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SHA SHA JUST WON A $5,000 GRANT FROM CCI and you can find out more about it online shortly and donate your personal support through United States Artists(click to find out).

Nov 3-Jan 31               Fundraising Drive for Sha Sha’s latest work
Oct-Mar, 2012           Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition,Japan
October                     Urushi Art Festival, in Aizuwakamatsu,Japan
March, 2012                Hartwick College,NY
April 23-27                 College of Fine Art,Ohio University
April 20-Aug 12          Kennedy Museum of Art
April 18-21                    Wooster College,Wooster,Ohio
April 6-May 28           San Luis Obispo Museum of Art,CA
Sept.-Nov. 2012         Contemporary Womens’ Urushi Art Exhibition
Ongoing                        Sha Sha’s Etsy Shop
Ongoing                       Sha Sha’s Zibbet Shop
Ongoing                         Sha Sha’s Online Shop of small sculptures
CLICK TO SEE WHAT SHA SHA HAS BEEN MAKING THE LAST FEW MONTHS!

Below is an engraving I was doing out of black urushi dusted with silver powder to send to message project, "Female Urushi Artists' Solidarity with the People of Tohoku,Japan." I am just learning this process. I saw it in Myanmar and cannot believe how delicate one has to be.

Click for PERFORMANCE IN THEATRE

Click for OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE

When we were in Java,Indonesia recently,I connected with the Princess (GKR Wandangsari) who is now married. They often go abroad to give dance performances in France and Korea. You can link to this marvelous ancient, little known dance that is so different than Balinese dance. It would be grand to have performers fom this court come to the United States on tour. This is an incredible gracious art form that must not be lost. Please spread the word. If a few universities would be interested,it could happen. I have their contact info and want to help make it possible.

Click here for BEDOYO PERFORMANCE AT KRATON SURAKARTA KESUSUHUNAN

PERFORMANCE IN THEATER
GAMELAN
MORE BACKGROUND ON KRATON

ANOTHER LINK TO SERIMPI

Here is the poster for a recent show in Japan:

I stopped in Japan on my way back from Indonesia. I love Japan and try to stop through there whenever possible. I had an exciting collaboration with the musicians at Shobu Gakuen, a school and home for autistic people. Shobu Gakuen is a facility for people with developmental disabilities.Residents of this place create stunning textile art as well as craft work of all kinds. Shin Fukumori and his wife, Noriko, are the directors. It was organized by Hiroko Horiguchi,my friend. Shobu Gakuen comprises a complex of elegant wooden buildings completed in 2006 and designed by William Brouwer. They have a fabulous sewing project called the "Nui" Project as well as a music group,workshops in ceramics, lacquer,and woodworking. They give them the materials to work with but do not teach anything and see what emerges from them. Sometimes some guidance is given. The goods the people make are sold in the shop there or they have events such as the fashion shows or events like mine. The place is artfully designed architecturally with no corners to inspire a social peace. They have community meals and dormitories . They have a staff of 60. I never had such a staff of helpers! The show was outside at night with huge paper boulders lit up around. "The band" was conducted by the director "Shinsan" of Shobu. He was very intense and excited,a performer in his own rite,with the sounds produced like ancient "fusion" or weird blends archaic psuedo Indonesian, combined with drumming and chimes and clatter,sometimes archaic, actually quite appropriate for me. People mentioned it was like a moving temple in Bangkok coming alive Everyone was very excited. Would love to do this again in our bay area. Will find a grant or space to do it in.

(()3/11)But during the rehearsal at Shobu Gakuen,ensued the earthquake with news of the tsunami coming right before the show. We were way south so the performance went on as normal. I wish at that moment we could have made it a benefit for the earthquake victims but it was too early to do so. People can make donations at Red Cross and look at http://www.jrc.or.jp/english.

CLICK HERE FOR PERFORMANCE IN JAPAN

Here is a link for a petition

HELP JAPAN Shut down Hamaoka and Tokai nuclear power plants - Sign the Petition!

Sha just signed this petition on Change.org.

signatures are still needed!

My last show was canceled. Too many people had died. People hesitant to go out.

(03/15)An earthquake, but just an 6.2 aftershock rippled through the subway waiting for the train. Everything shivered people grabbed things to hold onto. An exhilaration! People wearing masks and an umbrella for the potential radiation unknown. Intense seriousness everywhere. Just the horror of what can happen. One looks at everything with with the feeling of the end. Cement and cement buildings in this city looks really bleak and haunted now. Finally after half and hour the train is running but we do not know about the real cause. Our friend there said her friends are moving away but she would stay,as this is her home.

(3/16)On the way to the airport we were stopped in the station for over 45 minutes. the train did not move and apologies from the railroad echoed continuously in overlapping delays on the load speakers. A man walks by me with a huge pipe wrench. The energy is dark and in shock. People had to walk home for hours the day before

We made it at last to the airport and were able to get the last 2 standby tickets to return to San Francisco. People very helpful and kind, I cannot believe it. We had heard the airport would be crazy but it all seemed normal but empty. Some friends from Japan refused to go back to Tokyo and stayed in the south but maybe they will try now. Strange to have the streets in Tokyo quiet. People have been told not to go out.

Slowly I will update my blog from this trip at wordpress.com. contact:shasha@shashahigby.com