|
|
Let us know if you have special information that should be posted here.To update information or sumit an event for the calendar, |
CALENDARTo update information or submit an event, email ACTA.
Carrying On: 100 Years of San Francisco Japantown
Through May 31, 2006
Photos: National Japanese Historical Society For more information visit the National Japanese American Historical Society website.
Our People, Our Land, Our Images
Museum Hours: Monday through Friday 12:00 - 5:00 p.m. Admission: Free For more information visit the museum’s website.
Circles of Life: Katsina Imagery in Hopi BasketryThrough June 25, 2006 Museum Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; For more information visit the Grace Hudson museum’s website.
Japanese Noh Theater Masks & New Masks with Bidou Yamaguchi
Admission: Free with museum admission of $10 For more information visit the Asian Art Museum’s website.
Valley Threads: New Perspectives in Traditional CraftThrough June 30, 2006 The quilt exhibit displays the work of local quilt artists Vicky Eisenhart, Michelle George, Lori Nelson, Bernie Kegel, Ardene Schaeffer, Sandra Mollon, Bettie Harris, Judy Mullen, and Lora Wheeler. For more information visit the Merced County Arts Council’s website.
Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age Through July 9, 2006 In the first exhibition of its kind in North America, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, in partnership with the Association for Viet Arts, presents Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age. The ao dai (pronounced 'ow yie' in the south, but 'ow zie' in the north) is a versatile garment of ancient Vietnamese origin known for its unique beauty and grace. Considered a cultural symbol of Viet Nam, the ao dai is worn by women and men as a fitted tunic-style gown over long, loose-fitting pants. The exhibition features the largest survey ever of historical and contemporary ao dai pieces, many never before seen in by the public, from international designers, collectors and a royal restorer. In recent years, the contemporary ao dai has made its mainstream debut on Hollywood celebrities as well as on the haute couture runways of Paris from top fashion designers including Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Claude Montana and Richard Tyler. Though originating in the mid 18th century as the national dress for both genders, the modern ao dai form only emerged in the 1930s. The exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through the past and present and combines traditional techniques with new global influences that embody both functional and artistic designs, representing the innovative spirit of Viet Nam’s ao dai tradition. The exhibition features the work of prominent Vietnamese ao dai designer, Minh Hanh; fashion designer Le Minh Khoa; Si Hoang, an artist and educator turned ao dai designer; Le Phuong Thao, a Vietnamese-American designer who combines traditional and modern techniques; Trinh Bach, a collector and restorer of royal ao dai from the 19th and 20th centuries; and collector Nam-Son Ngo-Viet. Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Admission: $5 For more information visit the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles website.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Four Generations of African-American QuiltmakersThrough July 23, 2006 Gladys Henry, Laverne Brackens, Sherry Byrd, and Bara Byrd represent four generations of a Texas family carrying on a tradition that reaches back to the time of the Civil War. Rather than piecing in a conventional manner, this family creates quilts in the improvisational mode, guided by a receptivity to the materials at hand and a sensitivity to visual rhythms and designs that emerge in the making. Often compared to the blues, gospel, or jazz, an improvisational African-American quilt is the material equivalent – a dynamic statement of its creator’s personal style. As Laverne Brackens says, “I don’t go by patterns. I make it up out of my head. When you pick up the material and start working with it, that’s when you know what [the quilt] will be.” Museum Hours: Tuesday through Friday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission: $5 For more information visit the Museum of Craft and Folk Art’s website.
Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and SouthwestThrough August 20, 2006
Admission: $7.50 Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information visit the Southwest Museum’s website.
The Art of Being Kuna: Layers of Meaning Among the Kuna of PanamaThrough September 5, 2006 The Art of Being Kuna: Layers of Meaning Among the Kuna of Panama is a major traveling exhibition that presents a view of the Kuna culture as seen through its expressive arts: the Kuna's central concern for form and beauty in everyday life, narratives, rituals, healing, and visual arts such as Kuna women's molas (textiles). The Kuna people live on the San Blas islands and Atlantic coastline of Panama. The exhibit showcases Kuna culture through a wide range of objects including baskets, wooden objects, molas, and gold jewelry. Large-scale photo panels with supportive descriptive panels and visual documentation, depicted in an environment suggestive of a Kuna village and video stations add depth to the presentation. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the museum’s website.
Duk Duk Chaang: The Clamor and Glamour of Chinese OperaThrough September 9, 2006 Photo: Chinese Culture Center
Symbols of Identity
Traditional work and contemporary design are both on view. Examples of turquoise from the American Southwest, Ladakh and Tibet – belts, necklaces, rings, bracelets, hats and breastplates; an Ainu necklace from Japan and a group of Inuit objects, including a delicate bracelet portraying indigenous creatures, are in the exhibition. A William Spratling-designed necklace fashioned from pre-Columbian beads, looking as if it could have been made yesterday, is displayed next to contemporary jewelry designed by San Diego designer craftsmen Arline Fisch and Helen Shirk. Shell jewelry from Oceania and intricately worked silver jewelry from Ethiopia are also on display. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information visit the Mingei Museum’s website.
Passage to Panama: Past to Present
A Chocó house, Darién, Panama,
in the 1950s. Through January 2007 Curated by Grace Johnson, Passage to Panama: Past to Present is based on the research, collections, and photographs of William and Evelyn Phillips taken in the 1950s. This exhibit describes the lives and culture of the Guaymí peoples of the mountains of Chiriquí and Veraguas and the Chocó peoples of the Darién in the 1950s. The Chocó, currently known as the Wounaan/Embera people, live along the rivers in the Darién region of Panama. This exhibit centers on their environment and their daily life, including rituals and healing. The Museum's collection of baskets highlights Chocó culture, which is further detailed through displays of wooden bowls, hunting and fishing implements, traditional dress and jewelry, and carved wooden staffs. The lives of the Guaymí, presently known as the Ngöbe, are recounted through their daily lives by looking closely at objects they use in their households, such as gourds and woven hats, as well as musical instruments associated with the balsaría ceremony. The exhibit also looks at how these indigenous groups are affected by other cultures by considering their art and economy, and examining the wide range of contemporary baskets, jewelry, and woodcarvings made for sale. Photographs taken by Dr. Julie Velasquez-Runk and Dr. Philip Young between 1997 and 2004 give a sense of the current life of indigenous peoples of the Darién. Contemporary photographs of Panama and historic and contemporary images of the Panama Canal illustrate life in Panama as it is today. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the museum’s website.
Apache Life, Spirit, and Art
For more information visit the Riverside Metropolitan Museum’s website.
Body Ornamentation: Artistic Representations of Self
Through March 27, 2007 There is no known culture in which people do not paint, pierce, tattoo, reshape, or simply adorn the unique canvas which is the human body. Diverse cultures throughout the world decorate their bodies in countless ways and for various reasons. This exhibit presents the beautiful designs and artwork depicted in body painting, tattooing, scarification, and piercing. While seemingly a modern phenomenon, the practice of permanently adorning the body has been prevalent in societies around the globe for thousands of years, and has been traced back to ancient nomadic gypsies in India and the Middle East. While tribal customs of permanent body decoration have almost disappeared, there are some regions on earth (northeastern India, the Amazon, and southern China, for example) where body ornamentation is still practiced in the same way it has been for generations. In other areas there has been a resurgence of interest in the old ways: throughout the American west, women wore chin tattoos celebrating rebirth and maturity and marking them, in the words of Julian Lang in News from Native California, as "people who had a deep connection to and understanding of our most important cultural knowledge." Today, Indian women in northern California are again bearing tattoos as expressions of cultural pride. Elsewhere, new customs and practices have enabled people to continue the tradition of decorating their bodies using different types of implements and different stylistic devices. (Excerpted from an article by Tori Heflin, Curator of Physical Anthropology) Admission: $6 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the Museum of Man’s website.
May2006 Highland GamesMay 27 – 28, 2006 The United Scottish Society presents the annual Highland Games.
The event will feature piping, drumming, dancing and traditional athletic
competitions.
Carnaval San Francisco Festival and Parade 2006May 27 - 28, 2006 Carnaval San Francisco showcases Latin American and Caribbean cultures with a diverse array of food, music, dance and artistry, including works created by the community of Mission District residents and Bay Area artists. Conceived 27 years ago by a group of local musicians, artists and residents eager to bring the spirit of Latin American and Caribbean culture to San Francisco, Carnaval San Francisco is produced by the Mission Neighborhood Centers, Inc. and is supported by San Francisco’s Grants for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information visit Carnaval San Francisco’s website.
A Journey to China – Chinese Youth Arts Festival May 28, 2006 – 3:00 p.m. "A Journey to China" - Chinese Youth Arts Festival features the music and performing arts students from Alice Fong Yu Alternative School in San Francisco performing Chinese music, percussion, dance, brush painting, martial arts, lion dancing, and more. Combining direct documentary film footage shot by this year’s 8th Graders’ visit to China with special sets and lighting design, master Chinese artists from different disciplines work together with these young artists to create a highly original multi-dimensional stage performance. Admission: $10 For more information visit Door Dog Music’s website.
12th Annual Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational
For more information visit UC Riverside’s website.
Son y TradiciónMay 31, 2006 – 7:00 p.m. This Mariachi Music and Folklórico Dance Concert features Mariachi Azteca, Los Lupeños de San José (a current grantee in ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program), Mariachi Aztlán, and the Mexican Heritage Plaza Mariachi Youth Program (MYP). Youth Groups include Lincoln High School, San José High School, Washington Elementary School, Gardner Academy, and Hoover Middle School. Students in the Mariachi Youth Program will have the chance to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the year. The event also features special appearances by student folklórico groups from San José Unified School District and professional groups in San José. Admission: $10 For more information visit the Mexican Heritage Plaza’s website. JuneMelody of China with Del SolJune 2, 2006 – 8:00 p.m. Melody of China performs traditional Chinese music. This performance features the world premiere of recent works by two local composers, Kui Dong and Duo Hang performed with guest percussionist Chris Froth and Del Sol String Quartet. Admission: $20 For more information visit Melody of China’s website.
20th Anniversary Celebration of Raga Ranjani School of MusicJune 3, 2006 – 6:30 p.m. This event features a dinner followed by an evening of North Indian classical music with students of the Raga Ranjani School of Music and featured artists Aloke Dasgupta (sitar), David Trasoff (sarod), Ruchira Panda (vocals), Debasish Chaudhuri (tabla), Hindol Majumder (tabla) and Anirban Chatterjee (harmonium). Admission: $25 For more information call (310) 538-4341 or visit Ektaa Center’s website.
Shaab-e Shiraz – Nights of Shiraz
For more information visit Ballet Afsaneh’s website.
Abhinaya in Bharata NatyamJune 4, 2006 – 4:00 p.m. Abhinaya in Bharata Natyam is an exploration on the subtle nuances of abhinaya (expression) in Indian Dance showcasing padams and javalis - musical poetry specifically designed for abhinaya. The performance features Ramya Harishankar (a former master in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program) and members of the Arpana Dance Company and will be followed by a Question and Answer session with Ramya Harishankar, Artistic Director of Arpana Dance Company. Admission: $15 For more information call (949) 300-8912 or visit Ektaa Center’s website.
Lost Tales: Glimpses from 1000 Ramayanas
NATyA premieres an interpretation of an ancient Indian epic – the
Ramayana – in their annual production Lost Tales: Glimpses
from 1000 Ramayanas. NATyA weaves together the forgotten
voices of this epic tale, rendering heroes and villains in vividly
human hues. Lost Tales is a collaboration of diverse art forms and
artists, combining the Indian classical dance traditions of Bharata
Natyam, Kathak, and Odissi, set to an eclectic musical backdrop of
Carnatic, jazz, and world rhythms, and punctuated by spoken word poetry.
This one-of-a-kind production is designed for all audiences, even those
not versed in the Ramayana or classical Indian dance. Admission: $12-$18 For more information visit NATyA’s website.
The Craft of Storytelling with Master Storyteller Charlie ChinJune 5 – 26, 2006
William David Chin, better known by his nickname, "Charlie," has
been performing, composing, writing, and teaching for over 30 years.
The emerging Asian American Movement caught his interest in 1970 and
he teamed up with musicians and political activists, Chris Iijima and
Nobuko Miyamoto to form a trio that would tour the U.S. and record "A
Grain of Sand," the first Asian American musical album. They have
recently reunited to perform Reunion Concerts in California and Massachusetts. Admission: $60 for four workshops For more information visit the Chinese Historical Society of America’s website.
23rd Annual Indian FairJune 9 – 11, 2006 For the past 22 years the San Diego Museum of Man has continued the tradition of presenting an American Indian art show and juried art competition in Southern California. This year more than 75 Native American artists will offer hundreds of original and unique examples of their art. Included will be Maggie Keams from Phoenix, who last year was awarded a prize in the beadwork category of the juried competition. Ms. Keams is Navajo and specializes in beaded bracelets, belts, hat bands, and other jewelry. Also exhibiting will be Del Mar artist Larry Pacheco, who works in silver and gold jewelry. Frances and Bennard Dallasvuyaoma (Frances is Hopi and Bennard is Pima and Hopi) artists whose jewelry is a dramatic blend of both ancient and contemporary traditions, techniques, and materials, will again show and sell their creations. Headlining this year's entertainment will be Irene Bedard, Inupiat Eskimo and Cree, best known as Disney's voice of Pocahontas. She was featured in the film Smoke Signals and delights audiences of all ages with her music that has been described as "Native Rock." For more information visit the museum’s website.
Music & Dance of BaliJune 10, 2006 – 8:00 p.m. Playing on a variety of gamelan, the musicians of Gamelan Sekar Jaya
will perform the music of Bali, filled with complex rhythms and the
sounds of tuned gongs and drums. They will be led by I Made Arnawa
and joined by special guest artist, Dewa Putu Berata. For more information visit Gamelan Sekar Jaya’s website.
28th Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
For more information and to view a list of performers visit World Arts West’s website.
Mongolian Throat Singing PerformanceJune 11, 2006 – 2:00 p.m. Classically-trained singer Badma Khanda and her band will perform traditional Mongolian throat singing. Seating is limited and prior reservation is required. Admission: $15 For more information visit the Pacific Asia Museum’s website.
Cuba: La Familia Son
For more information visit the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival website.
All American Tattoo FestivalJune 16 – 18, 2006 Forever Tattoo and INK are presenting the Fifth Annual All American Tattoo Festival. The 2006 show will feature top tattoo artists from around the world. There will be tattooing, tattoo contests, vendors, art fusion and entertainment. For more information visit the festival's website or call 530-626-8383.
6th Children of Many Colors PowwowJune 16 – 18, 2006 For three days Moorpark College will be home to the 6th Children Of Many Colors Powwow, a fund raising and awareness-building event hosted by Redbird, a southern California non profit Native American awareness association. The Powwow is a celebration of American Indian culture, song, dance, arts and crafts. Visitors will witness a mixture of traditional and contemporary dances, songs, foods and craft items, and they will have the opportunity to experience the dance arena during songs called Intertribals. The Children Of Many Colors Powwow features popular actor Saginaw Grant of the Sac and Fox Nation as Head Gourd Dancer, Thirza Defoe, Ojibwe and Oneida, who recently appeared at the Autry in Stoneheart, as the Head Woman Dancer; and Sam Bear Paw of the Apache Nation, who will be returning just in time for the gathering from a tour dancing throughout the United States, as the Head Man Dancer. Admission: $2 donation per vehicle For more information visit Redbird’s website.
Japanese Cultural FairJune 17, 2006 For more information call (831) 462-4589 or see the Japanese Cultural Fair’s website.
Wearable Beauty: Pacific Asia Museum Celebrates Clothing & Costumes
Admission: Free with museum admission of $7 For more information visit the Pacific Asia Museum’s website.
Folklor Mexicano Ballet FolkloricoJune 20, 2006 – 7:30 p.m. Folklor Mexicano Ballet Folkloricowill present dances from six regions of Mexico, featuring over fifty adult dancers. Ballet Folklorico “Lol-iixim”, an international touring dance group, will come from Yucatan Mexico to showcase their repertoire. Admission: $20 For more information call (951) 642-1867.
24th Annual Summer Solstice Folk Music, Dance, and Storytelling Festival
For more information visit the California Traditional Music Society’s website.
Sogetsu Ikebana School DemonstrationJune 24, 2006 Madame Yoshu Miyahara, Director of Sogetsu Ikebana School in Los Angeles, leads a special demonstration on how flower and plant materials can be transformed into sublime tributes to nature. Participants can witness the creation of elaborate three-dimensional artistic expressions. For more information visit the museum’s website.
16th Annual California Indian Basketweavers Association GatheringJune 24, 2006 The California Indian Basketweavers Association (CIBA) Gathering brings together California Indian basketweavers from all over the state. This event is open to the public and features basketweaving demonstrations, panel discussions, cultural demonstrations, and CIBA’s fundraiser donation drawing. Admission: Free For more information visit the California Indian Basketweavers Association’s website.
33rd Annual San Diego Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of the ClansJune 24 – 25, 2006 The event features highland dancing, drum major, bagpipe and drumming competitions, sheep dog trials, Scottish county dancing, Scottish food and drink. Featured performers include Wicked Tinkers, Men of Worth, Oceans Apart, Molly’s Revenge, and Beth Gay. For more information visit the event’s website. JulyRed, White & Blues FestivalJuly 4, 2006 This event features performances by Cleveland Jones & the Temptation Review, 4 Tops Review, Marvellette Review, Marvin Gaye Review, Commodore Review, The Caravan of Allstars with Wylie Trass, Pork Pie Phillips, Tia Carroll, Teddy 'Bluesmaster' Watson & Willie G, Wingnut Adams Blues Band, and Stars of Glory. For more information visit the Bay Area Blues Society website.
Matsumoto Baisho
For more information visit the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival website.
AbdelliJuly 6, 2006 - 8:00 p.m. Algerian-born Abdelli performs the traditional music of his homeland. His music features such traditional Algerian instruments as the mandola (fretted stringed instrument), the bender (frame drum), and the darbuka (goblet drum). Admission: Free For more information visit the Grand Performances website.
Kodhai’s Dream and Kala Yatra
Admission: $15 For more information visit the Rangoli Foundation’s website.
Hayward/Russell City Blues FestivalJuly 8 – 9, 2006 One of the Bay Area Blues Society's ongoing projects is the Russell City Program dedicated to "The Town That Lost the Blues". As an historical event, the annual production of the Hayward/Russell City Blues Festival seeks to keep the blues alive and kicking in the community that once served as a vital contributor to the American blues scene & the formation of the West Coast Blues. This little town of African-Americans who migrated here from the deep South was one of the proving grounds for many blues musicians. Russell City, an unincorporated area of Hayward, California, is about 12 minutes from the City of Oakland. This community of modest houses and small farms along the bay is now gone. During its heyday, Russell City was a down home community, known for it's clubs with dirt floors, bootleg electricity and a steady stream of musicians playing a unique style of Delta Blues. This year’s event features Bobby Rush, San Francisco Fillmore Review, Carl Weathersby, Caravan of Allstars with Wylie Trass & Willie G, Wingnut Adams Band, Caravan of Allstars with Teddy 'Bluesmaster' Watson & Pork Pie Phillips, Endurance, E.C. Scott, Kenny Neal, Billy Branch, Cafe R&B featuring Roach, Linda Shell, Tia Carroll, Stars of Glory, Ella Pennewell & JC Smith, Joanna Conner, and Rev. Rabia featuring Robert Lowery & Virgil Thrasher. For more information visit the Bay Area Blues Society.
Torii: The Japanese Portal Connecting the
|
This
exhibit, designed by Naganuma and Associates and curated by the National
Japanese American Historical Society, explores the experience of Nikkei
(persons of Japanese descent who have immigrated or are living abroad)
in San Francisco with images, old newspaper articles, documents and
objects framed by personal stories and historical information. It addresses
the history through these themes: The First Issei; Settlement; Born
From Ashes; the 1920’s; Japantown’s Heyday; War and
Displacement; Homecoming; Urban Renewal; 1970’s Activism, and
1980’s to Today.
Through
June 23, 2006
This exhibit illuminates the world of Hopi
people through historic photographs, textiles, ceramics, and most centrally,
an examination of their basketry plaques. The Hopi primarily live in
northeastern Arizona, in adobe pueblo villages perched on three mesas.
Corn farmers, in an unpredictable and arid area, they depend on the
beneficent intercession of spiritual guardians they call katsinam,
or what is more commonly called kachinas. The katsinam help
the seeds to germinate, the crops to grow, and most importantly, bring
the necessary water, in the form of snow and rain. While Hopi people
are well known for their skill and artistry in creating ceramics, jewelry,
and most especially, kachina dolls,
little attention has been paid to Hopi wicker basketry, and even less
to the use of katsina imagery on this medium. 
June
1 through June 30, 2006
This
exhibit offers a comprehensive overview of the history of Chinese Opera
from ritualistic shamanism to developed theater. From
May 18-20, 2006, at the Chinese Culture Center, composer Gang Situ
and the Chinese Culture Foundation will premiere a new Cantonese Opera
entitled, The Grand Seducers: Giovanni
Meets Xi-men Qing.
Through October 29, 2006
May
28, 2006 – 7:00 p.m.
June 3, 2006 – 7:00 p.m.
This class will be offered as a training program consisting of four
sessions, each session being two hours. Participants in the program
will be interviewed as possible trainees and professional Storytellers
will be auditioned to confirm their work is suitable for the program.
The goal of the program is provide a pool of Storytellers and Re-enactors
for Chinese Historical Society of America events and programs both
at the site and at other venues.
June 10 – 25, 2006
June 17, 2006 – 10:00 a.m.
June
23 – 25, 2006
July
6, 2006 – 12:30 p.m.
July 8, 2006 – 7:00 p.m.
Los
Angeles born, San Francisco based Melody Takata’s
program celebrates Japanese dance as a living, cultural form. Tateo
Takahashi (Tsuguru Shamisen), Francis Wong (flute), Doug Hirai (electric
guitar) and a five member Odori/Kumi (dance/drum) ensemble will share
history and stories by translating the symbolic language of movement
and dance with spoken word and visual deconstruction. Takata’s
ensemble, Gen Taiko is a current grantee in 