"The Visual Traditions of Japan" class at Carnegie Museum of Art, Wednesdays in April.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will host "Art History Class: The Visual Traditions of Japan" on Wednesdays and Saturdays in April.

The history of Japanese art is marked by the constant interplay between indigenous and imported art forms. This engaging class examines these two sides of Japanese art from the prehistoric period to the 20th century. Our discussions examine how Japanese artists took foreign artistic elements, adapted them, and mixed them with indigenous elements to create uniquely Japanese visual traditions. After surveying the art and architecture of Japan up to the Edo period, we’ll focus on Edo-period and modern Japanese prints, of which CMOA has stellar collections.

The Wednesday class begins tomorrow, April 6, and runs through April 27. A Saturday class begin April 2. Each class runs from 10:15 am to 12:15 pm and costs $50 for students, $64 for museum members, and $80 for the general public.

"Hands-On Workshop Series—Calligraphy with Xiaoxu", May 3 in Oakland.

Advance notice for a free "Hands-On Workshop Series—Calligraphy with Xiaoxu" event at the Carnegie Library in Oakland on May 3.

Join us for HOW, a series of hands-on workshops for adults and teens. Learn from skilled craftspeople. Dig in and try things out in a creative, supportive environment. Join us for one or all of these free programs. Materials provided.

Chinese calligraphy is a traditional art form of writing characters using a brush and ink, which has developed over many centuries. You will learn step-by-step how to apply ink with the special brush, write Chinese characters, and take a piece of art home with you.

No registration is necessary for these sessions. Seating for all workshops is available to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You'll want to come early to be sure you MAKE it on time!

The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by over a dozen different buses that service Oakland.

2016 Korean Food Bazaar (제21회 선교바자회), May 7 in Shadyside.

Look for the 2016 Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh Korean Food Bazaar (제21회 선교바자회) on May 7, from 10:30 to 4:00 pm. The annual Korean food festival is in its 21st year, and is held at 821 S. Aiken Ave. in Shadyside (map).

"Gwangju has more Korean food than Pittsburgh".

Street scene in Chungjangro (충장로), Gwangju's busiest commercial district.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a profile yesterday on infielder Jung-ho Kang (강정호) and his transition to life in Pittsburgh, ahead of his second season in the Major Leagues.

Japanese-English Reading Circle continues in Shadyside, April 2 and 16.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania's Japanese-English Reading Circle groups will continue in at Kenmawr Apartments in Shadyside on April 2 and 16.

Bruster's Ice Cream now open in Cheonan, South Korea.

From the 부르스터스코리아 Instagram page.

Almost two years after first reading about Bruster's plans for expansion into South Korea, Bruster's Ice Cream (부르스터스코리아) opened its first location in Cheonan, South Korea on March 31. Cheonan is a city of 623,557 located south of Seoul.

"Formation of a Layered Discourse: Cui Hu’s Mural Poem and its Resonance in the Story of 'Renmian taohua'" at Pitt, April 8.

The Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host East Asian Studies M.A. candidate Rongqian Ma and her colloquium "Formation of a Layered Discourse: Cui Hu’s Mural Poem and its Resonance in the Story of 'Renmian taohua'" on April 8.

"Gamelan Fusion: New and Traditional Music of West Java" concert at Pitt, April 9.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music will host "Gamelan Fusion: New and Traditional Music of West Java" on Saturday, April 9.

Pitt’s University Gamelan will present “Gamelan Fusion: New and Traditional Music of West Java” on April 9th at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. Gamelan comprises mainly percussion instruments including tuned gongs, metal-keyed instruments, and drums (as well as bamboo flute and voice). This instrumentation has a unique capacity to saturate the air with resonances that reach from rumbling lows to shimmering highs. The concert will feature student performers and two artists-in-residence: composer Ismet Ruchimat and vocalist Masyuning.

. . .

Each year the University Gamelan’s annual spring concert is the culmination of its Artist-in-Residence Program that offers Pitt students a rare opportunity to study music, dance, and theater with some of Indonesia’s finest artists.

The concert starts at 8:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium (map). Tickets are currently available online and are free for Pitt students with a valid student ID card. Non-Pitt students and general admission are $5 and $8.50 in advance, respectively, or $8 and $12 at the door.

1966 yakuza film Tokyo Drifter (東京流れ者) at Row House Cinema from April 29.

The Row House Cinema will show the 1966 yazkuza film Tokyo Drifter (東京流れ者) from April 29 to May 5 as part of its Spirit of '66 series. A 2012 A.V. Club review offers a summary:

Blank-faced Tetsuya Watari stars as the titular wanderer, a gifted yakuza enforcer trying to stay true to his own idea of honor. The film traffics in a lot of familiar crime movie archetypes: the pretty girl kept on the sidelines; the father-son relationship between Watari and Ryuji Kita, his trying-to-go-straight boss; and all the complicated lines of loyalty and betrayal that come into play when a rival gang tries to muscle in on Kita’s turf. The story is engaging enough, and Watari makes for an appropriately implacable (but still soulful) lead, but what sets the film apart from countless others telling a similar tale are the lengths [director] Suzuki goes to in order to make each scene a feast for the eyes. Violent reds, purples, greens, and blues paint the screen, and the editing forgoes traditional cinematic logic in favor of impressionistic cuts and a jagged, jazzy rhythm. Through it all, Suzuki walks a knife-edge of ironic sincerity, poking at yakuza clichés in an attempt to reveal some larger, wordless truth.

Showtimes and tickets will be available online later. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street (map).

Pitt's Asian Studies Center introduces Tea Talks for students interested in Asia.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center announced today the start of a Tea Talks series for students interested in Asia, with the first meeting scheduled for Friday, April 1 (the poster advertises an old date).

Tea Talks at the Asian Studies Center are a chance to meet fellow students with an interest in Asia, learn about events and opportunities, and get involved with Asian Studies in a casual social setting.

The first meeting will focus on “MAKING SUMMER COUNT” – how to turn a lazy summer into time well spent. Whether it’s a job or internship, volunteering, or just personal skill-building, Asian Studies students will share their own stories and ideas on
how to use this time off to get ahead!

The get-together will be held in 4217 Posvar Hall (map) from 4:00 pm.