Events at the Wang Center
Fall 2024
There are no more programs in the fall. Please check back later for updated Spring 2025 programs.
Coming Spring 2025
Performance
Celebrating Lunar New Year with Sangjaru: Korean Folk Gypsy Swing
Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Theatre
Admission:
$20 (General)
$15 (Students/Seniors)
FREE for children ages 5 and under
Join us for an unforgettable Lunar New Year celebration featuring Sangjaru, the dynamic Korean folk fusion band that masterfully blends traditional Korean music with the vibrant rhythms of gypsy swing, funk, rock, and improvisation. The band’s name, “Sangjaru,” combines the Korean words “sangja” (box) and “jaru” (sack), referencing their mission to infuse new creativity into the rich traditions of Korean music. The winner of the prestigious Sori Frontier 2019 music competition, Sangjaru is recognized for its exceptional talent and unique approach. Experience the innovative and exhilarating cultural expressions of Cho Sungyoon on guitar, Kwon Hyochang on janggu (hourglass drum) and kkwaenggwari (small gong), and Nam Seonghun on ajaeng (bowed zither). Don’t miss this captivating Lunar New Year event!
The performance is presented with the support of the Center for Korean Studies at SBU.
Past Programs
Film
A Letter to Momo
Friday, September 6 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Theatre
(2011 | 120 minutes | Fantasy/Adventure | Directed by Hiroyuki Okiura)
The last time Momo saw her father they had a fight—and now all she has left to remember him by is an incomplete letter, a blank piece of paper penned with the words “Dear Momo” but nothing more. Moving with her mother to the remote Japanese island of Shio, Momo soon discovers three yokai living in her attic. This trio of mischievous spirit creatures that only she can see create mayhem in the tiny seaside community, though Momo tries desperately to keep them hidden. But these funny monsters may hold the key to helping Momo discover what her father had been trying to tell her.
A Letter to Momo was seven years in the making, and its animation is superb, from the painstakingly rendered serenity of the island’s Shinto shrines to the climactic finale—a frantic chase featuring thousands of squirming, morphing ghosts and spirits that is the best cinematic flight of supernatural fancy in many years.
© 2012 A Letter to Momo Film Partners
Lecture
Mott Street: Performance + Talk
By Ava Chin
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Theatre
As part of our celebration of AAPI heritages, Ava Chin—author, professor, and fifth-generation New Yorker—will discuss her award-winning book, Mott Street. Mott Street explores the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the United States’ first immigration restriction, on four generations of her family in New York City’s Chinatown. A former slam poet, Chin shares stories about the ghosts of Chinatown; addresses family members who entered the country when the odds were stacked against them; and reveals how confronting family secrets and doing a deep dive into archival research enabled her to write a compelling intergenerational narrative with implications for the entire nation.
The lecture is presented in partnership with the AAPI Heritages Committee and co-sponsored by the Department of Asian & Asian American Studies, University Libraries and Diversity, and Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Initiatives.
Ava Chin is a professor of creative nonfiction and the head of the CUNY Graduate Center’s American Studies Certificate Program. She is the author of Mott Street, which won the Chinese American Librarians Association’s Best Nonfiction Book Award, was named a 2024 ALA Notable Book, and chosen as a Best Book of the Year by Time, the San Francisco Chronicle, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Elle. Her first memoir, Eating Wildly, won the MFK Fisher Book Award for excellence in food writing. She has received fellowships from the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center, the Fulbright Program, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the New York Institute for the Humanities, the Asian American Writer’s Workshop, and MacDowell. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Village Voice, SPIN, and VIBE. Professor Chin earned a PhD from the University of Southern California, MA from Johns Hopkins, and BA from Queens College, and is currently a fellow at the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU.
Workshop
The Elegant Craft of Japanese Flower Arrangements (Ikebana)
By Toyomi Sobue
Friday, September 27, 2024
East Hall
In two hands-on workshops, Toyomi Sobue will guide participants through the fundamental principles and techniques of ikebana, or Japanese flower arrangement. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you will leave with a deeper appreciation for the elegance and simplicity of this ancient art.
Each workshop is designed for participants of all levels. All materials will be provided, and participants will have the opportunity to create their own unique floral arrangements to take home. This event is perfect for those looking to explore new artistic expressions or to unwind in a creative and peaceful environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a master and bring a touch of Japanese elegance into your life!
Floral Harmony
Friday, September 27, 2024 at 11:00 AM
Explore the graceful differences between upright and slanting ikebana, and learn how to place stems for fluid, captivating arrangements.
Blossom Balance
Friday, September 27, 2024 at 1:00 PM
Master the craft of elegant lines and perfect your floral designs using stems in cylindrical vases.
About the presenter
Toyomi Sobue was born and raised in Nagoya, Japan, and started practicing ikebana while she was in college. She subsequently became a certified ikebana instructor. Sobue moved to New York in 1990 and has been spreading Japanese culture in the New York area ever since. In 2007, Soube founded the Long Island Japanese Culture Center (www.lijcc.org) in Port Washington to introduce Japanese culture to both Americans and Japanese. She offers ikebana and Japanese tea ceremony workshops in many colleges and special events.
Workshop
The Art of Bonsai
By Robert Mahler
Friday, October 4, 2024
East Hall
Session 1: Artistry in Miniature: Mastering the Craft of Bonsai
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Session 2: Living Sculptures: A Comprehensive Guide to Bonsai Techniques
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The Charles B. Wang Center is delighted to offer two bonsai workshops by Robert Mahler, the esteemed bonsai master. Following his highly successful workshop from our previous season, Mahler returns again to share his expertise and insights this fall to beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike. His expert instruction and hands-on demonstrations will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to embark on their own bonsai journeys.
Co-presented by the Long Island Bonsai Society
About the presenter
Robert Mahler is the president of the Pennsylvania Bonsai Society. He also oversees the bonsai exhibit at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s annual Philadelphia Flower Show. Mahler discovered his passion for bonsai early in life and apprenticed under the exclusive direction of the world-renowned bonsai artist Susumo Sudo. He previously served as the curator of bonsai at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden (1994–2005) and currently runs Kifu Bonsai. He consults for various horticultural institutions.
Film
Fireworks
Friday, October 4, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Theatre
(2017 | 90 minutes | Romance/Fantasy | Directed by Akiyuki Shinbō and Nobuyuki Takeuchi)
Shy Norimichi and fast-talking Yusuke are both goo-goo-eyed over the same elusive classmate, Nazuna. But Nazuna, unhappy over her mother’s decision to remarry and leave their countryside town, plans to run away and has secretly chosen Norimichi to accompany her. When things don’t go as planned, Norimichi discovers that a glowing multicolored ball found in the sea has the power to reset the clock and give them a second chance to be together. But each reset adds new complications and takes them farther and farther away from the real world—to the point that they risk losing sight of reality altogether.
© 2017 Toho / Aniplex / Shaft / Kadokawa / Toy’s Factory / JR Kikaku / Lawson HMV Entertainment / Line
Lecture
Yarn Reimagined: Artistic Crochet Using Excess Yarn
By Mulyana
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Lecture Hall I
Experience the fascinating world of crochet art in our featured exhibit, Yarnscapes, with Mulyana, an acclaimed Indonesian artist known for his vibrant and intricate textile creations. The Charles B. Wang Center is thrilled to host this unique lecture where Mulyana will share his inspiring journey into the world of crochet, where excess yarn is transformed into breathtaking art. Mulyana will also explore the innovative techniques and creative approaches that breathe new life into leftover materials. This lecture will ignite your creativity and showcase the boundless possibilities of crochet artistry.
Film
The First Slam Dunk
Friday, November 8, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Theatre
(2022 | 124 minutes | Sports/Drama | Directed by Takehiko Inoue)
Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota became addicted to basketball.
In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui. Together, they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.
© 2022 The First Slam Dunk Film Partners / I.T. Planning Inc.
Lecture
From American Missionaries’ Residences to Chanceries: Hybrid Korean-Western Architecture in Modern Korea and Beyond
By Dr. Suzie Kim
Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Theatre
Photographs taken by early American missionaries to Korea, such as Samuel Austin Moffett (1864–1939) and Edmund de Schweinitz Brunner (1889–1973), capture what life was like in Korea during the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, including people, buildings, streets, cityscapes, and rural landscapes. Focusing on in-depth research of rare images of now-vanished early modern architecture in Seoul and Pyongyang from the photography collections in the United States, this lecture examines the beginning of hybrid Western-Korean architectural styles for missionary homes, schools, and churches. Dr. Suzie Kim will also cover diplomatic missions and relations between Korea and the United States through architectural style, and she will look at how this influence went both ways, such as in the buildings of first-generation Korean immigrants in Hawaii and the Habib House, the U.S. chancery in Seoul.
About the presenter
Dr. Suzie Kim is an associate professor of art history at the University of Mary Washington. Her research investigates how Constructivism and the International Style became the primary source for a multifaceted cultural phenomenon in Japan and Korea from the 1920s onward. Her wider areas of expertise include North Korean architecture and contemporary Asian art. Kim’s publications include articles on Korean artists Yoo Youngkuk and Lee Ungno, architecture built by American missionaries in modern Korea, the Government General Building of Colonial Korea, and Cambodian contemporary photography.
The lecture is sponsored by the Korea Foundation.
Film
Children of the Sea
Friday, December 6, 2024 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Theatre
(2020 | 111 minutes | Fantasy/Adventure | Directed by Ayumu Watanabe)
When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. The boys were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearances of the oceans’ fish.
Children of the Sea is a feature from Japan’s Studio 4°C (known for Tekkonkinkreet, Mutafukaz, Mind Game, Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight, and more), and is directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with a score by award-winning composer Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro). Children of the Sea is adapted from the manga of the same name by author Daisuke Igarashi.
© 2019 Daisuke Igarashi･Shogakukan/Children of the Sea Committee
Performance
A Hat Made of Stone
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Theatre
Once upon a time, a clever and humble boy passed the state exam at fifteen, dazzling the nation. At eighteen, he became a village magistrate, but the older officials scoffed at his youth. To teach them a lesson, he ordered stone hats for them to wear, making their heads as heavy as their arrogance. The officials finally embraced his wisdom and served him with newfound respect. Inspired by a Korean folk tale, this creative shadow puppet show by Caroline and Suzanne Borderies (puppeteers), Mirna Lekic (pianist), and David McCorkle (narrator) highlights Korea’s rich and vibrant hat culture, where over 300 different hats once signified gender, class, occupation, age, and special celebrations.
Performance
Xieng Mieng Tricks the King
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Theatre
In Lao folktales, Xieng Mieng is a clever prankster who continually outwits a foolish king with ingenious schemes, exposing the arrogance of the upper classes. Representing the common man, his tricks make the king perform ridiculous acts, emphasizing themes of social justice and the triumph of the underdog. In postcolonial Laos, Xieng Mieng has become a symbol of rebellion against authority, illustrating how intelligence and cunning can empower ordinary people to challenge and outsmart those in power. Caroline and Suzanne Borderies (puppeteers), Mirna Lekic (pianist), and David McCorkle (narrator) will bring wit and laughs. Each 30-minute show will be followed by a behind-the-scenes tour with the artists.