Then They Came for Me: Closing Weekend

Alphawood Gallery has announced powerful programming and extended opening hours for the final weekend of its critically-acclaimed exhibition Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties which continues through November 19, 2017 only. The Alphawood Gallery, located in Chicago at2401 North Halsted Street, will remain open two hours later than its regularly scheduled time -  until 8pm – on both Saturday and Sunday evenings, Nov. 18 & 19, to accommodate anticipated crowds and special evening programming. The exhibition and all related programs continue to be free and open to the public; please visit the Gallery website at www.alphawoodgallery.org for most current information.   

Saturday, Nov. 18:   Final weekend programming begins with an urgently necessary panel discussion, Hate Crimes: From Vincent Chin to the Present, on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 1pm.   It has been 35 years since the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American (mistakenly identified as Japanese) who was killed in Detroit in 1982 at the height of the Japan-bashing era of the 1970s and 80s. This case outraged and galvanized the Asian American community to mobilize, spurring greater political participation and a stronger sense of Asian American identity. Issues of racial animosity and xenophobia continue to resonate among many communities, not only since the events of 9/11, but also today. Featuring Serve2Unite’s Pardeep Kakela, renowned Asian American scholar and LGBTQ activist Helen Zia, who played an instrumental role in organizing around the Vincent Chin case, and a representative from the Black Lives Matter movement, this panel will be moderated by Dr. Ryan Masaaki Yokota (Japanese American Service Committee) and include a discussion of the legacy of Vincent Chin’s murder and how to organize to safeguard our civil and human rights.  The program will begin with a performance by Woke Up Stand Up producer Arish Singh. *ASL interpretation provided.

Tatsu Aoki’s MIYUMI Project Presents: And Then They Came for Us / Un-American Concert follows Saturday, Nov. 18, at 6pm.    This concert celebrates the CD release of the MIYUMI Project’s music composed for the filmAnd Then They Came for Us, which is screened hourly in Alphawood Gallery’s 2nd floor theater. All attendees will receive a free CD (while supplies last). Founded by renowned composer and musician Tatsu Aoki, the MIYUMI Project is a laboratory of sound, where he explores the nexus of cultures: Asian and American, Japanese and African, past and present. Tatsu Aoki is a leading advocate for the Asian American community, as well as a prolific composer and performer of traditional and experimental music forms, a filmmaker and an educator. He has produced more than 30 experimental films and is one of the most in-demand performers of bass, shamisen and taiko, having contributed more than 90 recording projects and touring internationally during the last 25 years.

Sunday, Nov. 19: Ho Etsu Taiko Concert and Closing Reception takes place Sunday, at 6pm. 
Ho Estu Taiko is a collective of musicians with a fresh take on the art of Japanese drumming. They push the envelope through collaborations with other taiko groups, musicians and culturally-focused performance artists, while always staying grounded in the rich tradition of kumi-daiko. Deep Chicago roots support their work with a variety of musical styles, from jazz to Latin and hip-hop.  
 

During the closing weekend, free guided tours of the exhibition will take place Saturday, Nov. 18, at 11:30am and 4pm, and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 1pm and 3pm.  Due to anticipated crowds, advance reservation is required (CLICK HERE to reserve) and tours will depart from the front desk and last approximately one hour.