Learning about Asian
Art at the Oriental Art Society of the Monterey Peninsula (California) by Savvy
Mom Ruth Paget
One
of the Monterey County Clubs I have belonged to over the years is the Oriental
Art Society of the Monterey Peninsula.
The
first activity that I brought my daughter to in order to teach her about
Japanese culture was an oral storytelling event about Japanese folktales. She liked Japanese food and knew that most
people in this club were older. She knew
she had to behave to learn about Japan at this club.
The
Japanese storyteller told a short story and then went through how the Japanese
structure their folktales, the similarities with fairy tales in Europe, and the
differences between European and Japanese folktales.
The
storyteller gave the following examples to support his description of Japanese
folktales:
-The
Japanese folktales themselves have a well-understood beginning that asks for
silence such as “Once upon a time…”
-The
Japanese folktales have a lesson at the end, which is not always stated. In Europe, the French fairy tale writer Perrault
used didactic (teaching) morals at the end of his works.
-The
Japanese folktales use language that conjures up vivid images to make children
remember the tales and help storytellers memorize them. The German Brothers Grimm in Europe did this
with their fairy tales. (They were
linguists by training.)
-3
events take place between the opening and ending of the Japanese folktale. This is similar to the English folktales of
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Three Little Pigs, and The Billy Goats
Gruff.
-The
main difference between Japanese folktales and European ones is that there is a
“winner” in European fairytales and “losers.”
There
are winners and losers in Japanese fairytales as well, but both winners and
losers come back to rest, eat, and strategize how to play better for themselves
in a next game, so they can work as an indestructible team if attacked as a
village.
Everyone
in the audience laughed including Florence for a tip on how to deal with the
video game generation using Japanese folktales as a vector for understanding.
On
the way home in the car, I added a one-sentence Japanese saying that kept me
going with the video game generation:
“Fall down 6 times, get up 7.”
We
did some other great activities with the Oriental Art Society of the Monterey
Peninsula:
-Attended
a lecture and dinner in honor of local author Belle Yang, who wrote memoirs
about her family and was a featured guest on a PBS documentary that was entered
in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution.
Belle
Yang later wrote a graphic novel about her family entitled “Forget
Sorrow.” I actually thought she had
created a new art form, because her ink drawings differ from the artwork in
graphic novels (both Japanese manga and Korean manwha), but that was the
marketing category used to sell her books. (Belle Yang's graphic novels look like cork carvings that you can inside lacquer black frames in glass I think. You can buy these in Hong Kong or at Target now.)
She
later did a workshop for a writing group I attended.
She
supported my work as a librarian, but wanted me to write instead; I
wanted her to paint rather than write.
She told me painting and writing are the same in China.
-Another
group we attended was a CSUMB professor’s talk on Carmel and San Francisco’s
contribution to American-Asian art.
She
likened Belle Yang’s art to that of Song Era artists in China.
I
suggested to Belle Yang one day via FB that she should paint some room dividers
while trying to write books and sell paintings, because she would make more
money trying to humanize cubbie skyscrapers.
-At
the year-end party, my husband Laurent, Florence, and I went to the Monterey Yacht Club.
We
looked out on the marina with twinkling lights, yachts, and squid boats with
lights shining on the water as we ate a lovely dinner of:
-clam
chowder
-sautéed
sand dabs with steamed potatoes and carrots
-cheese
platter
-strawberry
shortcake and coffee
I
had tons of work to do in Monterey County as the Youth Services Librarian, so I
stayed on as a member just to receive newsletters. I liked knowing that I had resource people to
go to in town on Asian cultural affairs, because we do not have consulates in
Monterey County.
Today
I would look at the Educational Resources page on the Asian Art Museum website (San
Francisco location) for fully vetted programs to do art projects, find talent
for programs, and obtain videos.
This
online resource is amazing, especially if you cannot go to San Francisco.
By
Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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