Arts & Entertainment Calendar
A regional roundup of events of special interest to Asian Americans

Regions: Northern Calif., Southern Calif., East Coast

Arts
Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms A comprehensive international exhibition that explores the artistic traditions of Punjab under Sikh rule mainly from 1799 to 1839. On view through Jan. 9. (Asian Art Museum, For more information, call 415-379-8787.)

Book of Perceptions Poetry by Truong Tran and photographs by Chung Hoang Chuong will be presented by the Kearny Street Workshop through Dec. 22. (Chinese Cultural Center, 750 Kearny St., Third Floor, San Francisco. For more information, call 415-543-0520.)

Eiszeit A video installation by Kota Ezawa and Karla Milosevich is on display through Jan. 12. (Vitra, 557 Pacific Ave., San Francisco. For more information, call 415-296-0711.)

From Chinese Ink to Abstraction The Chinese Cultural Center presents the work of Lampo Leong, Binghui Yan, Yu Zhang, and Chongbin. Show runs Saturday through Jan. 16. (Chinese Cultural Center, 750 Kearny, Holiday Inn, Third Floor, San Francisco. For more information, call 415-986-1822 or www.c-c-c.org. on the web.)

Genji and the 36 Poets A large folding screens and small paintings recall the highly colored emaki illustrations of late Heian (897-1185) and Kamakura (1185-1333) Japan. (Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant St., Berkeley. 510-642-0808.)

Hybrids and Abstractions Exhibition features the work of Filipino American artist Edward Aglipay. (Big Pagoda Gallery, 1903 Fillmore St., San Francisco. 415-563-8728.)

New Drawings by Stephen Namara The show will run through Jan. 22. (Dolby Chadwick Gallery, 266 Sutter St., San Francisco. For more information, call 415-956-3560.)

New Stories from an Old Chapter Works by renowned Filipino artists Elmer Borlongan, Santiago Bose, Brenda Fajardo, Karen Flores, Mark Justiani and Noel Soler Cuizon will be on display. (Pacific Bridge Contemporary Southeast Asian Art, 95 Linden St., No. 6, Oakland. 510-451-8840.)

Rien Car Nation An exhibition of recent mixed media of works by Hanoi artists Vu Dan Tan & Le Hong Thai will be on display through Jan. 29. (Pacific Bridge, 95 Linden St., No. 6, Oakland. For more information, call 510-451-8840.)

Under Western Eyes Inspired by Joseph Conrad's spy novel, this Asian American political thriller, written by Karen Amano, is playing Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. through Dec. 19. Tickets are $10-20, sliding scale. (The Thick House, 1695 18th Street, San Francisco. For more information, call 415-587-4465 or visit www.thickdescription.org on the Web.)

The Unending Path Twenty-three large-scale paintings by Hong Kong artist Harold Wong explore the artist's stylistic transformation from traditional landscapes to abstraction. Ongoing. (Asian Art Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. 415-379-8802.)

300 Years in the Convent and 50 Years in Hollywood The Photolab Gallery will hold an exhibition through Saturday of black and white photography by José Lopez Formento. This is the first of a two part series about the economic/social/ class dichotomy in modern Filipino society. (Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., Berkeley. For more information, call 510-644-1400.)

Dance
Harukana Michi Part II The Mobu Dance Project presents this experimental performance series Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $6 to $10. (Jon Sims Performing Arts Center, 1590 Mission St., San Francisco. For more information, call 415-665-3914.)

Sharing the Spirit This blend of music, dance and entertainment for the whole family will include a West African dance class, Laotian music and dance, a Mexican posada, hip-hop, poetry, storytelling, face painting, prizes, Santa refreshments and more. Dec. 18, free and open to the public. (The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, 339 11th St., Richmond. For more information, call Elizabeth Soberanis at 510-234-4864.)

The Velveteen Rabbit ODC/San Francisco presents this childhood classic through Saturday. (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. 700 Howard at Third Street, San Francisco. For tickets, call 415-978-2787 or visit the Web site www.ticketweb.com.)

Events
Celebration of Craftswomen Several Japanese artists will be featured in this exhibit Saturday and Sunday at Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for children under 12. A two-day pass is $10. (For more information, call 415-383-3470 or visit www.miramarevents.com on the Web.)

Japanese New Year's Bell ringing Following Japanese custom, a temple bell will be struck on Dec. 31. Free with museum admission. (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. For more information, call 415-379-8879.)

Readings
Andrew X. Pham The author will read and discuss his book Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam today at 7:30 p.m. (A Different Light Bookstore, 489 Castro St., San Francisco.)

Storytelling for Children Each Sunday, the Asian Art Museum Storytelling Corps examines selected art objects on display and hosts a retelling of stories relating to artworks. This is an educational outreach program for children and adults. Programs last 45 minutes and begin at 1 p.m. Groups should gather at the stairs in Gruhn court. (Asian Art Museum, Golden Gate Park, entrance at Eighth Avenue and Kennedy Drive across from the Music Concourse, adjacent to the de Young Museum, San Francisco. For more information, call 415-752-2635.)

Story Time and Garden Walk for Children Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens invites children ages 4 to 8 and their parents to listen to a story at 10:30 a.m., followed by a walk in the gardens at 11 a.m. This is a free event, open to the public and held on the first Sunday of the month. (Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, San Francisco. For more information, call 415-661-1316, or visit www.strybing.org. on the Web.)

Theater
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator The Young Performers Theatre will present this sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Show runs Saturday and Sunday and Dec. 18-19 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. There will be a special Monday and Tuesday show on Dec. 20 and 21. Tickets are $5 for those under 13 and $8 for ages 13 and up. (Fort Mason Center, Building C, Third Floor, Room #300. (For reservations, call 415-346-5550.)

Arts
An American Diary: Paintings by Roger Shimomura A traveling exhibition of paintings and prints by sansei (third-generation Japanese American) artist Roger Shimomura. Through Jan. 16. (Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First Street, Los Angeles. 213-625-0414.)

Village Customs Landscape Painting Traditional Chinese painting forms along with a bolder palette inspired by Western oil paintings by artist Du Xuesong are on view. Exhibit runs through Jan. 16. Admission is $5 adults, $3 students and seniors, children under 12 free. (Contemporary Gallery at Pacific Asia Museum. 46 North Los Robles Ave. Pasadena. For more information, call 626-449-2742).

Gods and Goblins: Japanese Folk Painting from Otsu Paintings of foolish monkeys, wrestling gods, playful goblins and humorous caricatures make up the first major West Coast exhibit of folk art from the town of Otsu, Japan. Ongoing. (Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 626-449-2742.)

Ideas and Images This exhibition will present works by Karen Lawler, Sharon Tani, Merline Lembong, Shannon Robings, Robert Koss, Bum Su Kim, Aljandra Munizaga, Steve Ceraso, and Jean-Paul Bourdier. Show opens Friday and runs through Jan. 6. (Korean Cultural Center, 5505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (For more information, call 323-936-7141.)

In Search of Gold Mountain An exhibit about the photographic history of Chinese Americans in San Diego is on view. Ongoing. (San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, 404 Third Ave., San Diego. For more information, call 619-338-9888.)

The Three Graces: Music, Painting and Poetry in the Art of India Fifty-one works include 40 paintings personifying Indian ragas, or poeticized musical modes. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call 213-857-6000.)

Urishi/Lacquer An exhibition of 70 pieces of urishi (Japanese lacquer) by Nagatoshi Onishi. (Exhibit at the Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego. For more information, call 619-239-0003 .)

Arts
A Good Place to Land One's Feet An exhibit documenting Brooklyn's new Chinese American community, based on oral histories and photographs, is on display. Ongoing. (Museum of Chinese in the Americas, 70 Mulberry St., New York City. 212-619-4785.)

China: Fifty Years Inside the People's Republic A new photography exhibit of the past 50 years in mainland China features 160 works by 33 photographers. (The Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., New York. 212-288-6400.)

Family Portraits Images of New York Chinatown's diverse families are featured in this ongoing exhibit. (Museum of the Chinese in the Americas, 70 Mulberry St., Second Floor, New York City. 212-619-4785.)

Fin de Siecle Rituals: Contemporary Taiwanese Art Featured artists include Hung Tung, Huang Chin-ho, Wu Tien-chang, Hou Chun-ming, and Chen Chieh-jen. (Taipei Gallery, McGraw-Hill Building, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York City. 212-373-1854.)

Where is Home? Chinese in the Americas Artifacts and personal testimony documenting the Chinese diaspora as it relates to women, faith, youth and home is on view in this ongoing exhibition. (Museum of the Chinese in the Americas, 70 Mulberry St., New York City. 212-619-4785.)