Community Calendar Announcements and Events for the Community
	Defending Our Youth (Feature) Asian Pacific, All the Time (in National News) Game Over in Little Saigon? (in Bay Area News) Ultimate Diversions: ‘Warcraft III’: Blizzard Does it Again (in Business) Even a Little Growl From Tiger Would Be Enough (in Sports) Catch the Last Wave (in A&E) Emil Amok: The Failure of Mare Urine (in Opinion)

A regional roundup of events of special interest to Asian Americans

REGIONS:

---

Northern California
Southern California
Rest of the West
East Coast
National


---

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chinese Brush Painting Classes Respected instructor Guang Li Zhang will provide demonstration lessons, workshops and sketching practices, working with traditional gong bi (fineline) and xie-i (expressive idea) techniques. The classes will be held at Pacific Asia Museum, located at 46 N. Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena. The member fee for six lessons is $90 and $99 for non-members. For more info: 626-449-2742 x31.

ARTS

Awakening the Sleeping Monkey John Yoyogi Fortes juxtaposes Filipino and pop imagery, Disney iconography and more in monumental paintings. Using humor as a vehicle, Fortes confronts viewers with unsettling global human interactions, which often culminate in the transformation of societies. The exhibit runs through Aug. 4 at the Triton Museum of Art, located at 1505 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara. Admission and parking are free. For more info: 408-247-3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.

Children’s Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy The San Francisco Arts Commission Chinatown Community Arts Program and the Academy of Chinese Arts present an exhibition of children’s Chinese paintings and calligraphy Friday until Aug. 24 at the Chinatown Community Arts Program Gallery, located at the Holiday Inn, 750 Kearny St., third floor, San Francisco. Admission is free. For more info: 415-957-1146.

China and Beyond China and Beyond: Artistic Influence Into and Out of China comprises more than 80 objects from the collections of members of the Society of Asian Art. The exhibition includes paintings, ceramics, bronzes, jades and sculptures. All works will either be from China that reflect a foreign influence, or objects from Tibet, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and even Europe that were inspired by Chinese motifs. The exhibit will run through Aug. 18 at the Chinese Culture Center, located at 750 Kearney St., third floor, San Francisco. For more info: 415-986-1822 or www.c-c-c.org.

Got Art? The Chinese Culture Center will be showcasing works by emerging Asian artists called got art?. The exhibition, which runs Aug. 3 and 4, will highlight various types of artistic designs from young APA artists, including paintings, photography, graphic design, fashion design, illustrations and others. A reception will be held Friday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the Chinese Culture Center, 750 Kearny St., third floor, San Francisco. For more info: www.c-c-c.org.

Mayumi Oda The Ren Brown Collection Gallery, located at 1781 Highway One, Bodega Bay, is featuring Mayumi Oda’s Open the Gate, Laughing through Sept. 2. The exhibit is the artist’s story of her inner journey towards healing and creative freedom through gardening and Zen Buddhism. For more info: www.renbrown.com or 707-875-2922.

New Visions Pro Arts will present an exhibition entitled New Visions: Introductions ’02 that displays the works of California’s most talented emerging artists. The exhibit runs through Aug. 10 at Pro Arts, located at 461 Ninth St., in downtown Oakland (two blocks from the 12th Street Bart Station). For more info: 510-763-4361.

Radiance of Life The Chinese Culture Center will be presenting an exhibition of 30 paintings by the famous poet, painter and scholar Chu Ko until Aug. 10 at the center’s South Gallery, located at 750 Kearny St., third floor, San Francisco. For more info: 415-986-2825 or www.c-c-c.org.

Rene Yung Artist Rene Yung and Hosfelt Gallery present mountainriver, a new mixed-media installation that explores the idea of the seed as a metaphor for the intricate, irreducible experiences of diasporic peoples. The installation will be on view through Aug. 17 at the Hostfelt Gallery, located at 430 Clementina St., San Francisco. The reception will be held Saturday, Aug. 3, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. For more info: www.hosfeltgallery.com.

Ruth Asawa Ruth Asawa: Completing the Circle will be on view through Sept. 22 at the Oakland Museum of California, located at 10th and Oak streets, Oakland. The retrospective survey spans more than 40 years of Asawa’s work. The exhibition includes some 75 works featuring tied, crocheted, cast metal and cast concrete sculptures, as well as drawings, life masks, models of public art and other works. For more info: 510-238-2200 or www.museumca.org.

Unity for Peace In his first major U.S. exhibit, Korean-born Dominican priest and artist Kim En Joong brings his newest works, Unity for Peace, to Grace Cathedral, located at 1100 California St., San Francisco. The show will run through Aug. 15. For more info: 415-749-6340 or richardd@gracecathedral.org.

Wanxin Zhang Ceramic Sculptor Wanxin Zhang will be exhibiting his work at the Triangle Gallery, 417 Kearny St., San Francisco until Aug. 10. For more info: 415-392-1686.

Yes Yoko Ono This premiere American retrospective draws from Ono’s 40-year career as an artist, poet and composer. Works from the 1960s to the present include conceptual paintings and film, as well as her more recent projects in bronze sculpture and installation. YES YOKO ONO will be on view until Sept. 8 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, located at 151 Third St., San Francisco. For more info: 415-357-4170 or commassistant@sfmoma.org.

DANCE

Butoh Festival Dance Network, in association with Fort Mason’s Cowell Theater, presents The San Francisco Butoh Festival Season 8: The Grand Finale Aug. 8 - 11 at the Mainstage Performances at Fort Mason. In its final year, the festival comes full circle as it celebrates the art of contemporary butoh, and its influence on American and European artists. Tickets:$16 - $24. For more info: 415-345-7575 or www.ticketweb.com.

EVENTS

KidsSings Schola Cantorum presents its annual series of free singing and music workshops for children ages 5 - 9. These sing-along sessions will be led by local choral directors and music teachers Thursday evenings until Aug. 15; 5 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. for kids ages 5 - 6, and 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. for kids ages 7 - 9 at Congregational Community Church, located at 1112 S. Bernardo Ave., Room 1, Sunnyvale. For more info: 650-254-1700 or www.scholacantorum.org.

Poetry Slam The San Jose Museum of Art presents IN FLUX’s fourth annual Battle of the Bay, a slam event that teams poets from San Jose, San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. Poets will showcase their mastery of the spoken word Aug. 2, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. at 110 South Market St., San Jose. IN FLUX events are free to museum members and $7 for non-members. For more info: 408-294-2787 or www.sjmusart.org.

FILM AND VIDEO

Fujisan This exquisitely produced video presents Mt. Fuji in all its beauty and majesty. The program shows scenes of Mt. Fuji with the changing seasons in the montage of beauty and color to the accompaniment of an enchanting musical score. This artistic piece is without narration. Fujisan will run Aug. 14, noon - 1 p.m. at the Japan Information Center, 50 Fremont St., Suite 2200, San Francisco. For more info: 415-356-2464.

MUSIC

Jon Nakamatsu Pianist Jon Nakamatsu joins the Santa Rosa Symphony in A Midsummer Night on the Green, Saturday, Aug. 3, 6 p.m. at the Green Music Festival at Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. Tickets: $5 - $48. For more info: 707-546-8742 or www.greenmusicfestival.org.

Kodo Stanford Lively arts presents Kodo: 2002 One Earth Tour, a powerful performance of taiko drumming in its natural outdoor setting on Sunday, Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. in the university's Frost Amphitheate. Tickets: $35 for lawn seating, $40 for chairs. For more info: 650-725-ARTS or http://livelyarts.stanford.edu.

READING AND LECTURES

East Bay Living History Project Japanese American Citizens League - Berkeley Chapter and local Japanese American residents will share their experiences in a series of panel discussions and personal narratives on Japanese American life in the East Bay. The last lecture of a three-part series will take place Sunday, Aug. 11, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at the Buena Vista Methodist Church, 2311 Buena Vista Ave., Alameda. For more info: 510-272-8286 or www.berkeleyjacl.org.

THEATER

A Wok Across the Golden Gate Youth for Asian Theater is proud to present an unforgettable night of original short plays written, directed and performed by talented San Francisco youth. A Wok Across the Golden Gate introduces six new plays penned by some of the Bay Area’s most up-and-coming talent. There will be a free performance Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre, located at 401 Van Ness (across from City Hall), San Francisco. For more info: 415-831-3888 or www.geocities.com/londoncheesecake/yfat.

Live Yo’ Life! Bindlestiff Studio presents Live Yo’ Life!, a new sketch comedy featuring performers from Overseas Artist and Bindlestiff Players. The show runs Aug. 1 - 3, 8 p.m. at Bindlestiff Studio, located at 185 Sixth St. (at Howard), San Francisco. Tickets: $10. For more info: 415-974-1167.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

ARTS

Beauty of Traditional Korean Wedding Culture The Korea Craft Promotion Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, will exhibit Beauty of Traditional Korean Wedding Culture until Aug. 14 at the Korean Cultural Center Art Gallery, 5505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Admission is free. For more info: 323-936-7141.

MUSIC

Kodo The Orange County Performing Arts Center, in association with Clear Channel Entertainment, presents KODO, the Japanese drum and percussion ensemble, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, Thursday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $13.25 - $78.25. For more info: 714-556-ARTS.

THEATER

Live, Laugh, Love East West Players announces its 37th anniversary season of plays, including three world premieres (one of which is a new adaptation of a Shakespearean classic) and a cult musical favorite. The season’s theme celebrates life with laughter and love. Plays open Sept. 11 and run through Oct. 6 at the David Henry Hwang Theater, located at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles. For more info: 213-625-7111 or www.eastwestplayers.org.

TeAda Works TeAda Productions presents Live Mutant Art, a festival of boundary-breaking performances that include artists Robert Karimi, Pat Payne, Ova Saopeng and Kristina Sheryl Wong, whose multi-genre, evolving, new works will be presented Aug. 22-25, 7:30 p.m. at Angel’s Gate Cultural Center, 3601 South Gaffey St., Building H in San Pedro. For more info: 310-998-8765.

REST OF THE WEST

ARTS

Contemporary Art Talks Renowned artist Do-Ho Suh will give a presentation of her work Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, Seattle. Free with museum admission. For more info: 206-654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org.

Tangible Grace The stately yet subtle lines of Chinese furniture from the Seattle Art Museum’s permanent collection are highlighted in the new installation, Tangible Grace: Chinese Furniture from the Museum Collection, continuing through August at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St., Volunteer Park, Seattle. For more info: 202-654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org.

EAST COAST

ARTS

AsianLens AsianLens is pleased to present August 2002 Photo Exhibit, an exhibition of photographs by 12 emerging and established APA artists to be held at Chelsea’s Chambers Fine Art. The exhibition will be shown Aug. 6 - Sept. 7. Opening reception is Thursday, Aug. 8, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Chambers Fine Art, located at 210 Eleventh Ave. (between 24th and 25th streets), second floor, New York. For more info: 917-861-9386 or www.asianlens.com.

EVENTS

Outdoor Asian Dance, Music and Films The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery present contemporary dance from Dana Tai Soon Burgess and Co., music and dance from the southern Philippines and Malayo-Polynesian dances from Taiwan. Other programs include the Made in Hong Kong film festival, curator talks, ImaginAsia children’s art workshop and a series of storytelling sessions. The museums will stay open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Aug 29. For more info: 202-357-2700 or www.asia.si.edu.

NATIONAL

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Photography Contest The International Library of Photography will award over $60,000 in prizes this year in the International Open Amateur Photography contest. Photographers from the San Francisco area, particularly beginners, are welcome to try and win their share of 1,300 prizes. The deadline for the contest is Sept. 30. The contest is open to everyone, and entry is free. For more info: 410-363-4800 or www.picture.com.