To update information or submit an event, email ACTA.
Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory
Photo: San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
July 17 – September 23, 2007
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
520 South First Street
San Jose, California
An eloquent and powerful testimony to the impact of modern warfare on our world and the relevance and resilience of folk arts in contemporary life, this exhibit explores themes of war as expressed in traditional textile arts. This exhibition showcases works that depict the horrors of war by mostly women artists and artisans from Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and South Africa. The exhibit includes an embroidered memory cloth from South Africa with chilling scenes of death and violence and a Hmong story cloth whose brilliant, happy colors belie its imagery of organized warfare.
This project has been made possible in part by a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation.
Museum Admission: $6.50 adults, $5 seniors and students
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
For more information visit the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles’ website or call (408) 971-0323.
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Woven Witness: Afghan War Rugs and Afghan Freedom Quilt
Photo: San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
Through September 23, 2007
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
520 South First Street
San Jose, California
Further exploring the impact of war on traditional textile arts, this exhibition takes a closer look at the influence of war on the evolution of traditional Afghan rug design, from the Russian invasion through the current U.S.–Taliban war.
Whether individual rugs were woven as political statements, personal reflections, or as souvenirs for soldiers, only the weavers could reveal for certain. Regardless of intent, these examples are a powerful testament to the relevancy of the rug form, its expressive capacity, and the ability of a people to adapt to the ravages of war.
Accompanying this exhibition, the Museum will also display the Afghan Freedom Quilt: Silenced Voices of the Afghan Diaspora, a collaborative project sponsored by the Foundation for Self-Reliance. The quilt is a collection of blocks made by war widows in Afghanistan and assembled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Pieces sewn for this quilt are symbolic interpretations of what human rights, empowerment, equality, peace, hardship, sisterhood and freedom meant to each individual contributor. The Foundation for Self-Reliance conducts life-skills training and economic empowerment programs for Afghan women immigrants.
Museum Admission: $6.50 adults, $5 seniors and students
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
For more information visit the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles’ website or call (408) 971-0323.
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Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden
Photo: Japanese American National Museum
Through October 21, 2007
Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, California
Gardens were among the first forms of Japanese culture to gain popularity in the United States. Since their introduction to the American public at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Japanese-style gardens have proliferated across the country.
Landscaping America reveals the personal stories, historical journeys, creativity, and community processes that underlie the surface of the "Japanese garden." This multimedia exhibition highlights how West Coast Japanese Americans drew upon their agricultural and ethnic backgrounds to carve out a viable vocational niche in gardening, and in the process, reinterpreted Japanese garden traditions, and contributed to the diversity of the American landscape.
Curated by ACTA Board Member Sojin Kim.
Museum Admission: $8 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students and children
Museum Hours: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 11:00 am – 8:00 pm Thursday, Closed Monday
For more information visit the Japanese American National Museum’s website.
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Evolution of the ‘Ukulele: The Story of Hawaii’s Jumping
Flea
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Craft and Folk Art
Through October 21, 2007
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
51 Yerba Buena Lane
San Francisco, California
Providing an in-depth look at an eclectic musical tool, Evolution
of the ‘Ukulele presents the history, development, fine craft,
and contemporary fanaticism of this instrument. Some of the finest ‘ukuleles
ever crafted will be on display, drawn from local and national private
collections. The exhibition is a centerpiece for a ‘ukulele
music festival on September 7 and 8 featuring a benefit concert.
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Kumeyaay : Indigenous People of Southern California
Ongoing
San Diego Museum of Man
Balboa Park
1350 El Prado
San Diego, California
When Father Junipero Serra entered the San Diego area in 1769, he
encountered a thriving population, peaceful and hospitable. After
conscripting native people to build Mission San Diego de Alcalá,
the Spanish called them Diegueños after the mission, but the
people had their own name: Kumeyaay. Traditional Kumeyaay lifeways
are presented in displays detailing food supplies, dress and adornment,
games, and ceremonies. The Kumeyaay arts of pottery and basketry
are highlighted, and the exhibit has been expanded with a new display
of a traditional Kumeyaay house.
Admission: $8
Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily
For more information visit
the Museum of Man’s website.
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September
Berkeley Old Time Music Convention
Photo: Berkeley Old Time Music Convention
September 13-16, 2007
Various Locations
Berkeley, California
The Berkeley Old Time Music Convention is a four day music festival
featuring performances by local and national acts, a rollicking square
dance, open cabaret, and the illustrious stringband contest in venues
throughout Berkeley.
This project has been made possible in part by a grant from ACTA’s
Living Cultures Grants Program, in partnership with the Walter
and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and
the James Irvine Foundation.
For more information, including a schedule of events, visit
the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention’s website.
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Voces de las Américas
Friday, September 14, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Arte Américas
1630 Van Ness Avenue
Fresno, California
The weekend of the Fiestas Patrias (Mexican Independence Day) has
become an Arte Américas’ Nights in the Plaza tradition
to showcase the talent in the Central Valley. This year, Arte
Américas expands their celebration to include many of the Latin
American countries that also celebrate their independence day in September.
Tickets: $13 at the door, $10 advance, $8 members
For more information visit
Arte Américas website.
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El Grito
Saturday, September 15, 2007 – 6:00 pm
Mexican Heritage Plaza
1700 Alum Rock Avenue
San Jose, California
This annual celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day will include
an awards ceremony, a military flag presentation, and the traditional
Grito Ceremony, along with musical entertainment and a performance
by Los Lupeños de San José. Food and beverages will be
available for purchase.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the Mexican
Heritage Plaza’s website.
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Gamelan Burat Wangi
Photo: Grand Performances
Saturday, September 15, 2007 – 8:00 pm
350 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, California
Featuring composers, directors, and cultural ambassadors I Nyoman
Wenten and Nanik Wenten.
Admission: Free
For more information visit
Grand Performance’s website.
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Corazon de Mexico 2007
Photo courtesy of IMBA
Saturday, September 15, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Sunday, September 16, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Benvenuti Performing Arts Center
4600 Blackrock Drive
Sacramento, California
Join Instituto Mazatlán Bellas Artes de Sacramento (IMBA) as
they celebrate Mexico’s independence day. This event will
feature over 25 dances, live musicians, and a full mariachi. In
additiona, IMBA will premier 2 new choreographies, Alma Jarocho and
Gritos, Zapateo y mi Tierra Jalisco.
Tickets: $20
For more information email IMBA or
call (916) 391-7500.
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Yuri Yunakov & His Romani Wedding Band
Friday, September 21, 2007
Croatian American Cultural Center
60 Onondaga Avenue
San Francisco, California
Romani (Gypsy) wedding music with Yuri Yunakov, saxophone; Selaidin
Mamudoski, clarinet Muhamed Ismailov, accordion/keyboard; Rumen Sali
Shopov, percussion.
For more information visit
the Croatian American Cultural Center’s website.
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Tamejavi Cultural Festival: Hands the Forge History
Photo courtesy of Tamejavi
Saturday, September 22, 2007 – 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Radio Park and Fresno Art Museum
2233 N. First Street
Fresno, California
A daylong event free to the public, a gathering to celebrate and experience
the rich traditions of California’s Central Valley through visual
and performing arts. This year’s festival also includes
platicas, or spaces for dialogues, which will address various current
event topics; a photo exhibit chronicling the journey of Tamejavi;
a film festival presenting Hmong, Latino, and Native American film,
and a cultural kitchen with vast array of cuisine.
The theme of Tamejavi IV, Hands that Forge History, invites you to
recognize the traditions, struggles, and contributions of California
Central Valley’s immigrants.
For more information visit Tamejavi’s
website or call (559) 222-7678.
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Gamelan Sekar Jaya
Photo: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
Saturday, September 22, 2007 – 1:00 pm
Yerba Buena Gardens
Mission Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets
San Francisco, California
The fifty performers of Gamelan Sekar Jaya present the driving rhythms
and refined dances of Bali. Led by Putu Putrawan (guest music
director) and Ida Ayu Ketut Suciawani (guest dance director), Sekar
Jaya will feature two large percussion orchestras: the bronze gamelan
gong kebyar, and the ensemble of giant bamboo marimbas, gamelan jegog. The
outdoor setup reflects the open-air settings used in traditional Balinese
contexts, where groups often play within or in front of temple courtyards.
Admission: Free
For more information visit
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival’s website.
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Target Feria de la Familia
Sunday, September 23, 2007 – 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Plaza de la Raza
3540 N. Mission Road
Lincoln Park
Los Angeles, California
Including an outdoor stage featuring performances throughout the day
and lectures/presentations in the Plaza’s indoor theater.
Admission: Free
For more information visit
the Plaza de la Raza’s website.
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15th Annual Thai Cultural Day
Sunday, September 23, 2007 – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Barnsdall Art Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, California
The 15th Annual Thai Cultural Day is a celebration of Thai cultural
heritage. It is an opportunity for the public to enjoy Thai music,
dance, kickboxing, and food demonstrations.
Admission: Free
For more information visit
the Thai Community Arts & Cultural Center’s website.
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The 8th Annual San Francisco World Music Festival
Imamyar Hasanov
Photo: Door Dog Music Productions
September 23, 2007 – October 7, 2007
Various Locations
San Francisco, California
This fall, Door Dog Music Production presents its eighth season of
the San Francisco World Music Festival, themed The
Lutes of the Deserts and the Mountains: An Exploration of the Ancient
Roots of Music. Master
lute players from around the world—from the high mountains
of Tibet, to the deserts of Afghanistan—will be invited to
share their traditions.
The San Francisco World Music Festival will run from September 23
through October 7 in venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. At
the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco on September 23, the festival
will kick off with a commissioned world premiere entitled, Here
Comes the Sea Followed by the Ocean, a tribute to Rumi. The legendary
Persian mystical poet Attar, whose own work is said to have influenced
the great Rumi, spoke these words when he saw Rumi following behind
his father as they made their way west to Anatolia from an unsettled
home in Central Asia. This man's journey, in metaphor and reality,
is brought to life in present day, as the historical Rumi was a citizen
of all the contemporary world's hot spots: Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan,
Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Azerbaijan.
This newly commissioned work will present new compositions by Azerbaijani
master kamancha musician and composer Imamyar Hasanov. The production
also will feature traditional lute masters Azerbaijani tar virtuoso
Rufat Hasanov, Chinese pipa master He Cheng Liu, Chinese erhu virtuoso
Xiao Feng Zhang, Israeli oud player Yoel Ben-Simhon, and Iranian master
percussionist Pejman Hadadi. Lutes from the various countries
include the tar, kamancha, pipa, erhu, and tembur accompanied by frame
drums. This cross-cultural collaboration is paramount to Rumi's
transcendent and universally humanist message and in keeping with Door
Dog's mission to create artistic frameworks for master artists to meet.
For more information, including a schedule of events, visit
the San Francisco World Music Festival’s website or contact
them via email.
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2007 San José International Mariachi Festival & Workshops
September 26-30, 2007
Various Location
San Jose, California
Including four days of mariachi workshops, two nights of concerts,
and two days of an outdoor music and community festival.
Workshops taught by Mariachi Cobre and Mariachi Azteca. Special
master class instruction provided by guest artists Tlen Huicani from
Veracruz, Mexico. Folklorico dance workshops taught by maestros
Jose Tena from Lac Cruces, New Mexico, and Maria Luisa Colmenarez,
from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Saturday night’s Gala Mariachi Concert will feature Los Lobos
and Linda Ronstadt with Mariachi Cobre. Sunday’s Latin
Pop Concert will feature Marco Antonio Solis.
A two day outdoor music and community festival will feature three
stages of music and dance, food, drinks, family activities, and related
vendors. Saturday’s festival will showcase other genres
of Latin music and Sunday, traditional Mariachi!
For more information, including a schedule of events, visit
the Mexican Heritage Plaza’s website.
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India Jazz Progressions
Friday, September 28, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 29, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Sunday, September 20, 2007 – 2:00 pm
Cowell Theater
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, California
Featuring Pandit Chitresh Das, Jason Samuels Smith and their companies,
including principal dancers Charlotte Moraga and Chloe Arnold, respectively. Also
featuring Indian musicians Pandit Ramesh Mishra (sarangi), Jayanta
Banerjee (sitar), and Salar Nader (tabla). Also featuring jazz
musicians David Ewell (bass), Jason Martineau (piano), and Sameer Gupta
(kit drums).
Tickets: $23, $28, $35
For more information visit Chitresh
Das Dance Company’s website or call (415) 333-9000.
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Carolina Lugo’s Brisas de España Flamenco Dance Company
10th Anniversary Concert
Photo courtesy of Carolina Lugo’s Brisas de España
Saturday, September 29, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Cue Productions
1835 Colfax
Concord, California
Carolina Lugo’s Brisas de España Flamenco Dance Company
presents Herencia – Tradición—Evolución
for the company’s 10th Anniversary Concert Season. Featuring
dancer Jesus Herrera de Sevilla, singer Jesus Montoya, and guitarist
Ricardo Garcia from Spain.
This project has been made possible in part by a grant from ACTA’s
Living Cultures Grants Program, in partnership with the Walter
and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and
the James Irvine Foundation.
For more information visit
Carolina Lugo’s Brisas de España’s website,
email Carolina Lugo’s
Brisas de España, or call (925) 939-7850.
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Ifugao Music & Dance Ensemble of Banaue
Photo: KulArts
Lecture/Demo
Thursday, September 20, 2007 – 6:00 pm
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California
Concert
Saturday, September 29, 2007 – 3:00 pm
Sunday, September 30, 2007 – 3:00 pm
Zeum Theater
221 4th Street & Howard, San Francisco, California
Concert
Thursday, October 11, 2007 – 7: 30 pm
Union Ballroom
Sacramento State University
6000 J Street, Sacramento, California
Workshops
October 15-19, 2007
Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission Street #B, San Francisco, California
Each year, KulArts sponsors a month-long residency of Philippine master
artists to create meaningful and engaging exchanges with arts and educationa
institutions and communities. Residency performances, workshops
and classes in schools and community settings, lecture-demonstrations,
jam sessions, and community intereactions and dialogues. The
residency also includes a Tribal Arts Installation which exhibits traditional
textiles, crafts, and artifacts in the lobbies of different performance
venues.
This year, KulArts will host the first-ever U.S. visit by an indigenous
Ifugao performing group, the Ifugao Music & Dance Ensemble of Banaue.
For more information, visit KulArts’ website or
contact them via email.
October
A Taste of Folk Music: A Free Folk & Bluegrass Music Festival
Photo: California Traditional Music Society
Sunday, October 14, 2007 – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Encino Park
16953 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, California
Held in conjunction with the Encino Chamber of Commerce’s 20th
Annual Taste of Encino Street Fair. Featuring three stages, a
son groom, a storyteller’s tent, and a songmaker’s jam
area
For more information visit
the California Traditional Music Society’s website.
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Bunraku: The National Puppet Theatre of Japan
Photo: Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
Thursday, October 18, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Friday, October 19, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 20, 2007 – 2:00 pm
Saturday, October 20, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Aratani/Japan America Theatre
244 S. San Pedro Street
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California
The internationally-acclaimed Bunraku: National Puppet Theatre of
Japan, returns to the United States for the first time in nearly two
decades with a full-length presentation of two classic masterworks
Oshichi’s Burning Love and Miracle
at the Tsubosaka Kannon Temple.
Bunraku is often described as an art of threes, a combination of joruri ballad narration, shamisen instrumental music and ningyo
tsukai puppet
manipulation. Each of these art forms take years to master; culminating
in the intersection of movement, words and music that is bunraku. The
awe inspiring unity achieved by three puppeteers working in unison
- one for the right arm and head, one for the left arm and body, and
one for the legs - will enchant any audience. Bunraku puppets
weigh anywhere from ten to fifty pounds, and are capable of a full
range of expressions through the manipulation of their eyes, eyebrows,
and mouths, and the graceful movements found in their hands, arms,
and legs.
For more information visit the Japanese
American Cultural & Community Center’s website, or
contact them via email.
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Un Zaptateado Chicano
Photo: Danza Floricanto/USA
Saturday, October 27, 2007 – 8:00 pm
Luckman Fine Arts Complex
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
The Mexican state of Veracruz has a rich and complex musical heritage. African,
Caribbean, Spanish and indigenous Mexican influences have fused to
create a powerful, syncopated musical tradition. Significant
in this tradition is the zapateado – the percussive individual
expression of a dancer’s footwork. Much like flamenco and
tap, the zapateado functions as both instrumentalist and dance.
In Un Zapateado Chicano, Rhythmic Footprints, Gema Sandoval’s
18-member company, with music direction and original music by Cesar
Castro – takes the audience on an exploration of the music and
dance of Veracruz from the folkloric beginnings to contemporary life.
This project has been made possible in part by ACTA’s
Traditional Arts Development Program.
For more information visit the
Luckman Fine Arts Complex’s website or email
Danza Floricanto/USA.
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LIKHA 15th Anniversary Show and Expo
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Cowell Theater
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, California
Join LIKHA as they mark their 15-year milestone.
LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble celebrates Philippine culture through
music and dance. LIKHA has served the community since 1992 under
the artistic direction of Rodolfo C. Soriano, former dance soloist
with Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company.
November
The 13th Annual California Indian Storytelling Festival
Saturday, November 17, 2007 – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
San Leandro Public Library Theater Center
300 Estudillo Avenue
San Leandro, California
The 13th Annual California Indian Storytelling Festival will bring
together Native storytellers from throughout California, with special
guests from Hawaii. The festival program includes storytelling
performances, panel discussions, and other presentations on indigenous
oral traditions, folklore and storytelling.
Festival workshops are recommended for adults and teens, ages 15 and
up. Storytelling and music performances are recommended for adults
and children ages 8 and up.
Admission: at the door only, $15 general, $10 elders/students/children,
$15 dinner with the storytellers
For more information visit
the California Indian Storytellers Association website.
County & Regional Calendars
A calendar of Festivals and Celebrations in San Diego is available from the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.
Let us know if you have special information that should be posted here.
To update information or submit an event for the calendar,
please email ACTA.
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