SCHEDULE FOR FREE 'HAPPY 10TH: CELEBRATING THE PAVILION!' EVENT SET FOR JUNE 20

The Japanese American National Museum announced its schedule for its free "Happy 10th: Celebrating the Pavilion!" event on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., featuring taiko and tanabata workshops, storytelling, arts and crafts, exhibition tours and concluding with a free outdoor concert. This free event was organized to mark the 10 years of activities by the National Museum since it opened its Pavilion in 1999.

"We are delighted to invite our members, donors and the general public to share in this free event that helps the Japanese American National Museum celebrate the last 10 years since we opened our Pavilion in Little Tokyo," explained National Museum President and CEO Akemi Kikumura Yano. "Having already recognized our major donors at our annual gala dinner in April, we wanted to organize a second event at the Pavilion where everyone who desired could attend. The Museum knows that the Pavilion only exists because so many people contributed to build it. This is our way to say, 'Thank you!' "

Among the events that are available throughout the day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

Family Fun Arts ‘n Crafts, including origami, plaster sculpting, scavenger hunt and the Kaeru naming contest;

Members’ raffle (each member gets one free ticket, with the drawing taking place during the concerts);

A new history display featuring highlights of activities since the Pavilion was opened in 1999; Food vendors Aloha Café and Chado Tea Room.

The scheduled activities are:

10 a.m. Members’ Coffee & Architectural Tour (Boeing Lobby and Democracy Forum)
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free immigration record search (limit two per family) (Hirasaki National Research Center)
12 noon Children’s Storytime with Rodney Kageyama (2nd floor, in front of barracks)
1 and 2 p.m. New Family tours of Common Ground: The Heart of Community
2-3:30 p.m. Tanabata Workshop, in collaboration with the Nanka Miyagi Kenjinkai (make hand-made decorations inspired by the colorful celebrations in Sendai, Japan) (Nerio Education Center)
1:30 p.m. Taiko for Families Workshop (Weingart Gallery)
2:30 p.m. Upper Level Members Collections Tour & Tea (By invitation) (Yuki Board Room)
3:30-5:30 p.m. Free outdoor concert featuring Paul Dateh, Taiko Project and the Demon Drummer from East L.A. with CAVA (National Museum Plaza)

Besides Common Ground, the exhibition Crossing: 10 Views of America’s Concentration Camps will be on display (the exhibition closes June 21). To help mark the occasion, the National Museum is publishing a new limited edition 10th Anniversary Pavilion book, which will be available at the National Museum store.

This program is sponsored, in part, by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and The Rafu Shimpo. For more information, call the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414, or go to www.janm.org.