Event Details
Camp Objects of Memory: Stories Behind Barbed Wire
June 5, 2010 2p - 4p, in the NJAHS Peace Gallery
Date: Saturday June 5, 2010
It is with great pleasure that the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) announces its upcoming Camp Objects of Memory: Stories behind Barbed Wire. This event, featuring a poetry reading/booksigning of Ocean Beach by Hiroshi Kashiwagi and panel discussion of former camp inmates, will take place on Saturday, June 5, from 2 – 4 pm at the NJAHS’ Peace Gallery. Stories behind Barbed Wire is being held in conjunction with the NJAHS current exhibit Sa Sa e: Objects of Memory. The Gallery and Gift Shop is located at 1684 Post St. in San Francisco’s Japantown between Laguna and Webster St. For more info contact NJAHS at (Ph) 415.921.5007 or email njahs@njahs.org.
Poetry Reading and Booksigning
Hiroshi Kashiwagi, a former camp inmate, will read his poetry from his latest book, entitled Ocean Beach. He is one our most treasured artists and community members, and winner of the American Book Award for his 2005 Swimming in the American: a Memoir and Selected Writings. Peter Yamamoto, a community poet, one of the selected poets in the San Francisco Poet 11 Contest, will also read his poetry. Booksigning by Hiroshi Kashiwagi follows.
The Panel Discussion
On hand for the panel will be Milo Yoshino, Yoshimi Ikeda, Mollie Fujioka, Robert Tsutakawa and Peggy Yamada, who donated their objects to the Sa Sa e exhibit. The objects were created from found, raw materials of their immediate surroundings, and many are hand crafted everyday items: a dresser made of wood planks from crates, flower sculptures made from pipe cleaners, decorative hair pins created from small shells, hand-painted bird carvings made of pieces of wood. They now hold a deeper and more personal meaning, each with its own lifetime worth of stories. The panelists will share and discuss these stories.
About Sa Sa e: Objects of Memory
This exhibit focuses on Japanese Americans’ experience in the interment camps during World War II through displaying objects made in the camps. These objects were created in an effort to find beauty in struggle and strength during a time of adversity. As such, the objects themselves represent the trauma of displacement and efforts to adapt to times of prejudice and war. Through this exhibit, NJAHS would like to share the memories of former camp inmates. Read more.