The Encyclopedia Britannica describes Frank Bidart as an “American poet whose introspective verse, notably dramatic monologues by troubled characters, deal with personal guilt, family life, and madness. His unconventional punctuation and typography give his colloquial and economical style an added emphasis.” (more…)
Director of the prestigious Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, Lan Samantha Ching is becoming one of the most influential Asian American writers. The five stories in Chang’s Hunger (1998) mainly look at Chinese in America; the final story is set in pre-Communist Shanghai. Inheritance (2004) is the story of a wealthy but declining family in Republican China, beginning in 1925 and extending through the period of the Japanese invasion and the post-war flight to Taiwan and then the US. (more…)
Recognized as one of the foremost scholars of Chinese civilization from the 16th century to the present, Yale University professor Jonathan Spence has written extensively on the role of history in shaping modern China. Spence’s most recent book Return to Dragon Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man, chronicles the life of Zhang Dai, a Chinese historian whose life became intertwined with the Ming Dynasty. Join Spence for a conversation on the connections between life and art in the Ming Dynasty. (more…)
A sneak-peek of the exhibition. Offered prior to the public opening, open to all levels (elementary to college level) to encourage inter-disciplinary field trips and class sessions. (more…)
The first Chinese festival in Indianapolis will celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival with Chinese food, traditional music and dancing, a fashion show, and more. (more…)
ArtSparkle, the Indianapolis Art Center’s main fundraiser, will conclude the IAC’s excellent “Two Worlds, One Language through Art” exhibitions, and will be an excellent way to learn more about the city’s continuing engagement with Chinese culture in the autumn. (more…)
You don’t have to break the bank by going to the IMA’s summer film series - this film fest is free. View the projects that students from the first annual Campecine Youth Academy have been working on for the past six weeks. Documentaries and animations made in Indianapolis by Latino youth bear alternative names - varriomentaries and issuemations - to reflect the language blending their makers experience.
Themes include current social issues, from race relations in Indianapolis to local and national immigration policy reforms to teen pregnancy, ICE Raids, and education.
From the press release:
The Campecine Youth Academy is a six-week program [of the Latino Youth Collective and FIRME Productions] that trains youth in “on-the-job” action research using new media technology. The program employed 27 youth for 20 hours a week and engaged students in a process called Youth Participatory Action Research, a process that engages young people in
(1) identifying a community issue of concern to them, and
(2) investigating its causes and potential solutions through the use of advanced media technology and inquiry methods. Youth then use the results for education and community action.
Sounds like one way to do a lot of good in the community, and the public gets to bear witness to it all. Added bonus: the event is bilingual! So practice your rusty Spanish - o alternativamente, ensaye un poquito el inglés.
At the IMA, in DeBoest Hall
Saturday from 1-4 pm
Free and open to the public.
http://campecine.com/
This documentary, about the multitudes of Chinese children adopted by Americans since the early 1990s, is sure to find an appreciative audience at the always socially conscious Earth House.
Summary: “Since the early ’90s, Americans have adopted nearly 70,000 Chinese children. With thousands of them now at an age to appreciate returning to the homeland, heritage tours have brought adoptees and their families to China, presenting an unequaled opportunity for bonding and sharing identity issues. “Found in China” follows six Midwestern families as they observe contemporary trends and ancient Asian traditions in both urban and rural contexts. The 80-minute documentary focuses on the 9- to 13-year-old girls and how they attempt to fit together the puzzle pieces of their pasts.”
When: 5 pm (it’s 82 minutes long)
Where: Earth House at Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, 237 North East Street
Part of IndyFringe and the Indianapolis International Film Festival.
Indianapolis artist Becky Fehsenfeld explains origins and evolution of the Indianapolis Art Center’s “Two Worlds, One Language of Art” show and the influence of China on her own work. (more…)
One of the most celebrated films in the Chinese language, “Farewell my Concubine” looks at the turmoils of the mid-20th century through lives of two performers in the Peking Opera and the woman they love. (more…)
NUVO gives Provocate 2007 Cultural Vision Award
Provocate featured in Indianapolis Monthly
"Award combines film, activism: Festival to recognize social justice of Sept. 11, Congo in discussions,"
Indiana Lawyer April 16, 2008 ... on Provocate's Eric Parker Social Justice Award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival
