USC PACIFIC ASIA MUSEUM
April and May 2014
EXHIBITIONS
THROUGH JULY 20, 2014
The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to America presents a collection of visual narratives about the Chinese and Mexican immigrant experiences. Through the works of five contemporary artists, the exhibition explores the recurring issues of immigration, border relations and labor practices that have persisted throughout U.S. history and remain timely today. Artists featured are Andrea Bowers, Margarita Cabrera, Tony de los Reyes, Zhi Lin and Hung Liu. This exhibition guest curated by Chip Tom and is generously supported by Columbia College Chicago, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
RELATED PROGRAMS
APRIL 6 2 pm Dr. Shelley Fishkin, co-director of Stanford University’s Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project presents “Re-imagining America: Sites of Trauma and Possibility in Cultural Memory”. How have Chinese American and Mexican American artists and writers re-imagined places and chapters of the past that are sites of haunting absence and ghostly presence in the cultural memory of their communities? This talk will examine how contemporary artists and writers have transformed the U.S.-Mexico Border and the landscape of the Transcontinental Railroad—iconic sites of violence, erasure and invisibility—into sites of creativity.
APRIL 11 4 pm Art and Coffee Curatorial staff will introduce and lead discussion of selected items in The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to America in this informal Friday afternoon get-together. Coffee provided by Starbucks.
MAY 10 3 pm Get the inside story when guest curator and artist lead a discussion of The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to America.
THROUGH AUGUST 24, 2014
I AM WRITING YOU TOMORROW
Since March 2013, the museum has presented contemporary perspectives on visual art from different Asian countries: Japan, Korea and Pakistan. The exhibitions in this series have addressed a variety of underlying conceptual issues and cultural questions, some of which may contest viewers’ assumptions about Asian art. I Am Writing You Tomorrow, which concludes this year-long series, introduces Israel-based multimedia artist Penny Hes Yassour. In this installation, Yassour pays homage to Chinese ink painting and calligraphy: polymorphous networks formed by the artist’s spontaneous hand gestures recall the kinesthetic and gestural brush strokes found in traditional Chinese art. Her work, embedded with unreadable words, explores the boundaries between word and image and challenges viewers to consider how meaning is constructed and conveyed in visual art. The vertically-hung installation with continuously shifting shadows also evokes landscape, exploring the complex cultural issues of geography and our perception of topography. This exhibition is generously supported by the Pasadena Art Alliance
RELATED PROGRAMS
MAY 10 2 pm Get the inside story when curatorial staff lead a special tour of I am Writing You Tomorrow
OPENING APRIL 25, 2014
A New Way Forward: Japanese Hanga of the 20th Century
Closely tracking with the significant developments in Japanese political and social spheres of the early 20th century, traditional ukiyo-e fell by the wayside, in favor of reinvigorated forms of printmaking as a means of artistic expression. The exhibition will present examples of shin hanga (modern or new prints) and sosaku hanga (creative prints) side by side in order to bring their differences into focus for visitors and explicate their shared aspects, as well as distinguishing characteristics, from the earlier print forms that originally gained popularity in the West. Major artists of the shin and sosaku hanga movements including Kawase Hasui, Hiroshi Yoshida, Ito Shinsui, Kiyoshi Saito and Munakata Shiko will be included in two complete six-month rotations.
EVENTS
APRIL
APRIL 5 • 10:30 am
SILK ROAD STORYTIME
Join storyteller Sunny Stevenson for stories about Fools and Tricksters, plus make a fun craft and enjoy a snack. Free and open to the public.
MAY
MAY 3 • 10:30 am
SILK ROAD STORYTIME
Join storyteller Sunny Stevenson for stories about Japan, plus make a fun craft and enjoy a snack. Free and open to the public.
MAY 4 Noon – 4 pm FREE FAMILY FESTIVAL celebrating Japan and the art of printmaking with traditional performances, hands-on printmaking, demonstrations, plus open galleries including A New Way Forward: Japanese Hanga of the 20th Century! Free for all ages.
May 10 • 8:45 – 9:45 am CLASS
New six-week series of Chinese Calligraphy begins. $80 per person, $50 for students also enrolled in Brush Painting. Call ext. 19 for more information.
Mary 10 • 10 am – Noon CLASS New six-week series of Chinese Brush Painting begins. $120 per person. Call ext. 19 for more information.
MAY 16 7:30 – 10:30 pm
FUSION FRIDAYS PREMIERE
It’s a new season of our signature summer series! Enjoy a dynamic mix of art, conversation, DJs, drinks and dancing in the courtyard, plus unique performances and L.A.’s best food trucks. Free for members, $15 general public.
ONGOING EVENTS
With the exception of the USC Pacific Asia Museum Tour and Haiku, all events have additional fees. For details ask at our front desk or visit our website.
Yoga Thursdays, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Museum Tour Saturdays, 1 – 1:30 pm
Tai Chi Saturdays, 8 – 9:30 am
Haiku Third Saturday of every month, 2 pm March 15 and April 19
Chinese Calligraphy* Saturdays, 8:45 – 9:45 am March 29 new series begins; May 10 new series begins
Chinese Brush Painting* Saturdays, 10 am – Noon March 29 new series begins; May 10 new series begins
*taught in series, pre-registration required. See the front desk for details