1940: To comply with the Alien Registration Act, Los Angeles begins to register its estimated 125,000 foreign-born residents at its processing headquarters in San Pedro.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-a2anniversary28aug28,1,2858537.story

 

Why Shouldn't Girls Play Baseball?

It's time for the U.S. to stop discouraging girls from the national pastime.

By Jennifer Ring, JENNIFER RING, a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Reno, is the author of "Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don't Play Baseball," to be published next year.

August 27, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-ring27aug27,1,6568857.story

 

Ex-FBI Agent to Get Fine, Probation

Federal judge to accept a plea bargain for Denise K. Woo, who disclosed confidential data in connection with a Chinese spying probe.

From the Associated Press

August 29, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-woo29aug29,1,4961084.story

 

Apple Sees No Forced Labor at Its IPod Factory in China

But a company probe does find that overtime limits are not enforced. Officials vow remedies.

From the Associated Press

August 19, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-apple19aug19,1,4793249.story