I’m not quite sure what this short film is for, except that it’s the result of a sponsorship between Energizer batteries and Manikako, a Filipino non-profit organization that provides self-expression and an emotional outlet for underprivileged children through doll crafting. In this video, a robot finds love in a beautiful doll but learns what the ultimate sacrifice can be. Oh, and here’s a box of tissues.

“If everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place.” – Jake Shimabukuro

TED conferences are known for hosting some of the deepest thinkers in world who talk about profound and world changing ideas.  So why was ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro invited to speak at TED conferences, such as this local conference hosted in Honolulu?

I think it is because he is an innovator who does things with a ukulele that people haven’t done before.   Hawaiian  music, with unique instrumentation such as slack guitar and the ukulele, is an area where Asian and Pacific Americans have helped develop a uniquely American musical form (I’d argue that turntablism is another).  Shimabukuro builds on that tradition to push the ukulele into new musical areas.  And they say that Asians aren’t creative!  It’s ironic that as Shimabukuro raises the profile of the ukulele and Ledward Kaapana is honored as a National Heritage Artist, the Hawaiian music category was eliminated from the Grammys.

At the end of the video, he performs his ukulele version of the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”  His cover on YouTube has gotten more than nine million views.

(h/t Madley)

I work part-time at an Asian art house and this isn’t necessarily a 1% problem. According the the article, the vase was found in a “routine house cleaning.” Speaking from personal experience, you never know who the owner of the item is, especially since it doesn’t seem to have come from a known private collector with provenance– this could be a life-changing sale for the owner. Bainbridges of London may seem like it caters to the 1% but a lot of times, museums and educational institutions are the sellers/buyers of such items; it sounds like a deadbeat Chinese buyer is the problem here.

Etsy put together this awesome short video about Korehira Watanabe, one of only about thirty remaining swordsmiths in Japan. I know next to nothing about swords, but even so, his swords look incredible, as in I watched this video with my mouth gaping open in awe. He’s been trying to recreate the Koto sword for the past 40 years for which there are no written instructions. But besides garnering massive respect for that, a lot about what he says about traditions and passion rings true to me – how some of the essence of tradition gets lost when they are adapted to modern times and this: “What I received from my master is not only the technique but also his passion for sword making.” So, I’m thinking new plan for after graduation: move to Japan, learn how to make swords, and maybe learn Japanese in there somewhere.

Bravo TV’s reality show Work of Art – Next Generation (Wednesdays at 6pm), now in its second season, is the art version of Project Runway. Every week a group of emerging artists living together in a Manhattan apartment are given limited time to produce “works of art” based on prompts and materials delivered by actress/model host China Chow and guided by art auction house owner Simon de Pury, the Tim Gunn of the series. The artists’ works are then shown in a gallery and judged by a panel of art critics and a well-known guest, such as executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker. Read more about the show – and the Asian American contestants on it – after the jump!

It’s not surprising that the series is little known and hasn’t garnered the success of Project Runway. The art world has snubbed it; and I imagine that the general TV audience, and in particular reality show set, doesn’t find fine and mixed media art as accessible or even interesting as fashion, which is a pity because I think the show is pretty stimulating. And it might get some people’s juices flowing about creating or seeing art in a different and more easily digestible way. Yes, art is subjective, but I also believe the more of it you see and ponder, the better you are able to judge what is “good” and “bad”, what has meaning or sensual merit and what doesn’t. Not to mention that two of the now seven final contestants are talented Asian-American artists with something to say and the skills to back it up. Young Sun, a gay 28-year old Korean-American from Illinois has won three of the six challenges so far; and Sara Jimenez, a 26-year old Filipina-Canadian from New York, is one of the finalists too.

In the last aired episode, the remaining eight artists were paired up and given a huge wall space on a warehouse building in DUMBO Brooklyn to produce “street art” or what one artist calls “the last bastion of rawness.” What was made by Young’s and Sara’s teams were visually arousing pieces that were personally meaningful to them, but also completely relatable and potentially significant to every viewer.

At the beginning of the show, Young’s team partner Dusty (a sweet Southern art teacher from Arkansas with a mullet) remarks that they are having trouble coming up with an idea for the challenge because he and Young can’t be any more different, with different life experiences. Dusty says deadpan, “I recently became a father, and Young has a boyfriend.” After a false-start, they get to talking and find out that Dusty became a father at the same time that Young lost a father, and this realization turns out to be the common ground needed. What results is a moving and interactive piece. They paint their conversation on the wall of the building, with their silhouettes facing each other and talking bubbles in between where Young says “I recently lost my father” and asks “How does it feel to become a parent?” and Dusty says “I recently became a father” and asks “How does it feel to lose a parent?” In the middle of their conversation in small letters is the simple statement “It changes you” along with empty bubbles for people to fill in. What’s cool is seeing how they couldn’t connect in the beginning but then totally do with their artistry, but more importantly their humanity and personal experiences. You can feel their real empathy for one another intersect. The symmetry of their graphic painting also works, and it helps that both guys are utterly affable and humble characters on the show.

Sara and her teammate Kymia, an Iranian-American, also find a connection through their immigrant parents’ “forced exile” of being uprooted from the Philippines and Iran and being re-planted somewhere else, Canada and America, to find better lives. Their work entitled “Re-route” featuring giant black and white alien looking figures, one pulling the other seemingly from the ground, is praised by the judges for its just-right use of scale on the building (best seen far away) and raw emotive quality, making it true “street art” and winning second place.

On the opposite end of the scoreboard were the works of teams led by the vixenish Lola, who painted scenes of “imagined voyeurism” including tiger penises (don’t ask, what was supposed to be “canned debauchery” just turned into silliness) and self-proclaimed super villain Sucklord, who produced a boring 3D maze (even topped off by a rat and cheese). Yes, their names say it all, and as the judges say – their works did not work!

Next episode (11/30), the artists must use a car component from a Fiat and transform it into a piece of art. This may not sound like the building block for true works of art, but the fun lies in seeing the end products from the debris and judging for yourself. Besides, the winner of the show receives $100,000 and a solo show in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, not too shabby for any artist, reality show contestant or not.

(Image credit: ArtInfo)

By Denise

My decision to take on the role of Company Manager for Prelude Norcal Hip Hop Dance Competition, hosted by Main Stacks dance team in Berkeley, CA, came at a time of great confusion. While all of my peers around me were focusing all their energy on locking in jobs in huge business firms, I was faced the difficult task of convincing my mother to sponsor my 3-month stay in Berkeley while I planned a hip hop dance competition with no income. Every day, I struggled to justify spending 4-5 hours a day planning this show, sometimes pausing on writing my cover letters and studying for my GREs to respond to the endless stream of Prelude Norcal emails from my committee, my team, and the 16 other teams participating in the event. Needless to say, as I watched the rest of the Prelude Directors try and juggle internships, jobs, school, and Prelude at the same time, there were times during this incredibly tough journey that I was afraid we might just all drop from exhaustion.

So what for? Why, you may ask, would we put ourselves through all this stress and high blood pressure for a hip hop dance show? In all honesty, who cares?

The answer is this: we care. Main Stacks wanted to produce a show that didn’t just showcase talent; we wanted to put on a show that brought the entire dance community closer. Prelude Norcal was not simply a hip hop dance competition, but a celebration of all the hard work that dancers put into perfecting their craft. What Prelude Norcal represented was an unfiltered look at the dance community, outside the lens of MTV’s cameras. It’s a glimpse at a group of young people entirely committed to teamwork and creating something magical collectively. There is no ulterior desire for the glam and glitz of ABDC fame, but rather just a chance to represent their hometown to their fullest potential through their art.

The support and energy amongst the audience on Saturday night was incredible. Anyone who had been there could feel the electrifying buzz that permeated throughout the house. Every dance team that performed on that stage left their hearts out there and in return, the crowd, sprinkled with friends, families, and fellow dancers, responded with only positivity and love. And because of that, the looming reminder of Prelude Norcal being a competition seemed to fade for second; because it almost didn’t matter if you placed or not, just so long as you produced an amazing performance with no regrets. It didn’t matter what crew you danced for, tonight was a celebration of dance with all your fellow dancers.

Prelude Norcal was a space of appreciation for all the dedication, discipline, and hard work that every dancer had committed themselves to. Everything from the short video clips of team cheers before each performance, the encouragement of dance teams to cheer for one another from the balcony seating, the massive amounts of hand painted “Go team!” posters backstage, playing interactive team games before the show, to Huan Dong, our MC, pausing the show for a second to allow audience members to introduce themselves to their neighbors—this show did everything in its power strengthen the dance community and create nothing but positive energy and support for all dancers throughout the night.

And with that, Prelude Norcal was truly a success. Main Stacks did exactly what we wanted to do: After Saturday night, we can confidently say that we have done our role in strengthening the Bay Area dance community a little more.

Did you miss Prelude Norcal 2011? Don’t miss it again! Stay tuned for more information on Main Stacks and all of our future events.

ABOUT DENISE: Denise Chan is a Ethnic Studies graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her honors thesis on Asian American youth identity in the hip hop dance community. Denise was the Executive Director of Main Stacks dance team 2010-2011 and was also the Company Manager of Prelude Norcal Hip Hop Dance Competition 2011.

Prelude Norcal Hip Hop Dance Competition 2011 took place on November 19, 2011 at Chabot College Performing Arts Center.

How many Asian Americans do you see during prime time TV? I’m looking for Asian American aspiring artist, musicians, singers, writers, actors, etc. in the New York City area from the ages of 18-30. These artists will show the power that Asian Americans have. It will serve to encourage others to continue step up and make a difference, especially in art and media. And it will show every one else, that we cannot be defined by stereotypes and cultural references.

If you’re interested, email Stefanie at aanyc.insideout[at]gmail.com. Your head shot photo will get posted around Times Square somewhere – can’t wait to see the final results!