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Smithsonian Banners – I Want the Wide American Earth (TMAS 6)

Tell Me a Story 6 – Smithsonian Banners – I Want the the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story Years ago, I sat in a room with professors and writers at a small Asian American Smithsonian office in Washington DC. Our job was to work on a series of banners that would describe the Asian American experience. The banners would then possibly travel to exhibitions, schools and maybe more. It was two full days of discussing possible topics and detailed content that would lay the framework of each banner. It was a starting point which often included tons of forgotten history. I remember clearly, one of the professors said although Carlos Buloson has name recognition, “Larry  Itliong was the shit.” I quietly thought, “who?” Historical events and dates were thrown around like no big deal – the exact  things they taught to university students. I couldn’t compete. Yet, the broad strokes and ideas of what might work in an exhibition that can educate a middle American family? That’s close to what I do. The days were moderated by new Asian American department head, Konrad Ng and they were difficult. By end, we came out of the room with a carefully nit-picked draft of a narrative. We still weren’t done. There were holes here and there, and the end product would be in the hands of the Smithsonian. Years have passed and the project is now on the walls at the Japanese American National Museum. Seeing parts of the banners for the first time brings back the voices from the discussions. Some of the items made it and some didn’t. Some people who were current a few years ago are now outdated, with new faces filling in their spaces. Some of these new faces performed at the opening night reception while many future faces watched. The Wide American Earth? It’s moving. A close up of a banner.
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janm · News · smithsonian ·

Smithsonian Banners – I Want the Wide American Earth (TMAS 6)

Tell Me a Story 6 – Smithsonian Banners – I Want the the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story Years ago, I sat in a room with professors and writers at a small Asian American Smithsonian office in Washington DC. Our job was to work on a series of banners that would describe the Asian American experience. The banners would then possibly travel to exhibitions, schools and maybe more. It was two full days of discussing possible topics and detailed content that would lay the framework of each banner. It was a starting point which often included tons of forgotten history. I remember clearly, one of the professors said although Carlos Buloson has name recognition, “Larry  Itliong was the shit.” I quietly thought, “who?” Historical events and dates were thrown around like no big deal – the exact  things they taught to university students. I couldn’t compete. Yet, the broad strokes and ideas of what might work in an exhibition that can educate a middle American family? That’s close to what I do. The days were moderated by new Asian American department head, Konrad Ng and they were difficult. By end, we came out of the room with a carefully nit-picked draft of a narrative. We still weren’t done. There were holes here and there, and the end product would be in the hands of the Smithsonian. Years have passed and the project is now on the walls at the Japanese American National Museum. Seeing parts of the banners for the first time brings back the voices from the discussions. Some of the items made it and some didn’t. Some people who were current a few years ago are now outdated, with new faces filling in their spaces. Some of these new faces performed at the opening night reception while many future faces watched. The Wide American Earth? It’s moving. A close up of a banner.
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angryasianman · barack obama · beth takekawa · cate park · eric nakamura · greg kimura · janm · jessica sanchez · john woo · konrad ng · lisa ling · News · phil yu · shinae yoon · stephen gong · tad nakamura · the white house · white house · wing luke ·

The Greatest “Thing” in America

The once-in-a-lifetime event of visiting America’s premier building, The White House can’t be compared to much of anything. I haven’t been everywhere, but I have been to the Empire States Building, the original WTC and the Statue of Liberty. I’ve also seen Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon and Devil’s Tower. There are many beautiful places, both natural and man-made that are “more” historical and maybe untethered to society while being greatly symbolic. Yet, The White House is arguably the greatest “Thing” in America.

In the late 80′s, the big news of crack cocaine was purchased where? Shockingly, it was across the street from The White House. It was allegedly set up, but the effect, thanks to the bust location made headlines. It’s the place that might have the highest standard to meet. If anything goes wrong near or in The White House, it makes news.
White House 2013

That’s the view from the back door. That’s often-camera-shy Cate taking a pic.

Since 9/11, The White House is perhaps one of the most protected buildings in the world. For the people who hate Americans, it’s at the top of the list of places to topple. It’s toppling efforts are depicted in two current high budgeted apocalyptic pictures, Olympus has Fallen and White House Down, and it’s dramatized on TV’s House of Cards and The West Wing. Of course there’s an underground bunker that’s laden with iris scanners and tunnels. There’s a giant kitchen where chef (Cristeta Pasia Comerford), a Philippine-American who could beat anyone on Top Chef and Iron Chef and couldn’t fathom Kitchen Nightmares. She’s been there since 1995 and is the first “Executive Chef”. There’s a bowling alley, which is bad ass on it’s own and a movie theater that can play anything in any format. Imagine the Secret Service watching White House Down in The White House. It has probably already happened. The windows panes are antique, wavy hand-blown glass. The hallway we enter from post security check points (plural) has a huge boulder sized sculpture of Abraham Lincoln’s head. Even the back door is picture worthy. For some reason, a photo of walking in is important. Imagine that The White House is so bad ass of a “Thing” that’s it’s actually the original home-office. If you work at home, you’ve been doing it “White House Style” and didn’t even know it. It’s also highly probable that the insane myths of The White House may not meet the grandeur of its reality. Yes, it’s that bad-ass of a “Thing.”
White House 2013
The vast wide entrance room

Getting to wander around with friends and peers who are part of the White House’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, room by room will never get old. AngryAsianMan Phil, VC Shinae, JANM Greg Kimura, Wing Luke Beth Takekawa, CAAM Stephen Gong, ACV John Woo, filmmaker Tad Nakamura, and many others, some of who I know and most who I don’t overwhelmed themselves by merely standing and looking around. Our familial pasts are different, yet we’re a common story of being fairly recent immigrants, just a generation or few removed that makes this experience unique and also strange. Getting to visit The White House is a result of circumstances. It’s a combination of our doings, our parents doings and perhaps even their parents doings. It’s also the result of a different administration that’s keeping an eye out for the underdog. Most of “us” are products or are the product of some type of injustice or discrimination, some just by looking different but others by the same government that invited us on this day. My own father was incarcerated at a Japanese American Concentration Camp 70 years ago. Of my visit, he thought it was insane and cool. After all, he’s an American and my visit to this place means something to him. For the few hours of wandering and taking in history, along with President Obama’s remarks just tens of feet away, and then the performances, it’s all about the moment – free of anything, anywhere.
White House 2013
Close photo of The President, done with an iPhone

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art · CYJO · Hye Yeon Nam · janm · News · portraiture now · Roger Shimomura · Satomi Shirai · shizu saldamando · smithsonian · tam tran · Zhang Chun Hong ·

JANM: Portraiture Now May 11-Sept 22, 2013

Smithsonian Exhibition travels to JANM. It’s an amazing feat for the Smithsonian to have an Asian American exhibition like this, but for it to travel? Even better. See it while you can in LA. “Portraiture Now displays the diversity of contemporary Asian American identity through the groundbreaking work of seven visual artists—CYJO, Zhang Chun Hong, Hye Yeon Nam, Shizu Saldamando, Roger Shimomura, Satomi Shirai, and Tam Tran.” (JANM – Portraiture Now)
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