Wish Upon A Star

 

This Spring and Summer I was busy working on several projects. In mid-April, I was out of shape due to overwork. While feeling frustrated that my body couldn't keep up with the things I wanted to do, I proceeded with things in front of me, one by one. I took on challenges that I couldn’t do alone. I’m working with others while paying attention to my own pace and their pace. I’ll report on those experiences later.

Every August in Japan, there are memorial events to remember the dead, such as memorial services for the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Obon to honor the spirits of ancestors, etc. Every September in the US, there are memorial observances of the September 11 attacks. Many people died this year due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as natural disasters. With the economic slump caused by the pandemic, and continuing financial and geopolitical instability, peace is a common wish for everyone.

Wish Exhibition and related events created by the Creative Learning Grant-supported Peace and Harmony Project runs through September 21st at Manhattanville Community Center. This exhibition combines the ancient Summer Star Festival, with Peace and Harmony workshops, which focus on disaster recovery and improving health. We are exhibiting origami cranes, medicine balls, and wish strips made by workshop participants. It includes some medicine balls made last year, and collage works made with 2019 Creative Learning Grant that explores Manhattan Project history beginning with atomic bomb development in NYC in 1942.  We have holding many events with participating artists at Manhattanville Community Garden.

This project connects the past and present to create our future. It gives confidence to every individual. It taught us that with everyone's cooperation, we can do things together that we can’t do alone.Thank you very much to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and their Creative Learning Grant, Graham Windham, Children's Art Carnival, and all participants and supporters.

• Wish Exhibition For Our Future

Friday August 5 - Friday August 26 

Monday September 12- Wednesday September 21

4PM- 8PM.

• Opening

Friday August 5, 

3PM - 5:30PM

Exhibition Room

Picture-story Screening:

“A Tale of Mimi and Lou-Lou” 

Sanae Buck & Orin Buck 

"The Story of Small World"

Shiro Ogura

Japan's Peace Constitution

Shigeru Hanaoka

Community Garden:

Shigeru Hanaoka/Saxophone

William Paul Delp/Toy Piano

Pablo Salazar-Moreno/Guitar

Uniqua Simmons/poetry reading

• Presentation

Friday August 12, 

3PM - 5:30PM

Exhibition Room:

"Under This Sky: Manhattan Project"

Yasuyo Tanaka and Regina Corpus

Community Garden:

Ayakoh Furukawa-Leonart/performance

Sanae Buck/performance

Yukari Osaka/Dance

• Closing

Wednesday September 21, 

3PM - 5:30PM

Exhibition Room:

" For Our Future" Peace Day Talk and Discussion

Community Garden:

Children fly wishes with origami airplanes

Hisayasu Takashio&Kiku/performance

"A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945:

Iasao Hashimoto/Video

Atsuko Yuma/performance

Sanae Buck/performance

Uniqua Simmons/performance

Creating Home: Immigrant Perspectives

NoMAA Gallery

4140 Broadway, 176 St. First FL

June 23-August 31

Tuesday 1-5pm

Appointment : email info@nomaanyc.org

I went to see my group exhibition with children and teachers from Graham Windham. We can listen to each immigrant artist’s story through a QR code displayed next to their works in this exhibition, which has home as its theme.By living in the US, after immigrating from the small island nation of Japan, I broadened my horizons and was able to see things from a bird's-eye view. While talking about the episode of the photo used in my work "Under this Sky", I conveyed what is happening in our home, the earth.