JANM’S NEXT TARGET FREE FAMILY SATURDAY WELCOMES SPRING WITH ECO-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will continue its popular Target Free Family Saturdays series on March 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission to the museum is free all day, giving families the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities as well as view its ongoing core exhibition Common Ground: The Heart of Community. Highlights of the day will include a strolling magic performance by Johnny Wu, who uses everyday objects for his tricks, and the opportunity for visitors to create fashions and accessories using recycled materials for an afternoon fashion show.

The complete event schedule for March 14 follows.

All-Day Activities:

• Plant a seed in a biodegradable planter, provided by JANM. Special Hello Kitty seed labels will be provided to remind guests of what is growing after taking it home.


• At Ruthie’s Origami Corner, a staple of JANM’s Target Free Family Saturdays, Ruthie Kitagawa will teach visitors how to make a small gift box from recycled gift wrap.


• Attendees can create eco-friendly fashions using recyclable materials provided by JANM. A fashion show featuring the one-of-a-kind creations will take place at 3:30 p.m. (see below).


• Macaroni Kids Downtown LA will have a bracelet- and necklace-making table where guests can create macaroni-based accessories to go with their other eco-friendly fashions.

Scheduled activities:

• 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.: Los Angeles-based nonprofit reDiscover Center will lead workshops about the environmental dangers of plastic waste and the importance of recycling. A craft activity will be included.


• 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.: Instruments and brief lessons will be provided by Drumtime so guests can participate in a drum circle.


• 1 p.m.–2 p.m.: Magician Johnny Wu will surprise and delight with his innovative and interactive magic tricks using everyday objects.


• 3:30 p.m.: Attendees will show off their eco-friendly fashion and accessories creations during a red carpet fashion show.

Free admission does not include the special exhibition Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty. All Hello! admissions are based on timed entry; advance purchase is strongly recommended.

For more details about the March 14 Target Free Family Saturday, visit janm.org/target.

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.