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CELEBRATE: 2016 Exhibitions Opening Party

February 12, 2016
5-7 p.m. Opening festivities
7-9 p.m. Dance Party

Great Art. Festive activities. Music. Snacks. Bring a friend and join us!

Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, and Valentine's Day fall within a few days of each other this year. We're adding another reason to celebrate with the opening of three new exhibitions.Ìý

Deatils of the evening's festivities:
5-7 p.m. Refreshments including Tibetan momo (dumplings), King cake, and Valentines Day cake
5-7 p.m. Mardi Gras mask-making activity
5-7Ìýp.m. Haiku writing stationÌý
5-9 p.m. Before I Die Wall activity

6- 6:30 p.m. A performance byÌýTrio Las Dahlias
Trio Las Dahlias isÌýan all female Mexican trio:ÌýTeresitaÌýLozano (flute and vocals), Valeria Carlos (guitar and vocals), and Roberta Maldonado (percussion and vocals). The group aims to collect, preserve, and promote the classic Mexican songs they were raised with and inherited. TheirÌýgoal is to erase cultural, racial, linguistic, and political borders by evoking the voices of their heritage, as well as to express the long historical strength and struggle of women in Mexican music and Mexican culture. They believe the passion, humor, and pathos of this music transcends cultural barriers so that others may enjoy and share in its significance. The group isÌýnamed after the dahlia flower, the national flower of Mexico.Ìý

7 p.m. An interactive performance of Everybody Likes to Dance, by Las Hermanas Iglesias
Las Hermanas invited their parents to curate a song reminiscent of music they grew up dancing to in their respective countries. Their father, Bienvenido, chose a Dominican Merengue and their mother, Bodhild chose a Norwegian Pols. The artists then asked five musician/DJS to each create a mashup of the songs. After learning each of the dances, the artists developed a new choreography, a fusion of steps between the two traditions. A nod to Andy Warhol’s Dance Diagram series from the early ‘60s in which "readymade" diagrams of ballroom dance steps were displayed on the floor, Las Hermanas created a dance diagram of their new choreography. The artwork operates as both a floor piece and a functional dance floor for viewers to try out the steps. A takeaway poster of the dance diagram accompanies the project.

7:15 p.m. A dance demonstration byÌýSide By Side Dance Co.
SideÌýbyÌýSideÌýDance Company develops ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ youth from a multitude of cultural backgrounds to become leaders, creators, and successful builders of communities. Through dance and a variety of community events, we strive to inspire, teach and empower individuals from all walks of life.ÌýTheirÌýmission is to inspire others to follow their dreams, reach out to one another, and live their lives to the fullest. This mission is carried out in all that we organize – community workshops, performances, festivals, and full length productions. Arts enrich life: whether one is a mover, painter, musician or witness. Reaching those outside of our dance community is critical in spreading our message and enriching as many lives as we can. TheÌýmission comes to life through the art of storytelling. Performing provides an opportunity for dancers to take their audience on a journey, to bring them to distant places and familiar feelings. Because of it’s power in bringing people together,ÌýSideÌýbyÌýSideÌýwholeheartedly believes in and promotes the story found in us all. Featured dancers:ÌýVanessa Weingarten,ÌýMaggie Shomaker,ÌýPoet Lyon,ÌýDonovan Noland,ÌýHelen Noland,ÌýSasha Gordon,ÌýKen Yeng,ÌýRaymundo Valenzuela,ÌýAlvie Saucedo,ÌýLinsey Jolly.

7:30-8:45 p.m. Dance Party led by

8:45 p.m. Pinata breaking

The exhibitions opening February 12 include:

Be Here Now: Conversations Between Objects
Be Here NowÌýis the second exhibition in a series subtitledÌýConversations Between Objects, which provokes a dialogue between artworks that span different time periods and geographic locations.Ìý

Janelle Iglesias: Even a Simple Call Can Turn Into a Complex Racket
Our inaugural artist-in-residence explores the human impulse to collect and throw things away.Ìý

Life and Afterlife: Selections from the King Collection of Ancient Chinese Art
This exhibition showcases artifacts dating to China’s prehistoric beginnings through its classic imperial dynasties.Ìý