SAN BRUNO — “The Art of Resilience,” featuring Tanforan exhibit tours, a panel discussion and memorial walk-through, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the San Bruno BART Station, 1151 Huntington Ave., and online.
Join Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) for an afternoon of arts activities honoring the local history of Tanforan and beyond.
There will be two tours of the San Bruno BART Station’s “Tanforan 1942 Incarceration: Resilience Behind Barbed Wire” exhibition with artist and curator Na Omi Shintani unfolding the lesser known history of the site for its role as a racetrack-turned-detention center for the incarceration of Bay Area Japanese Americans during World War II and the broader impacts of Executive Order 9066. Tours (in-person and online) begin at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
At 2 p.m., a panel discussion highlighting collective efforts to honor and memorialize the histories, figures, and narratives of communities of color and the role art plays in these efforts will feature artists Carlos Gonzalez, Paul Kitagaki, Diana Li, and Patricia Montgomery. The panel will be moderated by Katie Quan of REALSOUL and take place at AZ Gallery inside the Shops at Tanforan. Register for in-person and online attendance here: https://artofresilience-panel.eventbrite.com
At 3:30 p.m., a walk-through (in-person only) of the new Tanforan Memorial just outside the station commissioned by the Tanforan Assembly Center Memorial Committee will be led by Steve Okamoto, vice chairman of the committee, who was incarcerated with his family as a baby. The memorial features a sculpture based on photos of the Mochida sisters taken by photographer Dorothea Lange along with the 8,000+ names of those who were sent to long-term concentration camps through the site.
Attendance for all events is free but spots are limited for each activity, so registration in advance is recommended. This registration page is for the Tanforan exhibit tours and memorial walk-through only: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-art-of-resilience-tanforan-exhibit-tours-memorial-walkthrough-tickets-534683140667
This program is funded in part by CalHumanities and the National Park Service.
The best way to attend the exhibit is to take BART to the San Bruno Station and make your way upstairs. The exhibition is located on the ground level inside the station. If you are driving to the location, the closest place to park is either in the parking garage next to the movie theater/food court or the Target parking structure’s ground floor. From there, you can walk directly to the station. Let the station attendant know you are there to attend the exhibition tour and you should be able to enter the station for free. The memorial is located just outside of the BART station.
The panel discussion will take place at AZ Gallery inside of the Shops at Tanforan Mall on the second floor adjacent to BJ’s and JC Penney. If coming from BART, enter the mall through the food court/movie theater, go up to the second floor and head to your left. The gallery is located on the other side of the mall next to JC Penney.
Note that the Tanforan Memorial and BART exhibition are essentially outside. Be sure to dress in warm layers. Because the venues are located next to the San Bruno Police Station, there is a high presence of police activity in the area. Lastly, if you have any accessibility needs (e.g. chair to sit, ASL interpretation, etc.), let event organizers know when you register for each activity. If you get lost or need assistance, call (415) 251-7433.
About AAWAA
AAWAA’s mission is to advance the visibility and recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander women in the arts. Through exhibitions, publications, public programs and an informative website, AAWAA is an accessible resource and portal for educators academics, researchers, arts and social justice communities and the general public.
This exhibition is part of AAWAA’s efforts to create more opportunities for its artist members. If you would like to further support its membership and programs, consider joining or donating. www.aawaa.net