Category: JANM Store

janmstore.com site down

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda Leave a comment

We are currently having some issues with access to our Museum Store Online. We appreciate your patience as we work on getting it back up as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you have questions, here is direct contact information that you can try:

MUSEUM STORE

You can visit our onsite store, or call the toll-free Store order line at: 888.769.5559.

Store hours:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: 11AM to 5PM

• Thursday: 12PM to 8PM

• Closed Mondays

 

MEMBERSHIP / DONATIONS

If you have a question about JANM Membership or making a donation, call the Museum’s main line during business hours at 213.625.0414 and they will transfer you to someone in our Membership department.

You can also check our Membership FAQ page for more info >>

 

JULY 4TH REMINDER

Just a reminder that the Museum will be closed on Thursday, July 4th. We will resume regular hours on Friday, July 5. Check janm.org/visit for hours and admission rates >>

If you are in Seattle, many of our staff will be there for the 2013 National Conference, Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. For information about the conference, events schedule, speakers, and more, visit janm.org/conference2013

 

Patriots & Peacemakers opens February 16

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda Leave a comment

Patriots & Peacemakers: Arab Americans in Service to Our Country opens at JANM this Saturday on February 16 and will be on view through April 14, 2013. Fittingly, we will also be commemorating our annual Community Day of Remembrance here that day too.

Created by the Arab American National Museum (AANM), the exhibition tells true stories of heroism and self-sacrifice that affirm the important role Arab Americans have played in our country throughout its history.

Patriots & Peacemakers highlights three specific areas of service: the U.S. Armed Forces, diplomatic service and the Peace Corps. Personal narratives highlight Arab American men and women of different national and religious backgrounds. The exhibition also asks visitors to consider how commitment to service impacts them in their daily lives.

In addition to the exhibition from AANM, there are a few extra components. We are screening 9066 to 9/11: America’s Concentration Camps, Then…and Now?, a documentary produced by our Watase Media Arts Center in 2004. The film focuses on the parallels between the post-September 11 treatment of Arab Americans and Muslims in this country with treatment of Japanese Americans after the start of World War II.

AANM also created a special banner dedicating this presentation in Los Angeles to Senator Daniel K. Inouye who passed away at the end of last year “…In sincere appreciation for his contributions to the exhibition’s development, his support for the Arab American National Museum and the Arab American community, and his decades of exemplary service to our country.”

Elizabeth Barrett Sullivan, Curator of Exhibits at AANM, came at the beginning of the month to work with JANM staff to install the exhibition in our upstairs gallery. One of the special perks of being a staff or volunteer at JANM is getting to go on walkthroughs of our new exhibitions with curators and artists.

You can check out photos from the special Patriots & Peacemakers walkthrough with Elizabeth on our Facebook page. Here are a few photos:

Elizabeth Barrett Sullivan, AANM Curator of Exhibits, giving a walkthrough of "Patriots & Peacemakers" for JANM staff & volunteers.
Arab Americans are descendants of people who lived in the Arab World which consists of 22 countries in North Africa and West Asia.
"Patriots & Peacemakers" features personal stories of Arab Americans through history.
Stories are divided into 3 sections: military service, diplomatic service, and Peace Corps service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View the rest of the Patriots & Peacemakers photos >>

Happy Lunar New Year!

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda Leave a comment
Possessed (2012), Audrey Kawasaki, oil, acrylic, and graphite on wood panel

 

2013 is the Year of the Snake!

When I saw this image, I thought it would make for a cool Lunar New Year blog post, plus be a way to also promote our Supernatural exhibition that opened at JANM yesterday.

Supernatural: The Art of Audrey Kawasaki, Edwin Ushiro, and Timothy Teruo Watters
Through March 17, 2013
Traditions are an integral part of every community. Some of these come from superstitions that our ancestors carried with them.

Supernatural features the work of Audrey Kawasaki, Edwin Ushiro, and Timothy Teruo Watters—artists who have explored some of these otherworldly concepts, illustrating how traditional ideas have evolved and been adapted over time.

Year of the Snake t-shirt by Donna Ikkanda - $22.00

For more details: janm.org/supernatural

Check out photos of the exhibition installation & Opening Party last night on our Facebook page: Supernatural photo album

 

Check out Year of the Snake and Asian zodiac-related items at our Museum Store >>

 

 

2013 Oshogatsu Family Festival

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda 1 Comment

Celebrate the New Year & the Year of the Snake with JANM!

Join us on Sunday, January 6 from 11am – 5pm for a BIG day full of family-friendly fun activities, crafts, and cultural performances…and it’s all FREE!

We will have a lot of everyone’s favorite activities, plus Year of the Snake-themed crafts & more!

Here are a few highlights to look forward to:

– Mochitsuki performance & demonstration by Kodama Taiko

– Common Grains returns with the Onigiri Design Contest. Last year, this was so popular that we ran out of rice! This year, we’ll also have a rice tasting and you can purchase different varieties of rice. [Learn about how Common Grains got started in this article by founder Sonoko Sakai on our Discover Nikkei site: Common Grains]

– World-renowned candy artist Shaun Ichiyanagi also returns to make snake sculpture candy! (Everyone can watch, but the candy snakes are for children only & will be raffled off at the start of every hour)

– Learn how to play taiko with Bombu Taiko

– Reptacular Animals presents a Reptile petting zoo! Come meet real snakes and other cool reptiles!

– Special fukubukuro (lucky bag) sale at the Museum Store

Check janm.org/oshogatsufest for full schedule >>

Here are some photos from last year’s Oshogatsu Family Festival taken by volunteer Richard Watanabe:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While you’re here, take advantage of the free admission all-day to check out Giant Robot Biennale 3 before it closes on January 20!

 

Gift ideas for family & friends who don’t need another tchotchke…

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda Leave a comment
2nd graders from Mt Washington visit JANM. Photo by Gary Ono.

Looking for a meaningful gift for the holidays?

Here are 3 gift ideas that don’t require standing in line at the mall, wrapping, or shipping.

Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll be supporting the work of an important organization whose mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience!

1) Gift Membership

Give the gift of membership!

Give the gift of membership! Your recipient will receive free admission to the Museum, 10% off at our award-winning Museum Store and at janmstore.com, inspire member magazine, and more!

For a complete listing of benefits >>

2) Children’s Courtyard Gift

Since the Pavilion building opened in 1999, the National Museum has honored its youngest supporters with a special Children’s Courtyard engraving. These Courtyard Kids ensure the Museum’s connection with each new generation. Give the gift that shares the Japanese American story and inspires a lifetime of discovery!

Guidelines for Inscription >>

3) Tribute Gifts

A Living Tribute marking a joyous occasion or a Memorial Gift honoring a loved one helps sustain and expand the programs and further the goals of the Museum. Your Honoree or the family of a Memorial Honoree will receive a letter from the National Museum acknowledging your contribution.

Make a donation in honor of a friend or loved one >>

Help us continue our work…make a gift today!

Stan Sakai, JA Santa, & GRB3 artists workshop this Saturday!

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda Leave a comment

This Saturday will be another busy day at JANM! We’ll have 3 great reasons to visit us with your friends & family.

  • 11am – 2pm: Take a Picture with Japanese American Santa
    Japanese American Santa is coming to town! Take home a special holiday photo.
Usagi Yojimbo books available at the Museum Store!
  • 12pm – 2pm: Stan Sakai Book Signing
    Stan Sakai returns to JANM! Signed Usagi Yojimbo books make great holiday gifts. The Museum Store will have copies of his two latest books for sale—Usagi Yojimbo #26: Traitors of the Earth & 47 Ronin (signing books only)
  • 2pm – 4pm: Giant Robot Artists’ Entourage Workshop with Albert Reyes & Saelee Oh
    Come make art with Albert Reyes and Saelee Oh from Giant Robot Biennale 3 in this hands-on workshop. Immerse yourself in a variety of techniques and styles.

Here’s a description of what Saelee Oh has planned:

Open Love Letter to the Universe: We will be creating lots of artwork together! You can make portraits of your spirit animals, make artwork as an amulet for healing and protection for yourself and to give out to others and to illustrate our wishes for our world to be a better place.

Saelee Oh installation in "Giant Robot Biennale 3"

 

All three events are free with Museum admission (if you’re a member, that means it’s all free!). While you’re here, be sure to check out the Giant Robot Biennale 3 exhibition (closes January 20, 2013).

If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping, find meaningful & fun cultural gifts at our award-winning Museum Store. We have many more items—including one-of-a-kind ceramics, jewelry, and art pieces—than what is available online at janmstore.com.

Holiday MAD*ness coming up!

Maria Kwong Leave a comment

Before you get too caught up in Thanksgiving preparation, don’t forget that this weekend is Member Appreciation Days weekend.

If you are a current JANM member (and you must have your card to do this) you can visit 21 cultural institutions in Southern California and receive free admission and 20% discount in some of the most unique stores in town (and a couple in San Diego too, for those of you who are traveling!)

Member Appreciation Days participating institutions list >>

Check the list for details and exceptions (some places are not open all three days!) And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

JANM @ LAX!

Maria Kwong Leave a comment

Yesterday a colleague, on his way to install our Fighting for Democracy exhibition in Wisconsin, sent us this iPhone photo of the newly opened “That’s So LA” section at LAX.

We have been waiting (since July) for Hudson Group to open three LAX stores featuring product from local museums. We were picked, along with LACMA and the Peterson Automotive Museum to be part of a new series of stores at the Los Angeles International Airport that would feature a section called “That’s So LA!” It would represent products from local businesses that would serve as an introduction to the varied culture scene found in our fair city.

To tap the rich museum landscape here was a brilliant idea and we are very fortunate and honored to have been chosen to participate. And of course, being able to display and sell our award-winning DVDs and our mission statement to thousands of new eyeballs is priceless. The original plan was for a store in one terminal, but the idea caught on and is now being included in THREE. The terminals (unconfirmed) are supposed to be Terminal 8, 7, and 4.

Admittedly, the section is small at this point, and could use some display finessing. I’m thinking of booking a flight somewhere and doing a merchandising blitz in the store before I board my flight! (BTW–the stores are after the security check so you can’t just drop in and shop. For that you will have to come to the Museum!)

Courtyard Kaeru at LAX

 

Giant Robot Biennale 3 exhibition site is online!

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda Leave a comment

The opening of Giant Robot Biennale 3 is coming up next weekend!

And we just launched the special exhibition site with information about the upcoming Giant Robot Biennale 3!

Check it out for info about the exhibition, video, artist bios, related public programs, audio tour, and more:

janm.org/grb3

We’ll be adding more artist images and other goodies in the next few weeks.

We also have an interview with GRB3 curator Eric Nakamura on our Discover Nikkei website: Giant Robot Biennale 3: Behind the Scenes with GR’s Eric Nakamura

 

If you’re in the Los Angeles area (or will be next weekend), be sure to join us next Saturday night for the GRB3 Opening Party!

GRB3 Opening Party
Saturday, September 22
6PM – 10PM
FREE!

Celebrate the exhibition opening with curator Eric Nakamura, GRB3 artists, and a performance by Money Mark!

 

 

We also recently just added a few new Giant Robot items to our online store!

Check out the new Giant Robot /JANM logo t-shirt and the Giant Robot Big Boss Figures set on janmstore.com.