Calendar of Events — December 2008
All programs are free for Museum members and free with admission for non-members, unless otherwise noted. Events are subject to change.
Advanced reservations are recommended for most programs as space may be limited. When making a reservation, e-mail rsvp@janm.org or call 213.625.0414 at least 48 hours prior to the event. Include the name, date, and time of the program, as well as your name and the total in your party. Some programs may have separate reservation contacts. Please check program description.
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Partnerships & Collaborations
Our Spirits Don’t Speak English
Bringing the Circle Together: A Native American Film Series -- Screening of 'Our Spirits Don’t Speak English: Indian Boarding School'On June 10, 2008, the government of Canada formally apologized to the world for its treatment of American Indians in the last century. This story examines the harrowing story of young Native American and First Nation’s children who were taken away from their families and sent to boarding schools designed to destroy their culture and tribal unity. Guest speaker Lorene Sisquoc (Cahuilla/Apache) from the Sherman Indian Museum will follow the screening. Bringing the Circle Together: A Native American Film Series Bringing the Circle Together: A Native American Film Series is a FREE monthly film series located in downtown Los Angeles at the National Center for Preservation of Democracy. The film series was established to provide quality documentaries by and about Indigenous people of the Americas, and bring together a central gathering place where discussion and awareness of issues can be shared with the Native community and its supporters. The film series is held at the National Center for Preservation of Democracy located at 111 North Central Avenue, between 1st Street and Central Avenue, in downtown Los Angeles. The NCPD can be reached via train, bus, or parking in the area (pdf for directions). Films will begin at 7pm, and it is advisable to arrive at least 15-20 minutes prior for seating. The film series is hosted by Lorin Morgan-Richards and Tahesha Knapp-Christensen and is sponsored by the following organizations: The Japanese American National Museum The National Center for Preservation of Democracy The Southern California Indian Center, Inc. Haramokngna American Indian Cultural Center Hecho de Mano For more information about the film series please visit www.myspace.com/nafilmseries or by email at nafilmseries@aol.com |
7:00 PM |
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Exhibition Tours
Exhibition Tour: Common Ground
Tour our ongoing exhibition Common Ground: Heart of a Community with our experienced and knowledgeable docents. In conjunction with the exhibition Common Ground: The Heart of Community |
1:00 PM |
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Partnerships & Collaborations
Pink Dress Puppet Show
The Pink Dress is based on an actual episode from the Maruyama family's history in the Amache Concentration Camp. Faced with wearing the required drab uniform, Tsuki decides to wear her sister's pink dress to her junior high school graduation to prove she is not "an ant," but an individual. This poignant puppet theater piece, currently touring to LA County schools under the auspices of the Music Center, addresses complex issues of individuality, nonconformity, and the concentration camps in a way accessible for elementary grade youngsters. The 45-minute show features original music and various forms of puppetry and has been performed for children K-12. Presented by Triumvirate Pi Theatre. $6 for children under 12 and National Museum members and $12 for non-members. Other Family Events at the National Museum |
2:00 PM |
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Special Events
Dreams to Dreams Custom Vinyl Show - Artist Reception
Join us to celebrate the opening of the special engagement of Dreams to Dreams, the first custom vinyl toy show in a museum presented by the Japanese American National Museum in association with Dacosta of Chocolate Soop. Just in time for the holidays, over 40 artists will customize Chocolate Soop’s DCTO (Dream Come True Object), a futuristic vinyl version of a traditional Japanese New Year’s folk toy. Artwork will be on display and on sale at the Museum from December 1, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Pieces from this show will also be available for sale online in December. Meet Dacosta and other artists participating in the show! In conjunction with the exhibition Dreams to Dreams |
1:00 PM |
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Member Events
Members' Appreciation Days
FREE ADMISSION AND 20% OFF AT 21 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ORGANIZATIONS Need a reason to become a National Museum Member? We’ll give you 21! The Japanese American National Museum, in partnership with 20 Southland institutions, hosts special holiday shopping days for members only! On selected days, your National Museum membership card entitles you to free admission (excluding special ticketed events) and 20% off* at each institution’s store. The discount will also be honored on our Museum Store Online on December 6 & 7. See a list of participating organizations and dates >> JOIN OR RENEW NOW! If you are not a current member, you can join or renew your membership online now to take advantage of this special offer for members. You can even join on December 6th or 7th on-site or online to receive your member discount on any purchases made on the same order. Mark the dates on your calendar! |
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Film Screenings
Film Screening
A screening featuring Erica Cho, Jesse Lerner and Bruce Yonemoto.
In conjunction with the exhibition 20 Years Ago Today: Supporting Visual Artists in L.A. |
6:30 PM |
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Family Festivals
Target Free Family Day: Artfully Yours
FREE ALL DAY Enjoy a day of family fun that explores shared traditions within the Asian American community. December's theme is art. Generously sponsored by Target, these special Saturdays are filled with fun activities giving families unique ways to learn, play, and grow together. All day craft activities: Inspired by pieces in the National Museum’s current exhibition 20 Years Ago Today, use a variety of materials to create your own work of assemblage sculpture. Also, make a festive snowflake window decoration to hang for the season! 11:00 PM – Doors open 12:00 PM – Girligami – fresh, fun, and fashionable origami by Cindy Ng 1:00 PM – Cartoon Workshop with Neal Yamamoto 2:00 PM – Girligami – fresh, fun, and fashionable origami by Cindy Ng 3:00 PM – Cartoon Workshop with Neal Yamamoto 4:00 PM – Doors close About our Friends: Girligami by Cindy Ng Origami is fun. But there’s a limit on how many origami cranes anyone can use in a lifetime. Fortunately, Girligami is here, ready to show cool crafters how to fold outside the box! Twenty adorable, all-new designs are perfect for anyone who loves fashion, friends, and folding. Oooh, look! Little shoes! Purses! Clothing! Adorable animals! Valentine hearts! Fortune-tellers! More! More! More! Each project comes with step-by-step directions plus preprinted origami papers to tear out and fold. A separate chapter shows great ways to use the origami crafts, like turning them into earrings and necklaces or adding them to cards and gifts. To find out more about this book visit: www.girligami.com/. Neal Yamamoto To the surprise of many, Neal Yamamoto was able to successfully rip a Bachelor's Degree in Design and Illustration away from the hungry maw that is California State University, Los Angeles. As a freelance (i.e., unemployed) artist, he has spawned a wide variety of scribblin's and scrivenin's that have appeared in over a hundred books, comics, magazines and educational publications nationwide including L.A. Parent, Backstage West, Lakeshore Learning, Asatsu America and many other companies with more okane than sense. Several of his gag cartoons have also mysteriously found their way into publications like American Legion Magazine, Medical Economics, L.A. Funnies, Animal Press, the Discover Nikkei website and others too paranoid to allow themselves to be named. Mr. Yamamoto has also been caught conducting cartooning and comic book illustration workshops at unsuspecting institutions like UCLA Extension, CSULA, Pasadena City College, Glendale Adult Education and Santa Monica City College. Since ‘84, Neal has been composed of several elements not found on the periodic table, masqueraded as a three-foot tall professional basketball hustler and repeated the palindrome “Madam, I’m Adam” to far too many women. As yet, he has not been successfully prosecuted. 2009 Target Free Family Saturday schedule Other Family Events at the National Museum |
11:00 AM |
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Lifelong Learning
Craft Class with Ruthie Kitagawa: Holiday Cards Part II
Create beautiful Christmas and New Year’s cards for everyone on your list.
$8 Museum members; $13 non-members, includes Museum admission and supplies. |
1:00 PM |
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Lifelong Learning
Little Tokyo Walking Tour
Relive history and learn about present-day Little Tokyo with National Museum docents. $8 Members; $13 non-members, includes Museum admission. Comfortable walking shoes and clothes recommended. Weather permitting. |
10:15 AM |
