LAURA KINA: February 2010

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Spring 2010 Exhibitions and Lectures

EXHIBITIONS:
Laura Kina: A Many-Splendored Thing
April 2nd - May 30, 2010
Opening Night: Friday, April 2, 2010, 6:00-8:00pm
Gene Siskel Film Center Gallery
164 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60601
http://www.faaim.org/visual/

“Laura Kina: A Many-Splendored Thing”, a retrospective featuring over thirty selected paintings, drawings and textiles (1995-present) from her Refrigerator, Hapa Soap Opera, Loving, Aloha Dreams, and Devon Avenue Sampler series as well as some early and new works on exhibit for the first time. Kina’s art collectively embraces “ikigai” or the Japanese belief of “a sense of life worth living” and reflects her “postcolonial pop aesthetic” as a multiracial Okinawan Jewish artist/educator/scholar living in a South Asian Indian neighborhood in Chicago.

2010 Art, Media, & Design Faculty Exhibition
April 8-May 14, 2010
Opening Reception April 8, 5-7pm
DePaul University Art Museum
2350 N. Kenmore
Chicago, IL 60614
773-325-7506
http://museums.depaul.edu/artwebsite/

Selected of the Selected
May 7-26th, 2010
Opening Reception: May 7, 2010 7:00-9:00pm
Korean Cultural Center
5505 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 900036
Tel: 323-936-7141
http://www.kccla.org

The 12 artists for this exhibition were selected by three person jury, made up this year by Alma Ruiz, Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Christine Y. Kim, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA; and David Pagel, Associate Professor of Art Theory and History at the Claremont Graduate University and Art Critic for the Los Angeles Times.

ARTIST TALKS/PANELS:
Biracial Family Network Visiting speaker
March 13, 2010 10am
Fourth Presbyterian Church
126 E. Chestnut
Chicago, IL
For more information contact Robin Tillmon robintillmon@hotmail.com http://www.interracial.meetup.com

Association for Asian American Studies
Laura Kina paper presentation “I Outsourced My Art to India” as part of a panel organized and chaired by Margo Machida - “Transnationalism and Diaspora in Asian American Art.”
Friday, April 9, 2010 10:15-11:45am
Omni Austin Hotel Downtown 700 San Jacinto at 8th Street Austin, Texas 78701
http://www.aaastudies.org/2010/index.php

Oberlin College
Laura Kina visiting artist talk “Half-Yella: Mixed Race Asian American Art."
Thursday, April 29, 2010 4:30pm details TBA
Invited by the Asian American Alliance in conjunction with Asian/Pacific Heritage Month

INVITED JUROR:
Woman Made Gallery
13th International Open
March 5-April 22, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, March 5, 2010 6-9pm

To see a preview of the show, visit this link:
http://womanmade.org/show.html?type=group&gallery=international2010&pic=1

Artists Represented:
Gina Adams, Setsuko Aihara, Linda Alterwitz, Carla Aurich, Marcia Babler, Ilse Bolle, Cat Del Buono, Priti Gulati Cox, Amanda Dandeneau, Yana Dimitrova, Charlotte Freed, Kate Hampel, Ting Ying Han, Sara Holwerda, Alison Horvitz, Hall Jameson, Shelly Jyoti, Salma Khalil, Lory Lockwood, Nichole Maury, Rachel Perrine, Carrie Ballinger Porter, Kate Shannon, Ann Fanciullo Sperling, Susan Sponsler, Susan Tennenbaum, Colette Veasey-Cullors

Juror: Laura Kina
"For the 13th International Open Women Made Gallery received 224 entries from artists working in a wide range of mediums including painting, drawing, photography, fiber, mixed media, and to a lesser extent sculpture, installation, and video. Entries came from across the United States as well as internationally. Thirty-four works by 27 artists were selected.

Thematically many of the works submitted engaged with either issues of the body or landscape. Figuration, and examinations of gendered identity were common subjects. Representational and psychological landscapes, floral and pattern and decoration motifs also abounded. As an invited juror, I chose not to look at where the submissions came from or any biographical details but rather to judge the work based on aesthetic and conceptual considerations as evidenced in both the actual work and the artist statement. Did the work make me stop and look a second time because of its beauty, absurdness, quirkiness, use of materials or innovation? In the context of a women’s gallery, did the work push boundaries that have not been toppled before? Did the work move me in anyway emotionally or prompt me to consider a new topic or even an old topic in a new way?

Judging is always subjective and space is always limited. There’s some good art here, and I hope you enjoy the works selected for the exhibition as much I do. It was an honor to jury this exhibition." -Laura Kina

BENEFIT:
This April, the Asian American Showcase turns fifteen. And to mark this milestone the Foundation of Asian American Independent Media (FAAIM) is not only looking back but especially forward… to pay tribute to performance artist Anida Yoeu Ali and painter Laura Kina (whose artistic careers as well as
missions uncannily mirror each other) for their achievements and contributions to Asian American arts and culture.

For the last decade and a half we as their friends, colleagues and family bore witness to how their work communicated a necessary message of pride, strength and sense of self to challenge who we are that resonated within our community through their unselfish leadership as prominent role models always willing to give.

So now it is only fitting that those who benefited from their many artistic selves acknowledge their numerous achievements thus far with a special evening in tribute as an official thank you.

Please accept our invitation to be part of the FAAIM fundraising benefit on Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 6-9pm at Andrew Bae Gallery located in Chicago’s River North district at 300 West Superior to celebrate all that Anida and Laura have done and continue to do in arts and activism. Tickets for the event are $100 per person and can be purchased through our website, http://www.faaim.org/

Pictures from CAA 2010

College Art Association Conference Chicago 2010
DePaul University and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs hosted a reception honoring the recipients of the 2010 Awards for Distinction.

Judith Brodsky and CAA President Paul Jaskot

My DePaul colleagues from the Department of the History of Art and Architecture.

The one picture I regret not taking is of one of my artistic heroes, Barkley L. Hendricks (in the background at the orange table). I got to meet him and he took a snapshot of me but I was so star struck that I forgot to ask to take his picture.
Check out his paintings: http://www.barkleyhendricks.com/

There was a huge snow storm that rolled in the night before CAA was to start. Most folks from the East Coast, Including Margo Machida, were not able to get into town. Despite the weather, we went ahead with our 2nd annual Diasporic Asian Arts Network business meeting. Pictured here are Alexandra Chang, Dan Taulapapa McMullin, me, Yi-Hsin Tzeng, Ilene Susan Fort.

Margo joined us virtually via cell phone. Mary-Ann Milford-Lutzker and Roger Shimomura talking to the virtual Margo Machida.

Even though our group was small, I think we all came away with some great connections and leads for future projects. For example....Check out:

Yellow Terror:
The Collections and Paintings of Roger Shomomura
On display at the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle through April 18, 2010
http://www.wingluke.org/home.htm

We announced the launch of the DAAN website:
http://www.nyu-apastudies.org/research/DAAN/

and Margo Machida and Alexandra Chang announced the founding of the East Coast Asian American Art Project (ECAAP) in partnership with NYU Fales Library & Special Collections. It will be a "multi-faceted, multi-year research and archival initiative that incorporates exhibition, publication, and programming components, is dedicated to furthering scholarly, critical, curatorial, and educational work on Asian American art, art history, and visual culture."

On Wed night, Walsh Gallery and the Diasporic Asian Arts Network hosted a special preview and artist talk of Michiko Itatani's new solo show "Personal Codes" on view through Feb 9-April 17, 2010
http://www.walshgallery.com/

[CW-3.jpg]

After Michiko Itatani's artist talk we went out to Greek Town for dinner

Michiko Itatani, Curt Hansman, Ralph Walsh, Larry Lee, Alexandra Chang, Dan Taulupapa McMullin, Julie Walsh

Me and Michiko Itatani

Artists Jewel Castro and Dan Taulapapa McMullin at the
CAA Gala Reception at the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago

Dan was a guest speaker in my AAS 201: Asian American Arts & Culture course at DePaul

I forgot to take picture of my own panel presentation for the Critical Race Art History Association "New Diversity Institutions." Our chair, Camara Halloway, and one of our panalist, Robb Hernandez, were snow bound so fellow artist John Jennings (http://eyetrauma.net/) and I held down the fort and Jacqueline Francis, PhD Senior Lecturer California College of the Arts, stepped in as the panel chair. (http://www.cca.edu/academics/faculty/jfrancis). There were so many things we didn't get a chance to cover....hopefully we can get back to this conversation. We became superfriends for the brief moment....

Pacific Arts Association
Views from the Continent: Art and the US Pacific Diaspora chaired by Margo Machida and Jewel Castro.
Pictured here are Anne Keala Kelly, Adrienne Pao, Teri Sowell, Bernida Webb-Binder, Jewel Castro, Dan Taulapapa McMullin

Jewel, Keala, Adrienne, Dan

I dragged my warm weather friends out into the freezing cold to see Michigan Avenue

Last but not least, you can't visit Chicago without stopping at the Superdawg drive-in on the way to the airport! "Hiya!! From the bottom of my pure beef heart." It's not kosher but my favorite is the Whoopskidawg.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

College Art Association Panel Presenation/DAAN events

Association for Critical Race Art History

College Art Association
Association for Critical Race Art History
Group Practices: New Diversity Institutions

Thursday, February 11, 5:30 PM–7:00 PM

Grand CD North, Gold Level, East Tower, Hyatt Regency Chicago

Chair: Camara Dia Holloway, University of Delaware

The Latina/o Studies Working Group

Robb Hernandez, University of Maryland

Critical Mixed Race Studies

Laura Kina, DePaul University

FACTORYwork: Matterz of the Fact; Products from the New Line

John Jennings, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

http://conference.collegeart.org/2010/sessions.php?period=2010-02-11

I also want to pass along the CAA updates for the Diasporic Asian Arts Network (DAAN):

DAAN CAA 2010 events update:
You are cordially invited to
A special CAA Chicago DAAN preview opening and artist tour of
Michiko Itatani’s new solo exhibition
“PERSONAL CODES”
Thursday, February 11 — 7PM-8:30PM
at Walsh Gallery, 118 N. Peoria, Chicago
http://www.walshgallery.com/

Image: “Cosmic Wanderlust,” painting from moon-light/Mooring, CW-1, 2009, 96” x 156,” oil on canvas

Please join us for this special preview and wine reception for the solo exhibition of artist Michiko Itatani. Itatani will speak to us about her work, after which members are invited to look at the exhibition further. Members of the professional network ArtTable (arttable.org) will also be invited to join us at this DAAN reception so that we can network and share thoughts among interested colleagues.

More information about Michiko Itatani http://www.michikoitatani.com/

Michiko Itatani’s work has been seen in more than 100 one-person and group exhibitions locally, nationally, and internationally since 1973. Public and private collections, include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Olympic Museum, Switzerland, Villa Haiss Museum, Germany; Musée du Quebec, Canada, Museu D'art Contemporani (MACBA), Spain, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea. Michiko Itatani is a Professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has received the Illinois Arts Council Artist's Fellowship, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship.

DIRECTIONS:
Walsh Gallery, 118 N. Peoria, Chicago IL 60607
312-829-3312
The area is called West Loop, and very close to Greek Town. (two short blocks west of Halsted-800w and between Washington and Randolph) You can take Madison bus to Peoria and walk two blocks north, or take a short taxi ride with other DAAN members. There are quite a few galleries nearby.

http://chicagogallerynews.com/galleryguide.asp

The exhibition runs February 10 – May 2, 2010
Gallery hours : Tues-Sat, 10:30AM-5:30PM
General Opening Reception 2/12 5:00-8:00pm

ALSO at CAA Chicago!
Don’t forget to RSVP!

The Second Annual DAAN Meeting

Wednesday, February 10 from 3:30pm-5:00pm
Grand B, Gold Level, East Tower, Hyatt Regency Chicago
http://conference.collegeart.org/2010/committeemeetings.php#societymeetings
Kindly RSVP for the meeting to: achang@nyu.edu

The meeting AGENDA will include:
• Launch of the new DAAN Web site
- This will include information on members, affiliated institutions and updates on news and events
• Planning the new DAAN On-line Journal
- The journal will be based at the Asian American Studies Institute at UCONN
• Information on the International Network for Diasporic Asian Art Research (INDAAR)
• East Coast Asian American Art Project
- Project Report
- Publication: solicitation of suggestions for contributors to the book
- Information on the proposed Summer Institute that will take place at A/P/A Institute at NYU
• We are also looking for individuals to serve as Regional Representatives for their areas in the continental United States and Hawai?i, as well as in Canada. The charge to each
regional representative is to regularly gather and to post information about current exhibitions, publications, regional conferences, panels, and other events in her/his area related to Asian American art and art history.
We are pleased to announce that Laura Kina, Director of Asian American Studies and Associate Professor of Art, Media, and Design at DePaul University will be serving as the Midwest Representative for DAAN.

The DAAN Web site is almost ready for its launch!

We would still like to include you in the members section of the site! Please send the information below to achang@nyu.edu with the heading “DAAN member info” to be included:

First Name:
Last Name:
Title:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Website:
Bio/Research Interests (a paragraph):
Please attach 1: Headshot and/or image of your work
Please attach 2: Logo
Institutional Contact Info:
Program Description:

We hope that you can make it to one or all of the events!

ABOUT DAAN:
Diasporic Asian Art Network (DAAN) is a newly created, informal network of
scholars, curators, arts writers, and graduate students interested in Asian American
art and art history. Its inaugural meeting was held during the College Art
Association convention in Los Angeles, California on Friday, February 27, 2009.
Annual meetings will be held at CAA, in recognition of that organizationʼs pivotal
role as a national and international venue for professionals in the arts.

The purpose of this proposed network is to share ideas and information,
both about our own projects and about the work of others in the United
States and abroad, toward advancing new research, critical writing, and
curatorial efforts involving modern and contemporary Asian American/Asian
diasporic art and visual culture.

The “Diasporic Asian Art Network” (DAAN) hopes to encourage a broader
transnational and trans-diasporic as well as domestic orientation. Whereas
ʻAsian Americanʼ does refer specifically to the American, read U.S. experience,
the network situates within the Asian diaspora, bringing the discussion to a ʻglobalʼ
level that includes Asian American art. In our view, the American situation can only
be invigorated and enriched by working with other Asian diasporas.

There has already been preliminary interest expressed by one group, the Asian
Australian Studies Research Network (http://www.asianaustralianstudies.org/
ARC2008/index.html), in hosting a website where members of this network can
potentially post a link. One component of their research is a comparative study of
developments in Asian American and Asian Australian visual art since the 1990s.

While this network and its activities might take many forms, our initial plan is to
create a website, hosted by New York Universityʼs Asian/Pacific/American
Institute, that will act as a public forum for information exchange. The postings
can include links to individual and institutional web pages, announcements of
exhibitions and new publications, listings of conferences and calls for papers, jobs,
grants, and other opportunities of relevance to DAAN members.

This is an especially exciting moment to consider such an initiative, in light of the
proliferation of exhibitions, books, dissertations, and articles on Asian American and
Asian diasporic art and art history in the past decade alone. The recent staging of
a major art historical survey exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco,
and the concurrent publication of the edited volume, Asian American Art: A History,
1850-1970 (Stanford University Press, 2008), are important results of foundational
research now being done on this subject. Likewise the breadth of new critical
writing on Asian American art reflects a host of interdisciplinary approaches that
are reshaping discourse in this field.

Joined the Board of the MAVIN Foundation

I am honored to announce that I have been invited to join the board of the MAVIN Foundation, the nation's leading organization that helps build healthier communities by raising awareness about the experience of mixed heritage people and families.
http://www.mavinfoundation.org/

Friday, February 5, 2010

Pictures from the Embracing Ambiguity opening reception

Embracing Ambiguity: Faces of the Future
January 30-March 5, 2010
Cal State Fullerton Main Gallery
800 North State College Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92834
Opening Reception: January 30th 5-8pm