JANM’S NEXT TARGET FREE FAMILY SATURDAY TO CELEBRATE GROUNDBREAKING TATTOO EXHIBITION

The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will continue its popular Target Free Family Saturdays series on July 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is free all day, giving families the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities as well as view current exhibitions. July’s Target Free Family Saturday will be a celebration of the groundbreaking photographic exhibition, Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World, that examines Japanese tattoo practice as a serious art form, placing it in a rich artistic lineage that includes ukiyo-e and other traditional Japanese printing techniques.

Young visitors to JANM on July 12 will be able to make their own prints using etched plastic, as well as design and apply temporary tattoos. There will be a coloring contest; henna tattooing; and a demonstration of Shinkendo, the Japanese art of swordsmanship, bringing to life the Samurai warrior imagery that plays a significant role in Japanese tattoos. There will also be a professional screen printing demonstration.

The complete event schedule for July 12 follows.

All-Day Activities:

• At the Kids’ Print shop, children can etch designs into plastic foam and make prints from them.


• At the Kids’ Tattoo Parlor, children can use special paper to create temporary press-on tattoos.


• At Ruthie’s Origami Corner, a staple of JANM’s Target Free Family Saturdays, Ruthie will teach visitors how to make an origami fish.


• At the Kid’s Coloring Lounge, children can see Ukiyo-e Heroes, ukiyo-e-style prints inspired by Japanese comics and video games, created by artists Jed Henry and David Bull. Kids can create their own ukiyo-e heroes with coloring pages and enter their work in a contest to win a $10 JANM Store gift certificate.

Scheduled activities:

• 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.: Mark Langill, Los Angeles Dodgers Team Historian and Publications Editor, and Koji Steven Sakai, JANM Programs Manager, will lead family-friendly gallery tours of Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game. The two curators will share stories of how the exhibition was put together and elaborate on the roles played by individuals spotlighted in the show, including Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo, and Tommy Lasorda.


• 12 p.m.–2 p.m.: Grow Your Own Media, a community print shop located in Atwater Village, will present a live screen printing demonstration, printing special JANM-designed posters for visitors to take home (while supplies last).


• 12-2 p.m.: Children can receive henna tattoos, which typically last 1-4 weeks.


• 2 p.m.: The documentary film Ed Hardy: Tattoo the World will be screened in JANM’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum. The film tells the story of Don Ed Hardy, a fine artist whose obsession with tattoos launched an empire. A discussion with producer-director Emiko Omori will follow the screening. (Please note this film is not rated and may not be appropriate for all ages.)


• 2 p.m.–4 p.m.: Children can receive realistic-looking temporary airbrushed tattoos, which typically last 2-7 days.


• 3 p.m.: Samurai warrior imagery, prominent in Japanese tattoos, will come to life in a demonstration of Shinkendo, the Japanese art of swordsmanship. This live display will be presented by Honbu Dojo, the world headquarters of Shinkendo instruction.

For more details about the July 12 Target Free Family Saturday, visit janm.org/target.

NOW ON VIEW AT JANM:

Colors of Confinement: Rare Kodachrome Photographs of Japanese American Incarceration in World War II
Through August 31, 2014
Colors of Confinement presents 18 rare Kodachrome photographs taken in 1943 and 1944 by Bill Manbo during his incarceration at the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. These vivid and surprising color photos show Japanese Americans engaged in activities like baseball, ice skating, and celebrating Bon Odori with a stark prison landscape visible behind them.

Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game
Through September 14, 2014
From their original roots in Brooklyn to today’s home in Los Angeles, the Dodgers are trailblazers in the world of sports, on and off the field. Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game explores the team’s storied past through four players and a Hall of Fame manager, each of whom made history in his own right: Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo, and Tommy Lasorda.

Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World
Through September 14, 2014
This exhibition of photographs by Kip Fulbeck explores the master craftsmanship and ongoing influence of traditional Japanese tattooing. With a unique display designed by Fulbeck to reference the craft’s roots in ukiyo-e and other Japanese art forms, the exhibition showcases both the splendor and the intricacy of modern tattooing. Curated by master tattoo artist and author Takahiro Kitamura, the exhibition presents the work of seven internationally-acclaimed Japanese-style tattoo artists: Horishiki (Chris Brand), Horitaka, Horitomo, Junii, Miyazo, Shige, and Yokohama Horiken.

Common Ground: The Heart of Community
Ongoing
Incorporating hundreds of objects, documents, and photographs collected by JANM, this exhibition chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers through the World War II incarceration to the present.

About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite and traveled 6 of its exhibitions to over 30 locations, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America.

JANM is located at 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. Admission is $9 adults, $5 students and seniors, free for members and children under age five. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from noon to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information visit janm.org or call 213.625.0414.