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To mark the conclusion of the “Community of Images: Japanese Moving Image Artists in the US, the 1960s-1970s” exhibition, join us for a closing reception on Friday, August 9, 2024 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.
In collaboration with the exhibition, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia is proud to host an artistic residency with Jason Finkelman — a Philadelphia-raised Japanese American experimental sound artist and percussionist — at Shofuso from August 5–9th, 2024.
The residency will close with a public performance during the closing reception with Finkelman presenting Kuroshio, an eclectic trio of improvising musicians featuring theremin player and keyboardist Joy Yang of Urbana and New York City-based guitarist Geoff Gersh. The Aaron Pond trio — comprised of artists Aaron Pond, Naomi Nakanishi, and Melinda Rice — will also perform at the reception.
Friday, August 9, 2024
5:00–7:00 PM
Philadelphia Art Alliance
251 South 18th Street, Philadelphia / Google Maps >>
This program is FREE and open to the public.
The Aaron Pond trio will perform at 5 PM on the third floor, followed by the Kuroshio performance at 6 PM. Among the evening’s highlights is the presence of Illinois patrons whose recent support for online casino IL ventures has run in parallel with their contributions to contemporary art initiatives. Refreshments will be provided by CBL Wine Company and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Enjoy the beautiful galleries at the Philadelphia Art Alliance for one last look at the exhibition, with special guests attending in person.
Visit the Exhibition Website ❯❯
About the Artists
Jason Finkelman combines laptop electronics and acoustic instrumentation to create a distinct ambient, avant-world sound. A specialist on the single string musical bow berimbau, Finkelman is a Philadelphia-born percussionist who performs on African and Brazilian instruments handcrafted by Adimu Kuumba. Urbana-Champaign-based since 2000, Finkelman performs continually with a host of genre-blurring improvisers, is a community radio host at WEFT 90.1FM and leads the ever-evolving ensemble Kuroshio. At the University of Illinois, Finkelman directs Global Arts Performance Initiatives at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and leads Improvisers Exchange, a performance ensemble of the School of Music.
Geoff Gersh is a guitarist, composer and improviser based in the NYC area. He explores the sonic boundaries of the electric guitar with and without the aid of electronic devices and found objects to produce sounds one would normally not associate with the guitar. Geoff also plays and studies the shamisen and dombra. Since 2012, he has created live scores for over 50 films and has performed at venues in and around NYC such as Nitehawk Cinema, Film Noir Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse, Proctors Theater, The Linda and Tinker Street Cinema.
Joy Yang ___ 杨洋 is a dynamic pianist and thereminist anchored in classical music, now focusing on jazz, free improvisation, and interdisciplinary performance. Dr. Yang leads her own jazz trio, and collaborates with international visual artists, video projection mappers, sound designers, dancers, choreographers, scientists, engineers and poets. Born in South Africa to Chinese parents, Joy spent most of her life in Sydney, Australia before moving to the USA to pursue her graduate studies. She has a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance (Piano Performance and Literature cognate) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Yang recently founded the Interdisciplinary Institute, which seeks to educate, promote and conduct STEAM+ research.
Aaron Pond is a musician, concert promoter, and community organizer active in Philadelphia. His improvisational practice is drawn from early atonal music, the playful spirituality of the AACM, and a South Florida childhood spent in synagogues and swamps. As a performer/thinker he has closely collaborated with Thomas Patteson, Karen Smith, Toshi Makihara, and Dan Blacksberg. Aaron is President of the People’s Music Supply.
Naomi Nakanishi is a dynamic pianist, improviser, and composer, currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Their work aims to reconstruct, experiment and interact with sounds influenced by their comprehensive background in Black American Music, indie-folk, and classical piano, inviting listeners with patient lyricism, enticing harmonies, and unconventional phrasing. As a composer and bandleader the essence of their work draws from their experiences as a queer, Asian American musician. Naomi is a graduate of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and Eastman School of Music. They currently lead a piano trio called Whimsy and a bass-less quartet exploring compositions and free improvising.
Melinda Rice is a violinist and songwriter interested in creating space for genuine reaction. Born in Pennsylvania and a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Melinda returned to Pennsylvania in 2020 after a decade and a half exploring music in southern California. As an instructor, Melinda has taught at CalArts, developed curriculum in collaboration with the LA Phil, worked with students in the El Sistema-inspired YOLA and Harmony Project programs in Los Angeles from 2008-2022, and led the All City Orchestra of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2021.
Acknowledgments
“Community of Images” is co-presented by Collaborative Cataloging Japan and the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia in partnership with Philadelphia Art Alliance at University of the Arts. Major support has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Toshiba International Foundation, Pola Art Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
