BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//PYVOBJECT//NONSGML Version 1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:events.uid.1340@www.discovernikkei.org DTSTART:20060616T000000Z DTEND:20060827T000000Z DESCRIPTION:JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM’S ‘BIG DRUM’ EXHIBITION \nSET FOR OREGON NIKKEI LEGACY CENTER JUNE 16 TO AUGUST 27\n\nLOS ANGELES .—A traveling version of the Japanese American National Museum’s landm ark exhibition\, <em><a href="http://www.janm.org/exhibits/bigdrum">Big Dr um: Taiko in the United States</a></em>\, will be installed at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center (ONLC) in Portland\, Oregon\, beginning Friday\, June 16\, and running through August 27.\n\n<em>Big Drum</em> premiered in Los Angeles last year at the National Museum\, coinciding with the 2005 North American Taiko Conference in July. Through the use of media presentations \, artifacts\, photographs and artwork\, the exhibition told the remarkabl e story of how the transplanted Japanese cultural art of ensemble taiko (J apanese for “big drum” or “fat drum”) took root in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s in Japanese American communities and grew in popularity t o the point that over 200 groups now exist in 24 states as well as Canada. \n\nUnlike other Japanese cultural arts\, taiko developed simultaneously i n America and Japan in the post-World War II era and groups from both coun tries have shared influences for 30 years. The early Japanese American gro ups could not afford the costly drums from Japan\, however\, and created t heir own tradition of building their own out of wine barrels and available materials.\n\nPortland Taiko was among the 80 groups who collaborated wit h the National Museum in the creation of the original exhibition\, which w as made possible in part through a grant from the National Endowment for t he Arts. The traveling version will feature artifacts and photographs from Northwest taiko groups as well as extensive video presentations\, outlini ng how many Japanese American communities created their own taiko groups a s an expression of their identity and a reconnection to their heritage.\n\ n“Big Drum: Taiko in the United States tells a compelling story about an aspect of American history and culture\,” observed June Schumann\, Exec utive Director of the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. “We wanted this exhib it to provide context for the Regional Taiko Gathering taking place in Por tland\, Oregon during the weekend of June 16-18 when over 100 taiko perfor mers from the Northwest U.S. and British Columbia will be in town for taik o workshops and concerts. The Portland Nikkei community and ONLC has a str ong working relationship with the Japanese American National Museum that s tarted in 1992 with the development of an exhibition\, In This Great Land of Freedom: Issei Pioneers of Oregon. The arrangements for the traveling v ersion of Big Drum to come to Portland is another example of how a major n ational museum works with local organizations across the country.”\n\nTh e opening of the exhibition at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center will coinci de with the beginning of the Regional Taiko Gathering\, hosted by Portland Taiko. The Portland presentation of Big Drum is made possible\, in part\, by the support of George and Nobuko Azumano\, Dr. Toshio Inahara\, the Na ito Corporation\, and Kelly and Melissa Saito. The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Ce nter\, located at 121 NW Second Avenue in Portland\, is a Japanese America n museum and center that preserves and shares the history and culture of J apanese Americans in Oregon. Exhibition hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 12 noon to 3 p.m. The show is free to members of the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center and the National Museum.\n\n"The Japanese Ame rican National Museum is honored to have its landmark exhibition\, <em>Big Drum: Taiko in the United States</em>\, installed at the Oregon Nikkei Le gacy Center in Portland\,” explained Akemi Kikumura-Yano\, Vice Presiden t of Programs for the National Museum. “The playing of taiko is an integ ral part of Japanese American culture and history in the post-war and it i s important that there is a greater understanding that this popular art fo rm grew directly out of our own Nikkei communities in the United States. T he Pacific Northwest was a part of that development. The National Museum i s delighted to collaborate with fine regional institutions like the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center to share these fascinating stories.”\n\nFor more i nformation on the exhibition\, contact the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center at (503) 224-1458 or visit <a href="http://www.oregonnikkei.org">www.oregonni kkei.org</a>\, or the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414 or visit <a href="http://www.janm.org">www.janm.org</a>.\n\n--30--\n DTSTAMP:20241107T035612Z SUMMARY:'Big Drum: Taiko in the United States' to open at Oregon Nikkei Leg acy Center June 16 URL:/en/events/2006/06/16/big-drum-taiko-in-the-united-states-to-open-at-or e/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR