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Events at the Wang Center

Spring 2024

The Stories Within John W. Winkler’s Chinatown Etchings poster

Lecture

Capturing History: The Stories Within John W. Winkler’s Chinatown Etchings

By Dr. A. Rex Rivolo

Thursday, March 20, 2024 at 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Theatre

Free Admission

RSVP here

Dr. A. Rex Rivolo will discuss John W. Winkler's etchings, immersing you in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown from 1916 to 1923. In this compelling discussion, Dr. Rivolo discusses his personal journey from physicist to avid art collector of works on paper that span centuries and transcend geographical boundaries, as well as the artist's biographical arc from triumph to tragedy and back. Dr. Rivolo will also discuss printmaking in general, from the intricate realms of engraving, etching, and drypoint to the vibrant techniques of lithography, serigraphy, and woodcut. He will share the rich knowledge of printmaking that has held his fascination for decades.

 

 

5 Centimeters per Second Film poster

Film

5 Centimeters per Second

Friday, March 22, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Theatre

(2007 | 63 minutes | Animation | Directed by Makoto Shinkai)

Admission: $5 (General/Students/Seniors)

Buy tickets here

Told in three parts, the relationship of close friends Tōno Takaki and Shinohara Akari is tested when Akari moves to another city. They stay in contact but struggle to convey their true feelings for one another.

 

 

Guided Gallery Tour - John W. Winkler: The Chinatown Etchings poster

Guided Gallery Tour

John W. Winkler: The Chinatown Etchings

By A. Rex Rivolo

Wednesdays, March 27, April 3, April 17, & May 8, 2024 at 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Skylight Gallery

RSVP here

Journey through a captivating world of etchings in this guided gallery tour of our featured exhibition, John W. Winkler: The Chinatown Etchings. This exclusive event will be hosted by the exhibition curator, A. Rex Rivolo. Throughout the tour, Dr. Rivolo will offer invaluable insights into the print techniques, themes, and cultural context present in John W. Winkler's Chinatown etchings. You will be free to ask questions, engage in meaningful discussions, and gain a unique perspective on contemporary etching and printing.

 

 

Lonely Castle in hte Mirror Film poster

Film

Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Friday, April 5, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Theatre

(2002 | 116 minutes | Animation | Directed by Keiichi Hara)

Admission: $5 (General/Students/Seniors)

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During the summer of his high-school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy, almost as if portending a bleak future. He lives his days in isolation, but he eventually finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then, one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky...

 

 

Celebrating 10 Years of Multilingual and Intercultural Excellence poster

Special Event

Celebrating 10 Years of Multilingual and Intercultural Excellence

Wednesday, April 11, 2024 at 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
East Hall

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Join us for a momentous occasion as we proudly celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Center for Multilingual and Intercultural Communication (MIC) at SBU, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Patricia Duff, Professor and Distinguished University Scholar, University of British Columbia, and Qin Han, Adjunct Professor in the Art Department at SBU. This significant milestone marks a decade dedicated to fostering linguistic diversity and promoting intercultural understanding.

Prepare to be inspired by a celebration that transcends language barriers and embraces the richness of diverse cultures. Engage in a jubilant atmosphere that not only honors MIC’s achievements over the past ten years but also shares its many experiences and stories.

MIC serves as a testament to the strength found in unity amid diversity, and this event acknowledges the vibrant tapestry woven by our community. Join us in looking back on a decade of multilingual and intercultural excellence and looking forward to further advancing the bonds between people and persons through language.

Center for Multilingual and Intercultural Communication logo          Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 

 

cherry blossom festival poster

Festival

Sakura Matsuri: Cherry Blossom Festival

Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Rain or Shine)
Charles B. Wang Center

Admission:
$30 (General)
$20 (Students/Seniors)
$10 (Children ages 6–12)
Free for children aged 5 and under

Buy tickets here

Admission includes all film viewings, workshops, and theater presentations.

Welcome spring to Long Island with the blooming of sakura (cherry blossoms), the sounds of taiko drums, and a wondrous array of Japanese cultural exhibits at the Wang Center! The Wang Center will provide many exciting activities, including Koto plays, Japanese traditional dances, martial arts demonstrations, hands-on bonsai workshops, calligraphy workshops, ikebana flower arrangement, tea workshops, manga drawing, origami paper folding, kimono dress-ups, and cosplay (costumed role-play of a Japanese manga character) for all ages. Please join us in your favorite manga character costume.

Click the image below to see the full schedule of events
Sakura Matsuri Festival Schedule

This festival is co-produced by the Japan Center at Stony Brook University and the Ryu Shu Kan Japanese Arts Center and supported by AARP Long Island.

japan center logo      Ryu Shu Kan logo      AARP Long Island logo

 

 

Persian Geometric Art poster

Workshop

Persian Geometric Art

By Ghazaleh Khayat

Friday, April 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
East Hall

Admission:
$20 (General)
$15 (Students/Seniors)
The fee includes all materials
Limited to 30 people. Advance reservation is required.

Buy tickets here

Geometric art is found in many examples of iconic architecture, ancient manuscripts, traditional apparel, and antique stoneware throughout the Islamic lands of the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe. Artists of all stripes and nationalities have been inspired by nature and have combined their artistic sensibilities with mathematics to create astonishing works. The Islamic world, with its restrictions on representational depiction, is no exception, and masterpieces that have dazzled for centuries—designed and created using simple tools such as the ruler and the compass—are a testament to the skills of Muslim artists. In this workshop, we will follow in the footsteps of these artists, producing geometric patterns of our own with the same simple tools.

Participants will learn how to draw a six-fold geometric pattern without a compass. Geometric patterns are usually drawn with compasses and rulers, but here we use grids. The artist Ghazaleh Khayat will also show how to identify different shapes and expand designs, as well as how to scale designs up or down. Lastly, she will demonstrate how to transfer designs onto a final desired surface and color them with various mediums.

Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute logo    The program is supported by the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute.

 

 

Sufi Songs of Love poster

Performance

Sufi Songs of Love

By Amir Vahab

Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Theatre

Admission:
$20 (General)
$15 (Students/Seniors)
FREE for children aged 5 and under

Buy tickets here

Described by the New York Times as an “ambassador for a silenced music,” Amir Vahab is one of New York’s most celebrated and distinguished composer-vocalists of Sufi folk music. He sings with a uniquely mystical style, weaving together Persian, Turkish, and Azeri instruments and songs set to thirteenth- and fourteenth-century poetry from Rumi, Hafiz, Baba Taher, and Yunus Emre. The repertoire of Vahab and his ensemble is grounded in traditional Persian poetry and music, long known for its power to transport listeners to heightened spiritual states through melody, improvisation, and rhythm.

Rooted in Islamic tradition but influenced by contemporary sounds, the ensemble’s music—like Vahab himself—is diversity in unity. Audiences will be elevated to a spiritual world through a lovely syncretism of music and poetry.

Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute logo    The program is supported by the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute.

 

 

Mune: Guardian of the Moon Film poster

Film

Mune: Guardian of the Moon

Friday, May 10, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Theatre

(2014 | 86 minutes | Animation | Directed by Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon)

Admission: $5 (General/Students/Seniors)

Buy tickets here

As legend has it, the first Guardian of the Sun threw a harpoon into the cosmos and roped the sun to bring light and warmth to all of humanity. Then the Guardian of the Moon lured the moon to the Land of Darkness to balance to the sun and supply the world with dreams. At a ceremony to appoint the two new guardians, an accident seems to occur. Leyoon, the heir apparent, is passed over, and the title of the Guardian of the Moon is bestowed upon the waif-like Mune, a small forest faun who seems wholly unprepared to take on such a weighty responsibility. This unexpected news excites Necross, the nefarious ruler of the Underworld, a corrupted ex-guardian who decides to take advantage of Mune’s weakness and steal back the sun for himself. Now it is up to the unlikely hero Mune and his friend Glim, a headstrong young girl with wax for skin, to save the sun and restore order to the world.

 

 

Past Spring 2024 Programs

Cutting through Culture: Chinese Paper Cutting Workshop poster

Workshop

Cutting through Culture: Chinese Paper Cutting Workshop

By Ming Liang Lu

Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
East Hall

Paper cutting, an ancient Chinese folk art with origins in the Han dynasty, is traditionally linked to both everyday life and celebrations. It encompasses depictions of animals, flowers, plants, and more. These elements often serve as metaphors, such as pairing lotuses and carps to symbolize continuous years of abundance. Ming Liang Lu, a seasoned paper-cutting artist with over 40 years of experience, has uniquely applied this art to create portraits. Lu's remarkable works have even been featured in the New York Times.

In this workshop, you will explore these rich traditions of paper cutting with a focus on animals, flowers, plants, and Chinese characters for good fortune. Participants will gain insight into the cultural significance of paper cutting and engage in hands-on practice while making their own pieces of art to take home. Master Lu will also perform a 3D paper portrait cutting after the workshop.

 

 

Lunar New Year Celebration: Fluttering Butterflies poster 1

Performance

Lunar New Year Celebration: Fluttering Butterflies

Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Theatre

Join us in a spellbinding celebration of the Lunar New Year with the Yana Ballet Dance Group and local Chinese performing artists! The festive stage will come alive with dances as graceful as fluttering butterflies. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of our Lunar New Year celebration, where artistry and tradition converge in a mesmerizing spectacle. Come together with us to usher in the new lunar cycle and create cherished memories that will flutter in your hearts for years to come.

 

 

Blue Giant Film poster

Film

Blue Giant

Friday, February 23, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Theatre

(2023 | 90 minutes | Animation | Directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa)

Miyamoto Dai’s life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. A former high school basketball player, Dai picks up a saxophone and begins practicing day and night, determined to become one of the greatest of all time. He leaves his hometown of Sendai for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, but soon finds the life of a professional musician is not for the faint of heart. His passion eventually wins over the cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, and after Dai convinces his friend Shunji to learn the drums, they launch a new jazz trio whose rough sound contains a raw energy that quickly wins attention from local audiences. But what does it take to truly be great?