Living Traditions — Multicultural Arts Series Launch

Bellevue Arts Museum and the Bellevue Downtown Association are adding a new multicultural program to this year’s Bellevue Arts Fair Weekend, with “Living Traditions” set to debut July 24-26 across downtown Bellevue. The series is described by organizers as a long-term exhibition and event platform focused on the communities and cultural practices that have shaped the Pacific Northwest. Its first installment, “Japanese Art and Resilience in the Pacific Northwest,” will combine in-person programming during the fair with an online exhibition and archive. The Bellevue Arts Fair Weekend itself is scheduled to bring more than 350 visual artists to downtown Bellevue across two venues and more than 15 artistic mediums, according to the Bellevue Downtown Association. Organizers say the fair, co-produced by Bellevue Arts Museum and the Bellevue Downtown Association, is expected to draw about 150,000 visitors. (bellevueartsfair.com) ### What is “Living Traditions” adding to the arts fair this year? “Living Traditions” is a new multicultural exhibition series at the Bellevue Arts Fair that organizers say will celebrate the communities and traditions woven into the artistic life of the Pacific Northwest. Bellevue Arts Fair materials say each edition will focus on a different culture and include performances, demonstrations, workshops and community celebrations. (downtownbellevue.com) The University of Washington’s Center for Japanese Studies said the series will also include curated essays, historical archives and a cultural map, with programming continuing online and beyond the July fair weekend. That structure makes the project broader than a single temporary fair exhibit, extending it into a continuing archive of regional cultural history. (bellevueartsfair.com) ### Why does the first edition focus on Japanese art in the Pacific Northwest? This year’s inaugural exhibition is titled “Japanese Art and Resilience in the Pacific Northwest,” according to Bellevue Arts Fair and Bellevue Arts Museum materials. Organizers say the opening edition begins with Japan as “a deep and growing root in the creative life of the Pacific Northwest.” (jsis.washington.edu) Seattle Met, citing Bellevue Arts Museum, reported that the series is supported by King County 4Culture and co-curated by Dr. Anna-Marie Moblard Meier and Shizu Usami. Bellevue Arts Museum’s event listings identify Usami as a master calligrapher and co-curator for the launch programming. ### What events are already on the calendar before the fair opens? (bellevueartsfair.com) A public curatorial talk is scheduled for Sunday, July 12, at Bellevue Library through the King County Library System. Bellevue Arts Museum said Moblard Meier and Usami will lead the launch event, which will include Japanese artistic traditions in the Northwest through calligraphy, Star Festival wish-writing and haiku. (seattlemet.com) The Bellevue Arts Fair Weekend special-events page lists the July 12 session as free and public. The same page also lists a “Living Traditions” artist talk with Ko Kirk Yamahira for July, though the museum says timing information is still to come. ### What will happen during Bellevue Arts Fair Weekend itself? Bellevue Arts Museum’s event listings show a woodblock printing, or mokuhanga, workshop on Sunday, July 26, at Avenue Bellevue during Arts Fair Weekend. (bellevuearts.org) Artists Kathleen Hargrave and Yoshi Nakagawa are scheduled to lead the hands-on session, where participants will learn printmaking principles and make their own prints. (bellevueartsfair.com) Bellevue Arts Fair materials say the broader “Living Traditions” programming will include performances, demonstrations, workshops and community celebrations tied to the featured culture. Organizers have not yet published a full public schedule for every “Living Traditions” activity across the July 24-26 fair weekend, but they have directed visitors to the Bellevue Arts Fair and Bellevue Arts Museum event pages for updates. (bellevuearts.org) ### Where will visitors find the project after the weekend ends? The University of Washington’s Center for Japanese Studies said events tied to “Living Traditions” will run during the weekend of the Bellevue Arts Fair and beyond. Bellevue Arts Fair materials describe the project as an online exhibition and an evolving archive of the region’s cultural heritage, suggesting future installments will continue after the inaugural Japanese-focused edition. (bellevueartsfair.com) July 24-26 is the first public fair-weekend run for the series, and July 12 is the first listed launch event. Bellevue Arts Museum has also posted a dedicated “Living Traditions” page and additional event listings for updates on the online exhibition, workshops and artist talks. (bellevuearts.org) (jsis.washington.edu)