Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

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Bring the whole family to the Smithsonian’s kickoff celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Enjoy a fun-filled day sampling music and dance performances by local artists and engaging in challenging but child-friendly hands-on activities. This family day of activities centers on the exhibition, Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter. The Hirshhorn’s ARTLAB+ teens will be on hand to videotape interviews with interested visitors.

If you think you would like to help out at this event, please contact Lydia Alcock at alcockl@si.edu as soon as possible about volunteering. Please also feel free to forward this note to friends, family, and colleagues.

Schedule

11:45 a.m.	Lion Dance (Opening) The Washington Chinese Youth Club (CYC) performs traditional Chinese Lion Dances at a variety of major events. Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume.
12:00 p.m.	Remarks by Konrad Ng Konrad Ng is the Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program, which provides vision, leadership, and support for Asian and Pacific Islander American initiatives for the Smithsonian Institution.
12:15 p.m.	South Asian Dance Performance by Dhroopad Dhroopad is an all volunteer Bengali American cultural organization in the  DC Metro area with an objective to promote rich Bengali cultural heritage and to foster arts and literature as a force that transcends social, cultural and religious barriers and instigate compassion for humanity.
1:00 p.m.	Spoken Word and Poetry Performances The 2013 Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Spoken Word & Poetry Summit Artists are a gathering of spoken word artists, poets, writers, musicians, thespians, activists, organizers, and artists who convene based on the commonality of their Asian American, Asian, and/or Pacific Islander identity.
1:30 p.m.	Storytelling with Mokihana Our storyteller, Mokihana, will share The Island-below-the-Star, by James Rumford, which tells of the adventure of five brothers and teaches Polynesian navigation skills.  Mokihana will teach the children hula motions to enhance the story and will share an original chant based on the book.
2:00 p.m.	Book Reading & Signing with Sushimita Mazumdar Sushmita Mazumdar is a D.C. area book artist, writer, and educator. She started writing stories for children when her children were little and made them into fun books by hand. Since then, she teaches art education programs for children as well as adult groups to encourage storytelling and passing on cultural heritage from one generation to the next.
2:15 p.m.	Filipino American Dance Ensemble by MHC The Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) Filipino American Dance Ensemble is composed of talented youth and adults from various groups who trained for cultural events. The group is under the artistic direction of the Philippine Embassy’s former Cultural Officer & Attache’ Grace Valera.
2:45 p.m.	Lion Dance (Closing) Performed by the Washington Chinese Youth Club (CYC)

Ongoing Activities

Ti Lei Bracelets
Ti leaves (lā`ī in Hawaiian) have had many uses in Hawaiian culture:  rain capes, roof waterproofing, cooking (as tin foil facsimile) and more.  Participants will learn a simple yet authentic lei-making method to make a bracelet that can be worn repeatedly by storing in the freezer.

Lion and Dragon Masks
Decorate your own lion or dragon mask to celebrate the year of the dragon. The Lunar New Year is symbolized by a different animal zodiac each year, determined by a 12-year cycle. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon which is the most revered in the calendar.

Handmade Storybooks with Sushmita Mazumdar
Children and families can create a storybook illustrating their personal story. Sushmita Mazumdar and museum volunteers will provide directions and help.

Charcoal Drawings with Rebecca C. Adams
In contemporary American culture hair type can indicate where you live, it can tell a story about your ancestors, and it can even be a form of creative self-expression.  Based on the artworks of Zhang Chun Hong in the Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter exhibit, visitors will create their own hair scroll “portraits” in charcoal to celebrate their individuality.

Clay Fortune Cookies
Learn how to make fortune cookies out of clay. The history of the fortune cookie dates back to Los Angeles, California. According to “Madam Chu’s Chinese Cooking School” (a book by Grace Zia Chu), George Jung invented the fortune cookie in Los Angeles, circa 1916. He either wanted to cheer up customers during WWI or entertain them while waiting for their food.

ARTLAB+
ARTLAB+ is a digital media studio based at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden that gives teens the opportunity to become integral members of a design team. Production teams are inviting participants to share personal stories that relate to the theme of APA Heritage Month and the Portraiture Now exhibition. The footage is compiled into a montage video by an ARTLAB+ teen video editor.

Photo Booth
Bring home memories by taking free photo booth pictures with your family and friends.

Special menu available at the Courtyard Café.

Related Links:

• 2011 Family Day Recap
• Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter

• Asian Pacific American Heritage Committee
• National Portrait Gallery
• Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program
• Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
  

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We are looking for volunteers to help with our upcoming Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Family Day.

This family day of activities centers on the exhibition, Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter, and includes musical and dance performances, and a range of hands-on activities about portraiture and identity. The Hirshhorn’s Artlab+ teens will be on hand to videotape interviews with interested visitors.

If you think you would like to help out at this event, please contact Lydia Alcock at alcockl@si.edu as soon as possible.  Please also feel free to forward this note to friends, family, and colleagues.

Related Links:

• Pictures from last year’s Family Day
• 2011 Family Day event recap