THURSDAYS
February 18, April 1, June 3, August 19, October 28
5-9 pm | $10 Admission
MATCHA isn't just a mixer—it's what makes your visit to the Asian Art Museum downright exhilarating. Experience mesmerizing performances, create your own art, embark on gallery tours, see the latest special exhibition, sit in on a talk, mingle with friends over cocktails, enjoy what the DJ is spinning, and much, much more.
Each MATCHA event has its own unique flavor and vibe. Check out the schedule below, and don't forget to mark your calendars!
MATCHA is made possible with support from Wells Fargo.
Upcoming Events
February 18: Eye of the Tiger
2010 is the Year of the Tiger! MATCHA kicks off the Lunar New Year and special exhibition Shanghai with dynamic tiger-style kung fu (martial art) demonstrated by Shaolin Temple USA monks. Each mode of Shaolin kung fu is associated with an animal, and in Chinese culture, the tiger is king and symbolizes bravery. Its kung fu style involves footwork, acrobatic kicks, and unique fist positions, relying solely on internal power, simplicity, and explosive force.
The evening also includes art activities (make your own good luck poster), Shanghai dumplings available for purchase in the museum cafe, cash bars, music by DJ Friendly Traveler, docent conversations, gallery tours of Shanghai, and mingling and merriment with friends!
Please click here for details.
April 1 : Shanghai Jazz
Dubbed “the boy Billie Holiday,” Coco Zhao will perform an intimate set of original works and Shanghai jazz favorites, in conjunction with special exhibition Shanghai. Jazz thrived in Shanghai’s colorful cabarets and dance halls during the ‘20s and ’30s. Suppressed during the Cultural Revolution, it’s enjoyed a renaissance thanks to a new generation of young jazz musicians. Zhao cross-pollinates Mandarin vocals with the distinct sounds of contemporary American jazz; a unique heritage (both parents were in traditional Chinese opera) is infused his with youthful interpretations. Zhao’s distinctive style transcends cultures, as evidenced by his sensational reception at the 2007 Montreal Jazz Festival and his performance at the Kennedy Center.
Click below to hear a Coco Zhao song.
June 3 : The Shanghai Dress
Inspired by the stylish, sophisticated form-fitting qipao dress created in Shanghai during the 1920s, this MATCHA showcases the work of renowned SF-based fashion designer Colleen Quen. Her glamorous, dramatically chic gowns have been worn by
Tyra Banks, Paris Hilton, and Bai Ling, and featured in InStyle, Town & Country, and Women’s Wear Daily. Quen will unveil
her Butterfly Dream Dress, which originally debuted at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai during the 2008 Shanghai Bienniale. She designed a line of qipao – also to be unveiled — painted directly onto by master brush-painter Madeleine Fu. Enjoy their fashion show and hear them speak on these unique creations — a sensual intersection of Chinese-inspired high fashion and masterful Chinese painting.
Try brush-painting, engage a docent in the Shanghai galleries, hang out with friends over cocktails and DJ music, and revel in the pleasure of fashion, design, and Asian art.
August 19 : Drunken Dish
One of the most famous culinary regions in China is Shanghai. Its rich Yangtze Delta is a lush garden for vegetables and fruit, and its cuisine is assertively flavored, expressing a flair characteristic of the city itself. Sumptuous, velvety meat and fish are braised with soy sauce, sugar, and a touch of vinegar – this treatment is a Shanghai specialty. Not to be overlooked in Shanghai’s gastronomic repertoire are “drunken dishes,” where food is marinated in wine. The museum has paired with the Asian Culinary Forum for a feature talk on Shanghai cuisine and a demonstration of making "drunken chicken." Savor signature Shanghai bites made with Shaoxing wine, toast with a drink from the cash bar, and tour the special exhibition.
October 28: Ghosts & Golden Clouds
In Noh theatre (classical Japanese music drama), Japanese ghosts are usually upset females. Portrayed without feet because they have lost their connection to the earth, they are so filled with love, jealousy or rage that they won't go peacefully to into the night. Japanese believe ghosts are people who have died with an unpaid on — “debt” or “obligation.” If not repaid, the debt is passed down for generations, growing with each one like a snowball into an avalanche. Whole families, villages, countries can live under the dark cloud of an on. By then, nobody knows how to fix it.
BUT – storytellers can help people remember what happened in the past. Love stories soften our hearts. Tales of wonder awaken awe in the world around us. Ghost stories remind us that after we are dead, what remains are the consequences of our actions.
Master storyteller Brenda Wong Aoki, Emmy Award-winning contemporary jazz composer Mark Izu, and an ensemble of percussionists and Japanese instrumentalists will perform absorbing rich and haunting tales of Japanese ghosts.
