Lectures & Talks
SAA First Thursday Lecture Series: Preview of the Asian Art Museum’s Shanghai Exhibition
Thursday, February 4
6:30 pm
Asian Art Museum Classroom
$5 after museum admission, advance reservations are required (does not include entry to Shanghai): saa@asianart.org or (415) 581-3701
Dany Chan, assistant curator at the Asian Art Museum and co-curator of the Shanghai exhibition, gives a preview of the special exhibit.
SAA First Thursday Lecture Series: Behind the Scenes of the Shanghai Exhibition
Thursday, March 4
6:30 pm
Asian Art Museum Classroom
$5 after museum admission, advance reservations are required (does not include entry to Shanghai): saa@asianart.org or (415) 581-3701
Cathy Mano, Registrar of the Asian Art Museum, and Katherine Holbrow, head of conservation, provide a behind-the-scenes look at what exactly went into the presentation of the Shanghai exhibition.
Shanghai's Jews – Art, Architecture and Survival
March 4
7:00 pm
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., San Francisco
$5 (includes access to all galleries)
Shanghai's Jewish population was diverse in nationality, socio-economic class and occupation. This discussion of the Jews’ experiences in Shanghai encompasses art, culture, architecture, immigration, survival and other aspects. Co-presented by the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the American Jewish Committee.
Jewish programming associated with the Shanghai exhibition is generously supported by Barbara and Richard Rosenberg, Barbara and Gerson Bakar, Nancy and Stephen Grand, John and Lisa Pritzker, Mem Dryan Bernstein, and Deborah Strobin.
SAA First Thursday Lecture Series: The Birth of Jazz in Asia
Thursday, April 1
6:30 pm
$5 after museum admission, advance reservations are required (does not include entry to Shanghai): saa@asianart.org or (415) 581-3701
Cory Combs, director of education at SF Jazz, will talk about the origins of jazz in Asia, with a special focus on Shanghai.
Jews of Shanghai: One Woman’s Miraculous Life
with Leah Jacob Garrick
Thursday, April 15
6:30 pm
Samsung Hall
Free with admission (free for members, $10 non-members includes admission to the Shanghai exhibition)
The migration of Iraqi, Russian and European Jews to Shanghai from the 1840's to the 1930's is the subject of Leah Jacob Garrick's talk, based on her personal perspective as a fourth-generation member of Shanghai's vibrant Jewish community. Ms. Garrick was born and raised in Shanghai. She had a typical colonial upbringing—English girl's school, servants, and afternoon tea, all incorporated into an observant Sephardic Jewish lifestyle. She lived through the war years under Japanese occupation and came to the United States in 1947.
This event is presented by the Asian Art Museum and the Society for Asian Art in collaboration with the San Francisco Chapter of the American Jewish Committee San Francisco Office, whose exhibition Jews in Modern China will be on view at the Presidio Museum from February 24 through May 16.
Jewish programming associated with the Shanghai exhibition is generously supported by Barbara and Richard Rosenberg, Barbara and Gerson Bakar, Nancy and Stephen Grand, John and Lisa Pritzker, Mem Dryan Bernstein, and Deborah Strobin.
Shanghai Painting
Friday, April 16
2:00-4:00 pm
$15 SAA members, $25 non-members, advance reservations required: saa@asianart.org or (415) 581-3701
Dr. Lisa Claypool of Reed College in Oregon talks about the art of Shanghai painting. Presented by the Society of Asian Art.
A Conversation with Contemporary Chinese Artist Zhang Huan
Wednesday, May 12
7:00–8:00 pm
Samsung Hall
Free admission. Space is limited. Reserve your seat.
Cosponsored by the San Francisco Arts Commission
Join world renowned contemporary Chinese artist Zhang Huan in conversation with Asian Art Museum director Jay Xu. Zhang's colossal work Three Heads Six Arms (2008) will make its world premiere as the focal point of Joseph L. Alioto Performing Arts Piazza, which is located in the heart of San Francisco's Civic Center, nestled between City Hall and the Asian Art Museum. Standing over 26 feet tall and weighing almost 15 tons, the copper sculpture is the artist's largest work to date. Zhang, who is based in Shanghai, is widely regarded as one of the most influential and provocative contemporary artists working today. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about this artist’s work against the backdrop of the Shanghai exhibition at the Asian Art Museum and the city-wide celebration of the 30th anniversary of the San Francisco Shanghai Sister City relationship. The program will be introduced by Luis R. Cancel, Director of Cultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Please note Mr. Zhang will speak in Chinese. English translation will be provided by Wang Xiaoyu.
SAA First Thursday Lecture Series: Introduction to Shanghai’s Art Deco Architecture and Decorative Arts
Thursday, June 3
6:30 pm
$5 after museum admission, advance reservations are required (does not include entry to Shanghai): saa@asianart.org or (415) 581-3701
Mary Powell Grossman offers a detailed discussion on the unique art deco architecture and decorative arts of Shanghai.
Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs
Reading by Trina Robbins with performance by the Grant Avenue Follies
Thursday, June 24
6:30-8:00 pm
FREE with museum admission
Trina Robbins reads from her new book Forbidden City: the Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs. Drawing from interviews, art deco posters and hundred of photos, Forbidden City presents the stories of people who performed in Chinese nightclubs that flourished in San Francisco from 1938 to the late 1960s. Joining her are members of the Grant Avenue Follies. Formed in the 1950s by four professional San Francisco Chinatown nightclub dancers, the Grant Avenue Follies now includes 20 dancers. The troupe performs regularly throughout the Bay Area, raising funds for On Lok Senior Center of San Francisco and other senior citizens’ organizations. This program is co-presented by the Art Deco Society of California.
