pre-2011 museum resources

[Anonymous]

I unfortunately missed a second class so I had to make it up by attending a lecture or going to a museum. There were some great lectures to choose from, but unfortunately they were all during a time of day I could not attend. Therefore, I chose to go to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The Ancient China section was closed due to construction. I was disappointed because I currently teach 6th grade History, so the parts I could use this year are not available to me, however, I can’t wait until it reopens; I will definitely go. In the meantime, my school keeps changing what I teach, so I might end up with seventh grade history in the near future, who knows? Due to this, I was happy to go to the Japanese Art Pavilion, which was open.

This building is set up in a cylindrical building that has very attractive fiberglass walls, which mimic rice paper and are meant to be great for viewing Japanese Art. The sign said it was because that is how they saw it and painted it, within their buildings. The fiberglass was less exciting in the night time, as I went after 5 (thanks to Target, free after 5 everyday!). However, there was lighting on most of the items so you could see it better. The art is arranged with screens of art and scrolls in small sections of 2 to 5 slowly spiraling up the cylinder and then an art and ceramics gallery at the top.

LACMA actually has a larger collection, which it rotates in the museum. I think that is a shame, because when I was there, I thought it seemed like an awful small collection for such a large museum. Particularly so in the gallery that had the older art and ceramics. Some of the items in the gallery were wonderfully interesting. There were many Buddhist sculptures, and an exciting Samurai armor/sculpture called “Samurai Armor of the Gusoku type”. I think that the students would particularly find this object interesting – especially in person. There were really wretched block print pictures in the gallery as well, which I personally disliked looking at because everything within them was bloody. However, they were like that in order to show the horrors of war.

The art gallery of screens and scrolls was interesting; it had many different Literati paintings, and also had a few different anomalies, pictures that didn’t look like the others. I particularly like “Three Poets”. (I’m trying to attach a picture of it). It was drawn in a way that doesn’t look like the rest of Japanese art, and they said it was like caricatures drawn in a hurry.

As for a lesson, I think that taking the students to this museum would directly relate to standards for students in the 7th grade. The way it is set up, there is enough room to take a couple classes at a time. Students might appreciate the screens and scrolls more if there is a docent led tour, or if the teacher can talk and point out what they want to the students to know about the art. They would enjoy gallery (including the bloody block prints for the boys), and definitely the armor.

It would work for the following standards:
1. Describe the significance of Japan's proximity to China and Korea and the intellectual, linguistic, religious, and philosophical influence of those countries on Japan. Currently many Literati works on display.
3. Describe the values, social customs, and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo, and samurai and the lasting influence of the warrior code in the twentieth century. The art depicts Samurai throughout many centuries.

5. Study the ninth and tenth centuries' golden age of literature, art, and drama and its lasting effects on culture today, including Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji. The exhibit has art mostly from later, however there is some from this time period.

6. Analyze the rise of a military society in the late twelfth century and the role of the samurai in that society. The art depicts Samurai throughout many centuries.

Because it touches on many different standards, I think the best way to use this for students would be to teach them the information first, and then take them to the museum armed with some knowledge, while the teacher relates classwork ideas to items they see on view at the museum. It would be a spectacular review for the students, and give them some more in depth knowledge of what the items are. Additionally, some of the artwork can be obtained by the LACMA website here:
LACMA Japanese Gallery

That can be used in the classroom if you can't make it to the museum.

[Anonymous]

A great new resource is the Chinese American Museum in LA across from Union Station. Although in its infancy, the museum gives a real sense of the Chinese experience in LA, particularly since the rest of Chinatown is several miles away. Chinatown had to move to accommodate the Angelinos requirements for freeways and a train station.

[Anonymous]

A trip to the Chinese Buddhist Temple in Hacienda Heights is worth the effort. Complete with a museum, this temple allows one to experience the tranquility and peace of Buddhism, along its sights, sounds, and smells here in Southern California.

[Anonymous]

For those that live in southern Orange County, the Sherman Gardens and Library in Corona del Mar is a great trip. I especially enjoyed the koi fish.

[Anonymous]

If you get a chance to visit UCLA, a visit to Fowler Musuem would be most enlightening! The exhibit has a few photos of the Dalai Lama and of people in Tibet........but the show had several genre. I enjoyed each piece and appreciated the placards which had his sayings. It is well presented and all the artwork was thoughtful and sincere. Most serene and a nice breath of fresh of air.
Cathy

[Anonymous]

What about museum resources for thos of us that live far away from the big city?

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed the variety of medium represented in this exhibit, from stitch work to giant blow up Buddha lying in the middle of the exhibit hall. What about all the great installation arts? My favorite was the free range graphic on screen by Louis Fox, with rotating images of water lily inside a little window carved on a stone Buddha, water lily inside a beast, water lily inside a warrior, etc., suggesting that “all beings by nature have Buddha (seed of purity represented by water lily) in his continuum”. If you stay long enough to watch the whole video, you will be taken back to the original image of the Buddha, and the water lily will turn to bright light (suggestive of illumination). It was as if going through the process of illumination myself. [Edit by="hlee on Aug 20, 12:11:44 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I visited the Wing Luke Asian American Museum in Seattle this past week. There was a special exhibition called “These Walls can Speak”, tracing the history of Asian Americans around the area dating back to the 1880s, via three historic buildings in the International District (China Town and Nihonmachi –Japan Town). The exhibition features Kong-Yick Buildings, Higo and The Eastern Hotel, all of which are still standing within the International District just outside the museum. This exhibition is a “unique melding of history, personal testimonies and artifacts, linking the past, present and future of an evolving neighborhood filled with rich stories” The exhibition gives you an insight into Asian immigrant life back in the early 1900s , and the interactions between the Japanese-American, Chinese American and Filipino American communities living in the same neighborhood. The pictures and artifacts are accompanied by beautiful poems by Ronald Antonio, which transports you back in time to walk among the ghosts of Asian immigrants who occupied these buildings long time ago. I found this exhibition to be very interactive in that it prompts the viewer’s emotional involvement with the everyday life of Asian immigrants within these buildings. This exhibit is on view until December 11, 2006.

One of the permanent exhibitions in this museum is a replica of a Japanese internment camp at Camp Harmony. The way it’s set up is very similar to the exhibitions at the Japanese American Museum in Los Angeles. One can view the camp and it’s artifacts from inside and out while listening to recorded first hand account interviews. Along the periphery of the camp are newspaper clippings during WWII, which demonstrates the general American public feelings about Japanese Americans during that time.

This museum is definitely worth a visit when you’re out in Seattle.
http://www.wingluke.org[Edit by="hlee on Aug 20, 4:06:46 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

The Seattle Asian Art Museum has about 200 Buddhist Art from China, Korea, Japan, India, Tibet, Thailand and Vietnam in its permanent collection, of which approximately 100 are currently on display under the title Discovering Buddhist Art. From manuscripts, ritual objects, paintings to Buddha statues, the exhibit illustrates the spectacular development of Buddhist arts from India to other parts of Asia. It traces the influence of indigenous artistic styles and materials over 2,200 years. I found the details and sizes of the portable shrines from different Asian countries especially remarkable.

There is also a collection of beautiful bamboo baskets and flower vases from Meiji Japan, bowls and stone wares from 14th-15th century Thailand, plates and teapots from 15th century Vietnam.

There are also two special exhibitions by contemporary Asian artists on view until October of 2006.
The photography exhibit by a Korean-American photographer Johsel Nam Kung displays large scale nature pictures of the North West and the Mountains of Korea. The pictures are reminiscent of Ansel Adams pictures.
The video installation called Tooba (Tree) by an Iranian-born artist Shirin- neshat explores the themes of women and islam. The black and white two screen video shows an image of a woman slowly (very slowly) being transformed into a tree, which is an image originating from Koran.

For more information, visit the museum website at:

http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/visitSAAM.asp[Edit by="hlee on Aug 20, 4:11:29 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Hsi Lai Temple in Hacinda Heights, CA
Our E Asia Institute class with Clay Dube from UCLA visited the Buddhist Temple Aug., 2006. It has a great website, easy to access; Google type: Shi Lai Temple and a couple of sites from these peaceful people are informative, inspirational and attractive.
Currently I teach world History in high school, but hope to bring back world religions as a social science elective. What with LNCB and all the testing, etc. electives are on a back burner. We have 3,000 students and have cut back on computer classes, of all things.
You can imagine how far down the priority list are subjects like religious studies. However, the plualism project link to Hsi Lai demonstrates that many college students and graduates are VERY interested in just that. I was inspired with their web pages, both because of teaching world peace and because I am learning about computers, web pages, etc.
If you live in S. California or visit here, a tour of this magnificent Temple is well worth a few hours.
Cathy, Chapparal High, Temecula

[Anonymous]

Anyone else from San Diego? Clay and I are!! I just popped in Google: Ming San Diego and found something I did not expect to find. I knew there is a Ming Museum in Balboa Park and that I will appreciate it next time I am in area! Late 1990's brought about another Chinese Museum: Chinese Historical Museum at 404 Third Ave, San Diego. ph 619 338-9888.
The articles are interesting: San Diegan Chinese Americans who report back on their trips to China, the changes, the current status, etc. One in particular caught my eye: Christianity in China Today. When I visited in 1976, China did not have any religious services, to speak of. Even though I grew up in San Diego area and graduated from SDSU, I did not know there was an historical ChinaTown there. It was only through a college course on Asia that I learned of the Chinese American experience in the mid 1980's.
I have it my calendar to visit sometime this year.
Cathy, Chaparral High in Temecula

[Anonymous]

San Diego has a great Sunday afternoon for you in Balboa Park. The African drumming and dancing is your first stop on your way to the Japanese Friendship Garden, where you can enjoy the classical (could be mixed styles) music of the Spreckles Organ which is outside and is gigantic, historical. A short walk and you will be in a village of cottages with a United Nations (Educational and Gift Store) cottage. I have been delighted with the dances, songs, costumes (and customs!) of the people who are members; they offer drink, food, friendship and share their cultures as you go from country to country. (My niece was the Queen of the Swedish house for a few years).
What I just realized by going to their web site is that they have a House of China. Look up http://www.sdhpr.org for map and events, as each country takes turns demonstrating in the open court on Sunday afternoons. Stands for San Diego House of Public Relations.
Cathy from Chaparral High, Temecula

[Anonymous]

Our UCLA group visited this great musuem which is actually in the Olivera section of LA. I was inspired by their exhibits to rethink the way I teach world history. The pictures and artifacts of our Southern Callifornian Chinese Americans were moving as well as informational. Definately a worthwhile stop as you explore the heritage of not only our great history, but of the tremendous diversity and gifts provided by our immigrant friends, back then and today.
Cathy from Chaparral High in Temecula

[Anonymous]

The last time I had been to China Town in Los Angeles, my teen age daughter was studying martial arts and we bought an engraved Japanese sword. (personally, I studied tai chi).
In Aug. 06 our UCLA class with Dr. Clay Dube spent an afternoon in Chinatown. If you visit the web site, oldchinatownla.com, you will be supplied with names of movies and television shows that were filmed there.
I was honored to be part of the luncheon where our East Asia Institute class exchanged friendship and educational practices over a delicious meal, graciously provided by the Institute/UCLA. It brought tears to my eyes because 30 years ago I was the guest of the Chinese, enjoying wonderful banquets, conversations and various cultural events while touring several cities during my month there.
I hope to return. (to Chinatown in LA??????) maybe. I hope to return to CHINA!!
Cathy, Chaparral High in Temecula

[Anonymous]

When I attended the UCLA Institute, I visited the Dalai Lama exhibit at the Fowler Museum. At first, I was a bit hesitant to go and view the exhibit. However, I am really glad I made myself go. The exhibit was amazing. One of the exhibits was numerous video ipods on stands of people who had been interviewed on their opinions of the Dalai Lama. I found that to be very interesting. Another exhibit was a video of people laughing in slow motion. That was an unusual one. My favorite parts of the exhibit were the photographs. These were beautiful, full of amazing colors, themes and places. I wished they had some of those pictures on postcards, I would have liked to purchase them. I was a photographer for several years, and am always amazed with pictures.

Michele Jones

[Author]

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