Spring 'Artists of Asia' Cultural Series Begins January 30

SALISBURY, MD---Salisbury University inaugurates its “Artists of Asia” Spring 2007 Cultural Series with the workshop “The Art of the Kimono” 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 30, in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall.

Shizumi Manale, artistic coordinator and liaison for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., returns to SU to lead the interactive workshop, teaching elements, meanings and aspects of the kimono.

Shizumi’s documentary, An Artist’s Journey Into the World of the Geisha, was screened by National Geographic and will be shown on PBS this year. The documentary also was screened at SU last semester. She produced the film following her dissatisfaction with the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, on which she served as a technical advisor before resigning due to creative differences. She later criticized the film for its inaccuracies in a feature article in The Washington Post.

Events continue that evening with a presentation by internationally known Zen garden designer and Samurai expert Masaaki Ono. He speaks on “The Warrior’s Garden: Miyamoto Musashi and his Expression of Zen, Mind and Sword” 7 p.m. in Holloway Hall Auditorium.

A Tibetan Singing Bowl demonstration by Lainie Wrightson is 7 p.m. Thursday, February 8, in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall. Also known as Himalayan bowls, cup gongs or rin gongs, the bowls are a musical instrument used in Buddhist meditation for centuries. 

The series continues with SU Dining Services’ Chinese New Year dinner 5-7 p.m. Thursday, February 15, in the Commons Bistro.  It features the Wong Chinese Lion Dancers performing rituals believed to drive out evil spirits and herald in a new year.  The cost of the meal is $9.30 for adults, $5.72 for children ages 6-12. Children under 5 dine free. Reservations are not required.

Three “T’ai Chi” demonstrations led by local instructor Kristen Mason are held as part of the series 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 21; Wednesday, February 28; and Wednesday, March 7, in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall. Lectures on acupuncture and Asian medicine are 7 p.m. Monday, March 28 and Wednesday, April 4 in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri University Center.

The series also includes a Vietnam film series 7 p.m. Mondays from February 12-April 30 in Caruthers Hall Auditorium. A photography exhibit sponsored in part by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China is also on display January 30-March 16 at the Center for International Education, 1106 Camden Ave.

Combining the freedom of modern American dance with the grace and splendor of Asian art, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performs 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, in Holloway Hall Auditorium. In April, the series features the Embassy of Quatar Folk Music Troupe.  The culminating performance is Jigu! Thunder Drums of China 8 p.m. Monday, April 30, in Holloway Hall Auditorium. The National Star Award Gold Medal-winning performance includes 28 percussionists in a multi-media performance.

Sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs, all events in the “Artists of Asia” series are free unless otherwise noted. The public is invited. For information call 410-219-2872.