Enjoy your lunch as you listen to the energetic and compelling rhythms performed by our guest taiko drummers. Every other Wednesday throughout the summer a different master drummer will share the power and meaning of taiko, exploring the diversity of the art form as practiced by master artists from across the Southland.

Spinning ragas and electronica with equal grace, Algerian-born dj Cheb i Sabbah is a pilgrim of the spirit, creating peaceful meditations that give new meaning to "trance music." His latest project, La Kahena, took him back to the Maghreb where he drank from an endless well of gorgeous melodies and rolling drumbeats. For this concert, Chebiji will be joined by some of LA's finest Maghrebi musicians and dancers.

Come early for a 6:30 DJ set of music from around the world by some of the city's best. Food from Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe and a no-host bar will also be available.

This series is presented in association with the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy and is sponsored, in part, by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

From August 6 through November 27, 2005, the National Museum will showcase 25 never before displayed ceramic art pieces by Toshiko Takaezu. This exhibition is Takaezu's first solo Californian showing.

The third of three conversations focusing on significant Japanese American artists who work with clay features Jun Kaneko. Jun Kaneko began his career as a painter, becoming a sculptor when he arrived in the US from Japan in the 1960's. He was educated at the Chouinard Art Institute and the California Institute of Art in Los Angeles, the University of California at Berkeley, and Claremont Graduate School. Kaneko has participated in over 200 exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world. His work can be seen in the public collections of the Shigaraki Ceramic Museum in Japan; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Detroit Institute of Art; and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, among others. In March 2006, Opera Omaha will premiere a new production of Madama Butterfly with sets and costumes designed by Kaneko.

By Invitation Only
For Contributing Level members and above, plus Arts Patrons members.

Join Artist Toshiko Takaezu and Senior Curator Karin Higa for an exclusive opening night reception and guided tour.

RSVP required by August 1 to 213.625.0414, ext. 2222.

For information about this event or the Arts Patrons membership, contact Member and Donor Services at 213.625.0414.

Master artist Toshiko Takaezu holds a monumental place in the post-World War II craft movement in America. Demonstrating the power of asymmetry, clean designs, and a natural color palette, she helped transform ceramics into a major medium of artistic expression. Discover the processes behind her work, as Takaezu speaks about her six decades of art making.

Photograph by Andrea Baldeck.

Fat Man/Little Boy is an art piece that explores the events of the atomic bomb and the experiences of artist Clement Hanami's mother, who is a hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor. The installation chronicles the fundamentals of the atomic bomb and its impact on a life's meaning and purpose.

"Hanami's sprawling series of faux lab experiments asks you to consider, from multiple vantage points, the ways in which the Fat Man and Little Boy atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima nearly 60 years ago have irrevocably altered our perceptions of space, time and the human body." -- Los Angeles Times

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will forever remain an object of deep reflection. To mark the 60th anniversary of those fateful days, the National Museum's Art Director, Clement Hanami, installs his stirring work, Fat Man/Little Boy in the Aratani Central Hall. The day will end with spoken word performances and messages of peace.

The 65th Nisei Week Japanese Festival, including the Grand Parade, Street Fair and Street Ondo in Little Tokyo, is set for August 13-21, 2005. For more information, please call 213.687.7193 or visit www.niseiweek.org.

The National Museum celebrates the long-awaited return of our favorite kaeru at the Ribbits & Rhythms: Kaeru's House of Hop. All Courtyard Kids and their family and friends are invited to a day of whimsical workshops, dynamic storytelling, and lively music and dance.

This year's festival's concert begins with a ceremony welcoming new Courtyard Kids at 4:00 p.m., followed by a concert showcasing youth performing arts ensembles. The event is free to the general public.

Enjoy your lunch as you listen to the energetic and compelling rhythms performed by our guest taiko drummers. Every other Wednesday throughout the summer a different master drummer will share the power and meaning of taiko, exploring the diversity of the art form as practiced by master artists from across the Southland.

Relive history and learn about present-day Little Tokyo with National Museum volunteers on this historic walking tour. Fees are $8 for National Museum members and $13 for non-members, includes Museum admission. Reservations, and comfortable walking shoes and clothes are recommended. Weather permitting.

In this four-session workshop, children, ages 6-12, learn the basics principles of taiko. No previous experience needed; however, space is limited and advance reservations are required.

Class dates are: August 21, 28 and September 10, 17. Fees are $50 for National Museum members and $65 for non-members. Instructor: Yuta Kato.

Lead by master drummer Maceo Hernandez, East LA Taiko marries Afro-Cuban and Caribbean rhythms with driving taiko beats. This concert, which showcases their latest work, will begin with a screening of "Maceo: Demon Drummer of East LA", an award-winning film produced and directed by the National Museum's John Esaki, Director of the Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center.

Come early for a 6:30 DJ set of music from around the world by some of the city's best. Food from Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe and a no-host bar will also be available.

This series is presented in association with the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy and is sponsored, in part, by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

In partnership with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, the National Museum is proud to host this conversation with award winning journalist, author, and activist, Helen Zia. A tireless advocate for the rights of Asian Americans, women, gays, and lesbians, Zia shares the lessons of her work and vision for the future.

Named after Filipino American postal worker and hate crime victim, Joseph Ileto, this annual speakers series features diverse voices of those working to end the pernicious effects of prejudice and bias.

Design and create greeting cards that truly reach out to the recipient. Colorful summer themes are the subject for this multi-dimensional craft.

Class fees are $8 for National Museum members and $13 for non-members, includes supplies and Museum admission. Reservations are recommended.

Enjoy your lunch as you listen to the energetic and compelling rhythms performed by our guest taiko drummers. Every other Wednesday throughout the summer a different master drummer will share the power and meaning of taiko, exploring the diversity of the art form as practiced by master artists from across the Southland.