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PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY MARIKO OHNO

SHARING CULTURE. Mary Ohno, who teaches Japanese music, dancing and Kabuki arts at Kabuki Academy in Tacoma, will perform at â??Tanabataâ?? July 7 at Tacoma Art Museum.

Japanese culture celebrated at Tacoma Art Museum

By Matt Nagle

July 7 is a very special day according to Japanese legend. It is said that on the seventh day of the seventh month, the two star lovers Altair and Vega are able to meet in the sky. This being the year 2007, the seventh year, makes the day all the more special.

To celebrate the occasion, Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) has partnered with Tacomaâ??s Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) to present â??Tanabata,â?? which means â??Seven Evenings,â?? a traditional Japanese star festival that features dancing, poetry and the writing of wishes on paper that are then hung on bamboo trees.

For Tacomaâ??s celebration of Tanabata, lots of events are planned at TAM, including theater, printmaking and origami projects, some scheduled and some ongoing from 1-5 p.m. July 7.

Tanabata is being held in conjunction with TAMâ??s current exhibition, â??36 Views of Japanese Woodblock Prints: Selections from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection,â?? on view through Sept. 16.

Kicking off the festivities at 1 p.m. will be one of the most popular and traditional styles of Japanese drama, a Kabuki performance and demonstration with Mary Ohno of Kabuki Academy in Tacoma.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Ohno is fluent in both Japanese and English. She opened Kabuki Academy in 1983 to teach classical Japanese dancing, Naga-uta-style shamisen music and the general concepts of Kabuki arts to interested students at Tacoma Community College, Seattle Central Community College and her own studio.

Visitors to the museum will instantly recognize the highly stylized cultural expression of Kabuki, with the elaborate makeup and costumes worn by the performers. Ohno said she is thinking of doing a solo performance at the museum, and then her students would take the stage. In addition, â??I can teach the audience a song of â??Tanabata-sama,â??â?? she ventured. Â

From 2-4 p.m. will be a Japanese cultural treasure trunk presentation with interpreters from APCC who will elaborate on the wide variety of traditional and contemporary contents of the trunk; the items will show how people in Asian cultures live, work and play. The trunks include maps, historic timelines and facts about Asian countries, along with specific items like religious objects, currency, board games, and old-method cooking pots and tools.

â??Asia Pacific Cultural Center brings a rich history of Japanese culture to the celebration in their treasure trunks,â?? noted Paula McArdle, TAMâ??s director of education and public programs.

At 3 p.m. volunteers from the APCC will hold a traditional storytelling session. Then at 3:30, Sarah Loudon, a former board member of the Japan-America Society, will speak about the history, relevance and techniques of Japanese woodblock printing. There will also be a slide presentation on TAMâ??s current exhibition of this ancient art.

Visitors to Tanabata, especially children, are invited to write their wishes on â??tanzaku,â?? colored oblong cards, and tie them on bamboo branches in the museum lobby. â??Then their wishes will be fulfilled by the stars in the sky, they say,â?? Ohno expounded, â??on the most dreamlike night,â?? July 7.

More artistic opportunities will be offered through Japanese-inspired printmaking with artist Shannon Eakins and origami projects with volunteers from APCC.

All Tanabata events are free with museum admission, which is discounted all weekend in honor of the fifth anniversary of Museum of Glass (MOG). Non-member admission at TAM, MOG and Washington State History Museum will be $5 from July 6-8. TAM is located at 1701 Pacific Ave. For more information, call (253) 272-4258 or visit www.tacomaartmuseum.org.

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