Usando las artes tradicionales para sobrellevar el estrés y la ansiedad
Recently this picture showed up online in a group I participate in on Facebook and it sparked a lively little debate. The original poster was wondering who (which historical general, if any) the lion represented and the answer, according to the lion maker, is Zhang Fei. This made…
One of the great classics of Chinese literature is a novel known as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the novel three warring states are battling for dominance of ancient China and many of the stories and symbolisms have become entwined into the Chinese popular culture and ethos.
Propositions 30 and 38 provide urgently needed funding for California’s schools. Without the funding they provide, the results for education as a whole and arts education will be dire. Please help ACTA spread the word about these important propositions by sharing a post on Facebook, writing an email to colleagues,…
Leaving our California offices on June 27th, Amy Kitchener, ACTA’s Executive Director, Russell Rodriguez, Quetzal Flores, and I (program staff) arrived in Washington, D.C. for the culmination of a near three-year planning process. We were off to present artists and culture-bearers and be hands-on for the nation’s 49th annual Folklife…
Participation in arts and culture that is rooted in community can catalyze transformative social change. Our work at ACTA facilitates the engagement of artists and organizers with deeply rooted traditional arts processes and values as a way of informing local social justice efforts. The practice of community-centered art helps build…
I’m in the phase of adding the papier-mâché layers to the frame so there really isn’t a whole lot to blog about–it’s probably the longest and to me the most tedious/repetitious part of the process. Wet paper, stick it on, repeat. I don’t want to bore you with all the…
The end of the year is coming up quickly so I’m starting to feel the pressure of finishing up by the time 2012 rolls around. But I don’t want to rush and do a sloppy job, I’ll just have to up my game a little bit and sacrifice some sleep……
I may have mentioned before that lions are seen as agents of heaven, used to frighten evil spirits away and bring a blessing to those for whom it performs. Before it can do that however it needs to be blessed or awakened by going through a special ceremony known as…
As I was browsing eBay for interesting things I came across a listing for a “~~CHINESE Ancient Art RARE Handmade Ceremonial Pagent Satin LION DANCING ROBE~~” and lo and behold the picture wasn’t of a robe at all but a vintage tail for a…