Out of India: Contemporary Paintings from India September 6 - October 13, 2007
The first of its kind for the Baltimore metropolitan area, this groundbreaking show provided a glimpse of contemporary Indian art over the past century. This exhibition was organized by guest curator, Dr. Koli Banik and the generous help of Dr. Mahinder Tak who will give a gallery talk at the opening. Audience comments:
"An amazing collection - each piece gave me something to think about."
"The mixture of visual art, food, music, and the gallery talk made the experience complete."
"Congratulations on a well thought out exhibit."
From Temple to Theater: Ragamala Music and Dance Theater
The Ragamala Music and Dance Theater unfurled a rich tapestry of cross-cultural choreography. Rooted in Southern India's Bharatanatyam, Ragamala fuses contemporary movement with this 2,500 year-old dance tradition, bringing ancient stories to life in a swirl of visual poetry. Audience comments:
"Spectacular - awe inspiring. and authentic. The women were amazing dancers."
"Very innovative and a wonderful mix of traditional Indian dance with other world cultures."
"This was great; I would see them again in a heartbeat."
Art of Vietnam: 21st Century
Asian Arts Gallery, Center for the Arts
October 20 - December 8
21st Century Vietnamese art, never before seen in the Baltimore region, this exhibit of young artists integrated the traditional with modern influences from the Western art world. Guest Curator: Brigitte Le The Art of Vietnam: 21st Century
Audience comments:
"Absolutely beautiful works of art. Very nicely mounted and displayed, and a wide variety of art techniques displayed."
"Wonderful exhibit: curator was very friendly and helpful. Artwork exceeded expectations."
"The artwork was very inspiring. Each picture told a story, but left the interpretation up to the viewer."
The Four Seasons
Stephens Hall Theatre
Saturday October 20, 8 p.m.
The performance of The Four Seasons combined Asian and Western theater forms and utilized both contemporary works and recognized pieces from the standard canon of Vietnamese traditional theater. Performed by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Arts Foundation (APACAF).
Spring 2007
Fired with Passion: Contemporary Ceramics of Japan February 10 – May 11, 2007 Following the devastating aftermath of WWII, Japanese artists searched for a new sense of identity. Over the post-war decades, innovative forms sprang from inspiration not constrained by tradition. This exhibition highlighted over fifty ceramics works created by masters. The sculptural pieces were selected by guest curator Beatrice Chang of the Dai Ichi Art Gallery, New York, who recently co-authored a book on the subject. Audience comments:
"Exceptional! What a fabulous exhibit. I am impressed with the caliber of this wonderful show."
"On par with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts show.”
“Exquisite!! Well presented. Beautiful – something very unexpected at a university."
“I loved the variety of colors and beautiful craftsmanship of the pottery and sculptures.”
“Very interesting to think the pottery dated back to 13,000 B.C.!”
Corollary programs open to the public: Tales from the Land of the Sun Goddess Saturday, February 10, 3:30 p.m. A family program of stories and legends from ancient Japan was presented by Nancy Wang and Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo of Eth-Noh-Tec Storytelling Movement Theater from San Francisco. Nancy and Robert inspired the imagination and brought their stories alive with musical instruments such as Japanese taiko drums and bamboo flutes of Asia. Audience comments:
"Excellent!"
"Entertaining and artistically pleasing!"
"The two person performance from San Francisco wasdelightful!"
Poetry in Motion: Japanese Dance and Music
Saturday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.
Sachiyo Ito and Company, based in New York, performed works in both Japanese classical and contemporary styles. Described by the Village Voice as, ”an expressive and powerful performer is at the same time, touchingly delicate.” Sachiyo Ito combined Japanese formality with the fluidity of modern dance. Audience comments:
“The musicians, dancers, and presentation were all fantastic.”
“Always a delight. Asian Arts is the best show in town always.”
“Great performance. Exceeded my expectations. Moreperformances like this.”
“Top-flight.”
Tea, Flower and Music Saturday, March 31 , 2 p.m.
Audiences enjoyed presentations of Japanese tea ceremony (2 pm), flower arranging (3 pm), and a performance of Japanese music (4 pm). Audience comments:
“I really enjoyed the program. I loved the flower arrangement – IKEBANA. I am going to try to arrange some flowers of my own.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed learning about the three cultural forms of the Japanese people.”
“A lovely program. Actually enticed me to join center within the next month.”
Distant Voices and Sounds of Thunder
Wednesday, May 2, 7 p.m.
A theatrical retelling of the experience of a Japanese American during the WWII Internment and beyond based on the personal diary of Hiroaki Nishimura. A performance of Japanese taiko drumming followed Distant Voices after an intermission/reception. Audience comments:
“Distant voices was very impressive in giving you a view of Nishimura’s life."
"Sounds of Thunder was AMAZING!! Both of these programs should be shown again in thefuture.”
“I had thought it would be more theatrical, but it was very informative. Taiko was very good!”
“Amazing! Very moving + informative. Awesome drums! Gorgeous piano accompaniment.”
Asian Arts & Culture Center
Center for the Arts, Room 2037 (map)
Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.;
Saturday 1 - 4 p.m. (during exhibitions)
8000 York Road | Towson, MD 21252 | 410-704-2000
