FOUND IN TRANSLATION:
Contemporary Works
Inspired by Asian Traditions

at TORA (The Other Roadside Attraction) Gallery
18791 Cedardale Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98274
November 5th through December 4th, 2005
Gallery Hours: Fri, Sat, Sun 11am-5pm;
and by appointment.
For Event Info, Appointments, etc.
please contact : Tatsuo Tomeoka: 206-660-4189
or tatsuo@mingei-wasabidou.com.

Mixed-media Painting: June Sekiguchi

"Found in Translation" is an exhibition and sale of works by over 30 established and emerging artists from the Pacific NW and Asia. Not your typical Asian art exhibit; "Found in Translation" deals with the theme of traditional influences and inspirations translated into modern works by: American artists who have undergone traditional apprenticeships or have worked professionally in Asia; Asians who left a traditional environment for more freedom abroad; local artists of Asian ancestry; and works by Westerners who, while powerfully drawn to Asian aesthetics, have yet to even visit Asia; as well as variations and combinations of these aesthetic influences.

"Found in Translation" is curated and produced by Tatsuo Tomeoka of WaSabiDou. It is a multi-media exhibit of contemporary calligraphy, ceramics, furniture, kiri-e (paper-cuts,) music, painting, photography, prints, poetry, pyrographs, sculpture, and textiles; with the addition of antique Asian furniture pieces.

The opening event on November 5th will feature an artist's reception
(all-day); a demonstration of Chinese Gong-fu Tea by Floating Leaves Tea (Seattle's premier Chinese Tea House) at 11:30am; and a collaborative performance of calligraphy and music by Chiyo Sanada (Olympia-area calligrapher, originally from Hiroshima, Japan) and Silk Strings (a trio of Seattle-area contemporary koto musicians originally from Japan) at 2:00pm. Three original works of art will be created by
Ms. Sanada, inspired by the music of Silk Strings.

Calligraphy: Chiyo Sanada

On November 20th at 2:00pm, there will be a haiku poetry reading by Michael Dylan Welch, Vice President of the Haiku Society of America, accompanied by master koto player Elizabeth Falconer. Also, Elizabeth, on koto; and her husband John, on shakuhachi; comprise the duo "En," who will perform selections from the newly-released CD.

The show closes on Sunday, December 4th. Gallery visits can also be arranged by appointment, with a very flexible schedule. Art and Student groups are also welcome to make arrangements for a guided tour of the exhibit to discuss some of the traditions & aesthetics represented in the show.
Please contact Tatsuo Tomeoka for further details; 206-660-4189 or tatsuo@mingei-wasabidou.com.

A full list of participating artists can be found below, but a few of of the works featured are: furniture by woodworker Evert Sodergren; paintings and prints by Teiko Shimazaki, Midori Kono Thiel, and Molly Hashimoto; sculpture by Gerard Tsutakawa; ceramics by

Robert Fornell, Lee Love, Patricia Morse, & Hank Murrow; textile works by Joan Colvin and Kikuko Dewa; pyrographs by

Etsuko Ichikawa; and a Pacific NW version of a Tibetan Buddhist Prayer Wheel by potter Chris Moench that will be utilized for Hurricane Relief Donations; and much, much more.
Sculpture: Gerard Tsutakawa

A portion of the ceramics on display will be items for use in Chanoyu (J. The Way of Tea, often referred to as "Tea Ceremony.") The theme of American-made Tea wares has recently been featured in exhibitions in Boston (The Art Complex Meseum's "Shape of Tea") and SanFrancisco (SF Zen Center's "Tea Outside Japan"), and we thought it would be interesting to explore here as well.

Chaire (tea caddy) & Shifuku (cover): Huijuan Yinxue & Donald Kimon Lightner

TORA (The Other Roadside Attraction) Gallery is owned by artist-sculptor Pam Hom, and is a major supporter of local & regional art for the Skagit Valley. A short drive from the major urban areas of the region; it is just 50 minutes from Seattle, and 25 minutes from Bellingham. It is situated among the rich farmland of the Skagit Valley, with a backdrop to the east of the Cascade Mountain Range.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
=From the South (Everett, Seattle, etc.):
-Take I-5 north approx. 48 miles from the Seattle city limits, to Mount Vernon.
-Take Exit#224, OLD HWY 99 S. and turn right off the offramp (Hickox Rd.)
-Take another right (heading back south) on Cedardale Road.
-Go 0.6 miles, and you'll see TORA Gallery on your left.

=From the North (Bellingham, Vancouver BC, etc.):
-Take I-5 south approx 16 miles from the Bellingham city limits to Mount Vernon.
-Take Exit#225, Anderson Road.
-Turn left on Anderson Road, and cross over I-5.
-Turn right on Cedardale Road.
-Go 1.8 miles, and you'll see TORA Gallery on your left.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS :
(from Washington State, unless otherwise specified)
Calligraphy: Meredith McPherson, Point Roberts; Chiyo Sanada, Olympia;
Peter Smith, Bellevue.
Ceramics: Bruce Amstutz, Seattle; Richard Conover, Mukilteo; Robert Fornell, Seattle; Sachiko Furuya, Shoreline; Gary Georger, Seattle; George Gledhill, Payette (ID);
Makiko Ichiura, Sedro-Woolley; Lee Love, Mashiko (Japan); Donald Kimon Lightner,
Tucson (AZ); Tim Lynch, Wenatchee; Tim Malm, Seattle; Avonne McLaughlin, Camano Island; Chris Moench, Bellingham; Patricia Morse, Bellingham;

Hank Murrow, Eugene (OR); Brian O'Neill, Bellingham; Judy Skenazy, Seattle;

Penny Sky, Orcas Island; Joe Symons, Orcas Island; Huijuan Yinxue, Tucson (AZ).

Flowers: Shunji Asari, Anacortes.
Furniture: Evert Sodergren, Seattle; Urban Hardwoods, Seattle.
Kiri-e (Paper Cuts): Aki Sogabe, Bellevue.
Painting & Prints: Richard Conover, Mukilteo; Molly Hashimoto, Seattle; Jean Shannon, Mashiko (Japan); Jan Landin, Bellingham; Mark Meyer, Seattle; Melodie Loughmuller, Mukilteo; Lavone Newell-Reim, Conway-Fir Island; June Sekiguchi, Issaquah;
Teiko Shimazaki, Seattle; Midori Kono Thiel, Seattle; Yoshiko Yamamoto, Olalla.
Photography: Damien LeLoup (photography & antique furniture of China & Tibet,) Bellingham.
Pyrographs: Etsuko Ichikawa, Seattle.
Sculpture: Janice Maher, Seattle; Gerard Tsutakawa, Seattle.
Talisman Stones: Karen Hunt, Bellingham.
Textiles: Joan Colvin, Samish Island; Kikuko Dewa, Seattle; Rachel Meginnes, Seattle.
Music: En (Elizabeth & John Falconer), Seattle; Silk Strings (Sachiko Honda, Chigusa Kitai, Shiho Kurauchi), Seattle.
Poetry: Michael Dylan Welch, Sammamish.
Tea: Floating Leaves Tea, Seattle.
Curator: Tatsuo Tomeoka, WaSabiDou; Seattle/Mount Vernon.

Please join us for this unique aesthetic experience!