JANM KEEPS HELLO KITTY ON VIEW FOR ADDITIONAL MONTH

Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, the Japanese American National Museum’s hit exhibition celebrating the iconic Sanrio character’s 40th anniversary, has been extended for one month. Hello! will now be on view through May 31, 2015.

Hello! is the first large-scale museum retrospective of the pop icon in the United States. The exhibition combines an extensive product retrospective of rare and unique items from the Sanrio archives alongside a selection of innovative contemporary artworks inspired by Hello Kitty and her world.

New artifacts have recently been incorporated into the exhibition. These include miniature dioramas depicting a Hello Kitty-infused bedroom, kitchen, café, and bakery; meticulous Hello Kitty bento display models; and numerous items created over the years that explore the many ways Hello Kitty can be incorporated into one’s daily life—a broom and lint-roller set, a thermometer, a DVD player, cameras, diaries, a computer keyboard, and more. In early March, additional couture creations first featured on America’s Next Top Model and multiple displays exploring Hello Kitty’s role in fashion and personal expression will also be added.

The Hello Kitty Event Mobile App originally created in conjunction with the four-day Hello Kitty Convention in 2014 has also recently been updated. The free app allows users to plan their personal calendar for attending Hello Kitty public events at JANM, read speaker and artist bios, connect with other Hello Kitty fans via an activity feed of check-ins and photos, and navigate through the different Hello! exhibition areas. The app is available for download at Sanrio.com/HelloKittyEventApp.

Hello Kitty first emerged in America in the 1970s as a decorative motif on children’s products imported from Japan. The products were primarily distributed in areas with significant Asian populations, such as Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, where JANM is located today. Over the years, the character’s popularity gradually increased, capturing the imaginations of a diverse spectrum of children and adults worldwide. Today, Hello Kitty is a frequent celebrity accessory and subject of countless brand collaboration and artistic explorations. As her fame endures, she continues to represent a wildly successful bridge between eastern and western cultures.

Hello! was curated by Christine Yano, PhD, a professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii and author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, and Jamie Rivadeneira, founder and owner of pop culture-inspired boutique JapanLA. Rivadeneira previously curated Hello Kitty’s 35th anniversary exhibition as well as Sanrio’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Tickets for all available dates of Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty are on sale now. Adult admission is $20; admission for ages 6–17 is $10; children 5 and under are free. All admissions are based on timed entry and advance purchase is strongly encouraged. Tickets are available online at janm.org/hellokitty. Hello! admission also includes the museum’s ongoing exhibition Common Ground: The Heart of Community, an overview of Japanese American history from early immigration to the present day.

JANM members receive free admission to Hello! as well as other exhibition-related benefits. To become a member, or upgrade an existing membership, visit janm.org/membership.

Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty is supported by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; and Typecraft.

NOW ON VIEW AT JANM:

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.

Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty
Through May 31, 2015
Organized as part of the global icon’s 40th-anniversary celebrations, Hello! examines the colorful history of Hello Kitty and her influence on popular culture. The exhibition includes an extensive product survey, with rare and unique items from the Sanrio archives, alongside a selection of innovative contemporary artworks inspired by Hello Kitty and her world. Hello! is a specially ticketed exhibition.

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 16 of its exhibitions to locations around the world, 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. General 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. General admission prices and free admission times may not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions. Closed Monday, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information visit janm.org or call 213.625.0414.