Fall 2014 - Wing Luke Museum

Member Newsletter Fall 2014
DO YOU
KNOW
BRUCE?
IN THIS ISSUE:
Behind the Scenes of Do You Know Bruce?
PG. 2
Behind the Scenes of Bojagi
PG. 3
Up Close with Art in Motion
PG. 3
Supporter Spotlight
PG. 5
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ellen Ferguson, Co-President
Casey Bui, Co-President
Katherine Cheng, Vice President
Mimi Gan, Secretary
Bruce Brundige, Treasurer
Gloria Lung Wakayama, Past President
Aileen Balahadia
Sai Chaleunphonh
Tom DeBoer
Nanette Fok
Jamie Ford
Misun Chung Gerrick
Bruce Hayashi
Sally Henriques
Judd Lee
Patricia Norikane Logerwell
Paul Mar
Midori Matsui
JoAnn Mills
Victor Mizumori
Jill Nishi
Savitha Pathi
Diane Sugimura
Mark Takagi
Judy Tobin
STAFF
Roldy Aguero Ablao
Josie Baltan
Jennifer Buter-La Rue
Vivian Chan
David Chattin-McNichols
Jennifer Chen
Chanta Chhay
Cassie Chinn
Monica Day
John Eklof
Bob Fisher
Rahul Gupta
Maya Hayashi
Kit Herrod
John Hom
Julz Ignacio
Karen Kajiwara
Michael Kan
Polly Kang
Nam Keo
Inmi Kim
Michelle Reiko Kumata
Tiffanie Lam
Jintana Lityouvong
Jennifer Maines
Charlene Mano Shen
Luie Marcotte
Roeun Mol
Doan Nguyen
May Nguyen
Minh Nguyen
John Nonato
Cassandra O’Francia
Clarissa O’Francia
Rayann Onzuka
Feney Perez
Hanh Pham
Jeannette Roden
Margaret Su
Tanya Subcleff
Stacey Swanby
Beth Takekawa
Troy Tsuchikawa
Wren Wheeler
Donald Wong
Jordan Wong
Mikala Woodward
Gary Yamamoto
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian
Pacific American Experience
719 South King Street
Seattle WA, 98104
206.623.5124 | wingluke.org
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A Message from
the Executive Director
Telling the story of Bruce Lee, a larger-than-life international
Asian American icon, and how he inspires fans and aficionados
in unexpected places has been a story in itself. Visiting Louisville,
Kentucky, I was brought to the Muhammad Ali Center by Bryan
Warren, Executive Director of Asia Institute Crane House, a local
Asian American organization founded by Seattle native and Wing
Luke Museum donor Helen Lang. Talking about The Wing’s
Bruce Lee exhibition, I found myself on common ground with
Muhammad Ali Center’s Executive Director Donald Lassere.
Donald immediately recognized the parallels between the Ali
family’s quest to build Muhammad’s legacy as both an extraordinary athlete and
humanitarian, with the Lee family’s own desire to establish Bruce’s full legacy. Donald
recalled growing up on Chicago’s south-side, remarking, “Don’t let anyone tell you Bruce
Lee isn’t a social justice story. There we were, a bunch of six and seven year-olds outside
together practicing our version of kung fu. Bruce was the first to tell black kids to eat right,
take care of their bodies, and be somebody.”
Recent events regarding a Seattle production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado remind us that
the issue of media stereotypes of Asian Americans which Bruce Lee battled is persistent and
pervasive. Kudos to community members for bringing this to public attention and not
accepting time-worn stereotyping. Hearing theatre-goers tell renowned artist Roger
Shimomura standing on the protest line to “go back to where you came from,” was not
Seattle’s finest moment. Roger responded mildly, “Beacon Hill?” Sometimes people think
Roger is making up his experiences but he fights the fight through his powerful art, all part of
building America’s cultural voice.
For The Wing, the new Bruce Lee exhibition also provides the
opportunity to finally renovate a historic storefront, unfinished for
the past six years. As the economy crashed, we held out for a use
of this space that would be of greatest benefit to the neighborhood
and museum. This storefront is the former home of Pacific Garden
restaurant, and over 100 years ago was the site of the Sew Ying
Chong Co., owned by neighborhood activist Ron King’s
grandfather Chin Gee Gow. We marvel to see this historic storefront
find a new future as the site of the Bruce Lee exhibition. It is taking
the proverbial village to make the magic happen, with thanks for
their leadership support to the Lee family, the Ford Foundation,
and 4Culture, to community instigators Jerry Lee, Perry Lee, Betti Fujikado, Matt Chan, and
Virginia Anderson, to trustees Mimi Gan and Ellen Ferguson, to MulvannyG2 Architects
and Marpac Construction, and to early lead sponsors Delta Air Lines and Comcast.
We are just at the beginning of an important three-year initiative that culminates in The
Wing’s 50th Anniversary in 2017. Come by to see the story grow!
Beth Takekawa, Executive Director
Thank you & Welcome
BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN UPCOMING EXHIBITION
DO YOU KNOW BRUCE?
The New Bruce Lee Exhibit
Opening October 4, 2014
The number one question we have heard
while preparing for our upcoming exhibit is:
Why is Bruce Lee buried in Seattle? This
became a key question for us in our
research – finding photos of Bruce in
Seattle, reading letters from him to friends
here, looking at his poetry and writings,
and ultimately interviewing his wife Linda
to find out why Seattle held such special
meaning for them.
Here are some highlights from his
Seattle Years:
September 1959
Arrives in Seattle, lives above and works at
Ruby Chow’s Restaurant
May 1961
After finishing high school at Edison
Technical School, enters University of
Washington (Spring Quarter) and majors
in Philosophy
August 1963
After a brief time in Hong Kong, returns
to Seattle and opens his first martial arts
school in the Chinatown-International
District; eventually moves his school to
the University District
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BRUCE LEE FOUNDATION
October 25, 1963
Has first date with Linda Emery, one of
his martial arts students, at the Space
Needle restaurant
Ellen Ferguson
The Wing Board of Trustees
LEAD SPONSORS
PRIME SPONSOR
SPECIAL THANKS
Shannon Lee
Linda Lee
Jerry and Charlene Lee
Mimi Gan
Matt Chan
MEDIA SPONSOR
May 1964
Leaves the University of Washington to
establish martial arts school in Oakland
August 17, 1964
Marries Linda at Seattle Congregational
Church
For more information, please visit:
http://DoYouKnowBruce.com
MAJOR SPONSOR
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
GALLERY PARTNERS
Please welcome new staff members who recently joined the museum: Jennifer Buter-La Rue,
John Eklof, Maya Hayashi, Julz Ignacio, Polly Kang, Tiffanie Lam, Jintana Lityouvong,
Clarissa O’Francia, and Wren Wheeler.
Thank you to staff members who recently concluded their service to the museum:
Leigh-Anne Chung, Annika Firn, and Mari Kim.
On the cover (and images on page): ® & © Bruce Lee
Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
THE WING / FALL 2014
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BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN UPCOMING EXHIBITION
BECAUSE OF YOU
BOJAGI: UNWRAPPING
KOREAN AMERICAN IDENTITIES
WE RAISED
$408,000!!
THANK YOU!
On display November 14, 2014 through June 21, 2015
the resilience of the Korean people. If they
can understand that, then they will know
integrity, dignity, pride, and all that there is
to know about survival and lasting
endurance. My hopes for the KA community
in the future, is to bridge language and
generation gaps, and to be more diligent
about trying to understand one another. I
am extremely optimistic.”
This was the most successful gala for The Wing yet! A HUGE thank you
to our sponsors, table captains, attendees, donors, and volunteers for
supporting the 2014 Dinner and Auction, Celebrate Year of the Horse.
It was an amazing evening in celebration of our youth programs and
our next generation of leaders. We couldn’t have done it without you
– with your generous support, we raised $408,000!
The evening was emceed by KCTS 9’s Enrique Cerna and attendees
enjoyed a fabulous dinner with lively bidding on artwork from artists
such as Mira Nakashima, Etsuko Ichikawa, and Benjamin Moore, as
well as business class tickets to anywhere in the world from Delta
and a robust wine auction!
Left: Maria’s father and mother, Kang Dal Soo(l) and Kang Su Yul(r), who passed away in 1985 and 1986,
respectively, when Maria was a teen. Right: Maria Kang
Bojagi, a traditional Korean wrapping cloth,
is used to carry everything from precious
objects to everyday goods and foodstuff.
The CAC (Community Advisory Committee)
that helped create the exhibit is much like
the patchwork bojagi – pieced together
from scraps of fabric, using various shapes,
and juxtaposing vibrant colors. Korean
Americans of different generations, ages,
and backgrounds worked together on this
project, creating a common bond.
Maria Kang, who grew up in Japan before
moving to Los Angeles, described herself
as very alienated from the Korean
community before participating in the CAC.
“I never learned to speak Korean as a child.
After moving to the U.S. when I was 6 years
old, I was very confused about who I was.
The CAC placed me in a room full of
Koreans but it was a very new concept for
me. I met some great people. I cried. A lot.
And the most important thing I learned was
that I was not alone. Our experiences may
have been different and we didn’t always
agree. But the CAC was a safe place where
we could honestly discuss what it means to
be Korean in America. It was, and continues
to be, a life changing experience.”
PRESENTING SEASON SPONSORS
The Wing Donors
PRIME SPONSOR
EXHIBITION SUPPORT 4Culture
KeyBank Foundation
US Bancorp
ADDITIONAL SEASON SUPPORT
ART IN MOTION: THE EVOLUTION
OF BOARD CULTURE
On display through April 19, 2015
FROM THE COLLECTIONS
WHAT IS THIS?
Do you know what this item is and how it’s used?
HINT: It’s Korean in origin and made from a certain animal.
Email your guess to [email protected], along with your name and contact information. Correct
responses will receive a museum pass. Look for the correct answer in the Winter 2015 newsletter.
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MAJOR SPONSOR
UP CLOSE WITH
“The most important thing that I want to
pass on to my children and grandchildren is
Answer from the last issue:
A Hmong story cloth, which uses figures to represent stories from Hmong history and folklore in
a narrative form. Congratulations to Eileen C. Leung, Robin Rowedder, and Nancy Ward for
submitting the correct answer!
Clockwise from top: 1. YouthCAN participants, 2. The Wing Luke sisters, Marge Young(l)
and Ruby Luke(r), 3. Auction attendees from left to right: Jennifer Gulrajani,
Charlene Lee, Andrea Nakata, Janie Lee, The Wing board member, Mimi Gan, and
Julie Tokashiki, 4. Auction attendees, Thom Harrington(l) and Stewart Wong(r),
5. The Wing Board Member, Bruce Brundige(l) and wife, Grace Tazuma(r)
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
From the Wing Luke Museum Collection
“It’s through skateboarding, that idea of doing
things yourself, that’s instilled a certain sense
of an entrepreneurial spirit. Things that you
see are missing, you want to do.” – Nin Truong
and framing so you walk around and interact
with it and see the multiple facets of it. There
won’t be any plywood to it. It’s looking at it
from a sculpture standpoint.”
This exhibit features contemporary APA
artists, who have roots in the surfing,
skateboarding, and snowboarding
communities and continue to be influenced
by board culture as they explore their own
identities. Nin Truong, multi-disciplinary artist
and entrepreneur, built a quarter pipe in The
Wing as part of the exhibition.
He also attributes his entrepreneurial spirit to
his younger days skateboarding. Back then,
when he and his friends did not have what
they needed to skate, such as a ramp, they
figured out how to build it for themselves.
“The piece that I am creating is a skeleton of
a quarter pipe that will be installed within the
space, but I’m going to treat it more as a
sculpture. It’s going to show the raw skeleton
“To me, I don’t want to wait or hope for
someone else to do [things]. Instead, if I
think it’s a great idea or if I think it’s
something that I think is creatively missing,
then I myself will go and explore it or see if
it’s something that I can make.”
PRESENTING SEASON SPONSORS
The Wing Donors
ADDITIONAL SEASON SUPPORT
THE WING / FALL 2014
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SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT: IN OUR COMMUNITY
ROGER MIZUMORI &
MARLENE BLESSING
A SPECIAL WELCOME TO
OUR LEAD
DONORS
THE WING’S NEWEST MEMBERS
& MEMBER UPGRADES
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Joined/upgraded between January 1 and August 26, 2014. All Members and Donors will be
acknowledged in the Winter 2015 Newsletter.
IN APPRECIATION OF
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE FUTUREBUILDER
$25,000+
Ellen L. Ferguson*
Jim Lintott and May Liang*
Paul Mar*
Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE HISTORYMAKER
$10,000–24,999
Abraham M.S. Goo and Shin Quon Goo*
Sally and Dick Henriques
Debbie Killinger*
Dr. Paul Liao and Mrs. Mei-Yea Liao
Nancy Skinner Nordhoff
Steve and Paula Reynolds*
Beth Takekawa and Tony To*
Rick Wong and Leanne Nishi-Wong
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE VISIONARY
Roger and Marlene’s relationship with The Wing has grown and changed throughout
the years. They have supported the Museum, first as visitors, then as members, and
now also as donors. Here, Roger and Marlene share their thoughts on why they
support The Wing.
Roger: It’s important for young people to
know their history and the roles of Asian
Americans because each generation is
different and faces unique challenges.
We may have differing cultural
backgrounds, but we are all exposed to
the same challenges of being “AsianAmerican.” I became politically active
when I went to Claremont Men’s College
in California where I helped form the
Asian American Students Alliance in the
late 60s. Ever since, I’ve supported the
campaigns and causes I believe in. It’s
critical that we work together to improve
our opportunities.
My first visit to The Wing was in the old
location on 7th Ave. There was an
exhibit on the local garment industry
which hit close to home because my
mom had been a seamstress for Pacific
Trail for years. The Museum also had a
mockup of the barracks at Minidoka
where my mom and dad met and
married. My mom was pregnant with me
when they were released. My parents
rarely spoke of the incarceration which
is not unusual of the Nikkei of that era.
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Marlene: Although I’ve lived in Seattle
most of my life, I’m a latecomer to The
Wing. Roger encouraged me to begin to
discover more about this unique
institution with him. Like many nonAsians, I was always entranced by the
beauty of Asian art and artifacts, and I
read compelling fiction by Asian
American authors. But I had never
learned firsthand about the history and
everyday lives of the vibrant Asian
community in the Seattle area.
Although my own working-class family in
West Seattle was removed from the
world of museums, they fostered an
appreciation of the rich natural world
around me. I feel involvement in The
Wing is a continuing and important part
of that education.
Roger and Marlene were both guests
at a recent luncheon held for Shannon
Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee and
president of the Bruce Lee Foundation,
who was in Seattle to support our
upcoming exhibit on her father opening
October 4th. We asked Roger and
Marlene, “Do You Know Bruce?”
$5,000–9,999
Adamucci Family*
Nancy D. Alvord*
Paul Bock and Family*
Jon and Bobbe Bridge*
Bruce Brundige and Grace Tazuma*
Tom A. DeBoer and Durga Doraisamy
Jamie and Leesha Ford
Joey Ing
Jill Nishi and Howard Nakase
Judith M. Tobin and Michael Baker*
Dean, Gloria, Lindsay and Brady Wakayama*
Milt Wu*
Patterson Charitable Foundation
Roger: I got to know Bruce Lee’s wife, Linda
Emery, at Garfield High School. My senior year,
a year after she graduated, she and Bruce
held a martial arts demonstration for students
in the library.
Bruce Lee broke the stereotype of the weak
Asian American male. At the time, there was
a strong caricature of Asian American
masculinity that was effeminate and weak.
He gave something that was much more
substantial. I only met him briefly but even in
person, he was much as he was in his movies.
His message was a matter of philosophy not
just movements. He carried himself with
confidence, but he was not aggressive.
Marlene: Am I excited about the forthcoming
Bruce Lee exhibit? You bet! I’m especially looking
forward to discovering more about the man and
about his socio-political views. I know he was so
much more than just a martial arts icon.
LEADERSHIP
CIRCLE
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
FUTUREBUILDER
$25,000+
Ellen L. Ferguson*
Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin
Tateuchi Foundation
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
HISTORYMAKER
$10,000–24,999
Sally and Dick Henriques
Nancy Skinner Nordhoff
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
VISIONARY
$5,000–9,999
Jon and Bobbe Bridge*
Bruce Brundige and
Grace Tazuma*
Tom A. DeBoer and
Durga Doraisamy
Jamie and Leesha Ford
Jill Nishi and
Howard Nakase
Patterson Charitable
Foundation
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
INNOVATOR
$2,500–4,999
Nanette Fok and
Brad Tong*
Perry and Vickie Lee
Kyle and Kimberly Maeda
Jon and Mary Shirley
Foundation*
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
$1,000–2,499
Paul Brown and
Margaret Watson
David Chan and
Jane Nakagawa
Shirley Hune and
Kenyon S. Chan*
LaVerne and Jack Chen
John Chun and
Elizabeth Baldwin
Steve Davis and
Bob Evans
Jackie Der and
Alan Painter*
Bob Ferguson and
Sherwin Ferguson
Betti Fujikado
Bruce Goto*
Jennifer Gulrajani and
Roger Gulrajani
Malcolm and Karen
Harris
Dr. Julie Y. Hungar*
Audrey Hwang and
Joel Ing
Alice Ikeda
Phil Knell and Mary Knell
Masao Koba*
Bo Lee
Sandy Lew-Hailer and
Harvey Hailer*
Mike Lock and Cindy Lee
Gladys Ly-Au Young
Roger Mizumori and
Marlene P. Blessing
Lisa Nakamura
Steve and Ann Norman
Doug and Noriko Palmer
Karen Ressmeyer
David Richardson and
Suzanne Walsh
Holly Sidford
Tom Skerritt and
Julie Tokashiki
Sue Taoka and
Richard Mar*
Gerard Tsutakawa
Larry T. Yok and
Eric Olson*
Laurena Yok, in honor of
Frank T. Yok
Judy Yu and Clay Hall
Tony Yuen and
Jana Nishi Yuen
Anonymous
DONORS
GALLERY
SUPPORTER
$500–999
Cassie E. Chinn and
Paul Kelly*
Paul and Mary Hosoda*
Manami Kano
Dolores Sibonga*
Trang Tu
Roger Woo
MEMBERS
BENEFACTOR $250
Maria L. Batayola*
Phil Hutchinson
Ellen Kahan
Greg Kimura
Tamiko Miyano
Jack R. Thompson*
PATRON $125
Anne Alo
Andrea Beckett
James Boornd
Michele Broderick
Juliann M. Buron
BiHoa and Mark
Caldwell*
Carmen T. Chan*, In
memory of Dorothy
Tsuboi and in honor
of Frank Tsuboi’s
90th birthday
Lisa Conley
Deb Creveling
Dexter Eng*
Deanne Estigoy
Maura Fallon
Kimberly Fulkerson
April C. Hale
Lorraine A. Hamada
Selma Hemiup
Renee Hoizenga
Mitsuhiro Kodama*
Antje Kretschmer*
Valerie J. Lau
David Lee
Jane Lee and
Benjamin Lee
Betty Lock
Larisa L. Lumba
Dao Mai*
Brent H. Martin
Gary Matsudaira
Georgene S. McCarty
Eric Moen*
George Ngo
Pamela Okano and
Dick Birnbaum*
Zenaida E. Olivas
Mike Ramey
Martha N. Roe*
Lois M. Smith
Kerry Taniguchi
Linda S. Tipps*, In
memory of Tash & Kei
Sugimoto
Quanetta West
Allen Wheeler
Yee Xiong
Craig Yamamoto
Susan H. Yamamura
David Yotsuuye*
Zac S. Young
FAMILY $75
Frank Abe
Mary T. Abo
Monica Alcabin
Melanie Audette
Robert Brown
Eddie Cantu
Jane and Charles
Caughlan*
Soph R. Davenberry
Cristin Dowd and
Ken D. Wu
Benoit P. De Gouville
Paul Dominguiano
Regina C. Eury
Amy L. Fitzgerald
John Gaines
Doralee Gronlund
Peter Guttorp
Cathy Hawley
Erica Johnston
Shirley Katz
Neal Kingsley
Kory Kumasaka
Eleanor C. Laxdall*
Amy Liu
Milton K. Lum
Tom Lux*
Erin J. Maguire-Quirk
Kelly Mann
Alisa Oba and
Jeffrey Mitre
Margaret Pak
Beverly L. Pierce*
Dawn Robinson
Pheuy Sath
Ms. Gail Scott
Robert B. Seddon
Joseph and Daryle
Songco
Robby Stern
Vivian Tam
Vinh V. Tat
Nancy C. and James
Tillinghast
James Tweedie
Lisa J.B. Wahbe
Miriam Wilson
Calvin Yee
Kam Yee
Anonymous
FRIENDS $65
Marilyn Akutsu
Jacqueline L. Ashwell
Alice Chen
Richard W. Choi
Frances Chun
Eduardo Diaz
Cheryl L. Dyer
Robert B. Edgers*
Julianne Endres
Margarette Gallaher
Monoj K. Gupta
Ann B. Irish*
Mark D. Karason
Peter E. Keyes
Riya Kuo
James Langseth*
Shuhyun Liu
Brian Lock*
Ray Lou
Jennifer Magofña
Claire P. Mathews
Carol and Kenzo
Moriguchi
Joyce A. Morinaka
Cynthia Moulton
Monica Nixon
Anthony Longoria
Edward J. Lowe
Annette L. Puente
Lindsey Rembert
Ann G. Robinson
Sally Schultz
Cathy L. Scott
Elsie Leilani Taniguchi*
Wilfred and Ming Ying
Tanijo
Justin K. Tse
Ellen Wallach
Kayko Watanabe
Victoria Wong
Irene Wu
INDIVIDUAL $45
Cheryll Joy B. Alipio
Lanss B. Anderson
Nancy Burrill
Grace Y. Chapman
Katherine Chesick
Davace Chin
Angela Christensen
Peter L. Chun
Gunnel T. Clark
Sarah Cohen
Kelly Dang
William D. Ellis
Heidi M. Gleb
Julia Hibarger
Dana S. Hines
Beverly Howland
Robert Hutchison
Kathryn Huus
Barbara Jirsa
Susan Crawford King
Vivian O. Lee
Jennifer M. Maglalang
Judith Mayer
Lisa Moriguchi
Washin Murakami
Anthony Sarmiento
Susan Sherbina
Alice (Lily) G. Singh
Terri Suess
Gabriela Turcu
Erin E. Wark
Kirsten A. Yuhas
* Indicates Charter Member
LEGACY
SOCIETY
The Wing is grateful to the Legacy Society
members for investing in the Museum’s
future through a planned gift.
Bruce Brundige and Grace Tazuma
Gordon Davidson
Ellen L. Ferguson
Ajay and Julie Jindal
Helen Lew Lang and Calvin Lang*
Paul Mar
JoAnn Mills
Victor and Stacy Mizumori
Elizabeth B. Patterson*
Ken and Nancy Prichard
Christina Tai and Theo Baird
Beth Takekawa and Tony To
Gloria Lung Wakayama and Dean Wakayama
*Deceased
THE WING / SPRING 2014
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NON-PROFIT
ORG.
US POSTAGE
PA I D
SEATTLE, WA
PERMIT NO. 918
719 South King Street
Seattle, WA 98104
wingluke.org
206.623.5124
Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm
First Thursday of the month, 10am–8pm
Closed Monday
@winglukemuseum
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Our Mission is to connect everyone to the rich history, dynamic cultures and art of Asian Pacific Americans through vivid storytelling
and inspiring experiences. The Wing is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.
SAVE THE DATE
THE WING’S
2015 DINNER
& AUCTION
Saturday, April 4, 2015
The Westin Seattle Hotel
Interested in getting involved?
Sponsor – Donate – Volunteer
Contact [email protected] or
206.623.5124 for more information
Arundhati Gupta and Anjulie Ganti