Suite J-Town: The Art of Resilience

Suite J-Town is a multidisciplinary, intercultural, intergenerational, series of events celebrating the 110–year history of San Francisco’s Japantown through music, dance, visual art, story, sound collage, video, and a site-specific installation. Brenda Wong Aoki, Mark Izu, Nancy Hom and 8 emerging artists ignite the soul of a community in transition, amidst a rapidly changing San Francisco landscape. http://suitejtown.squarespace.com

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PUBLIC EVENTS:

Japantown Mandala and Multimedia Arts Installation
April 9 – May 16, 2015
Opening Reception: Thursday April 9, 5-8pm
Gallery & Community Hours: Saturday & Sunday 1-6pm
Film Series: April 11, 12, 18 & 19 6:30-9pm
FREE
RSVP: http://suitejtown-japantown-mandala-opening.eventbrite.com
What is the soul of a place? The Japantown Mandala is an arts and media installation that visually represents the resilience and beauty of a deeply rooted San Francisco community facing transformation. Critically acclaimed artist Nancy Hom will create an impermanent interchangeable work of art shaped in concentric circles, in collaboration with community members, that will transform a collection of personal experiences into an integrated whole. The Japantown Mandala, like a single drop of rain will create concentric circles of effervescence that will emanate beyond the artwork itself reaching throughout the community and beyond.

The multimedia arts installation includes visual art, sound, video, and performance, featuring emerging Bay Area artists Marissa Bergmann, Charlene Kelley, Junho Kim, Eryn Kimura, Yuki Maruyama, Elena Nielsen, Celi Tamayo-Lee, Ayana Yonesaka. These artists explore intercultural intersections across space and time, generations, cultures. Kevin King is creating a pagoda sculpture that mirrors the landmark SF Japantown Peace Pagoda, a gift of the City of Osaka in 1968. Audience members are invited to contribute their responses and have them displayed on the pagoda.

Cultures of Resilience
April 25, 2015
4–6 pm
FREE
RSVP: http://suitejtown-cultures-of-resilience.eventbrite.com (Space is limited)
What are cultures of place? How do we create synergy to revitalize our communities during these times of transformation? Former Poet Laureates of San Francisco devorah major and Janice Mirikitani with writer/storyteller Brenda Wong Aoki share insight into the Afro-Asian cultural dynamic of J-town through storytelling and community dialogue. Kai Kane Aoki Izu and Javonte perform hip hop and rap and share reflections on growing up in the Western Addition neighborhood with arts activist Eryn Kimura.

A Walk Through Time
May 10, 2015
1–4pm
FREE
RSVP: http://suitejtown-a-walk-through-time.eventbrite.com
Location: Upon registration, we will send you the starting location for this journey.
Join us for an interactive adventure through space and time as we explore J-Town history through music, dance and storytelling performances. This site-specific performance in San Francisco Japantown features: Brenda Wong Aoki, Storyteller/Performer; Marina Fukushima, Performer/Dancer; Masaru Koga, Performer/Flute; Moy Eng, Vocalist; Mark Izu, Composer/Bass & sho; Shoko Hikage, Koto; Kenny Endo, Taiko and Ayana Yonesaka, Dancer.