Seventh heaven Today begins a busy weekend for the local Asian and Pacific arts organization, Temari. Its 22nd annual fund-raiser begins at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction and an art marketplace featuring the works of local artists, and tomorrow celebrates July 7, the seventh month of the seventh day of the seventh moon in which the stars Vega and Altair cross paths on the Milky Way.
Fund-raiser stars Temari
In Chinese mythology, the stars represent a couple, a heavenly weaver and a human sheep herder. Forbidden to love each other, the couple ask for compassion from the gods, who change them into stars so they can meet once a year.
In Japan, the day is celebrated with the Tanabata Star Family Festival.
Both events will be held at the Japanese Cultural Center in Moiliili.
The art marketplace -- which will also be open with free admission during tomorrow's festival -- gives the artists another venue to sell their work, according to Temari's executive director Ann Asakura. "They receive 60 percent of the purchase price," she said, "while Temari retains the remainder to continue its mission of perpetuating traditional and contemporary artforms through education, enterprise and special events."Among the 25 artists whose works will be up for sale are painters George Woollard and Jinga Kim, printmakers Laura Smith and Cora Yee, ceramicists Joel Park and Ed Higa, jeweler Cynthia Wiig, fiber artists Pam Barton and Maile Andrade, sculptor Jodi Endicott and mixed media artist Lori Uyehara.
There will also be a special sale of replicas of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's terra cotta warriors.
Items up for bid during the silent auction will include gift certificates for special events, memberships, spa services, trips and restaurants. Pupus and beverages will also be served.
Now tomorrow's family festival approximates a community festival in Japan known as Tanabata, an ancient name for weavers and their looms. Bamboo trees are hung with poems, wishes, paper cows and kimonos, while families dance in streets tfestooned with long paper tassels.
While there will be no dancing in the streets at tomorrow's Temari event, there will be activities like hands-on making of origami five-point stars, decorating a bamboo wishing tree and cutting a Milky Way out of paper.
Mike Shanahan of the Bishop Museum will give astronomy lessons, Asian dances will be performed, bon dance lessons will be given, there'll be demonstrations of silk cord weaving and embroidery, and, as a special treat, actual storytelling by two star lovers themselves (or reasonable facsimile).
A celebration of local artists: Temari's Art and Soul
Where: Grand Manoa Ballroom, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, 2454 S. Beretania St.
When: 5:30 to 7 p.m. today
Admission: $30 per ticket ($15 tax deductible)
Call: 735-1860
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow Tanabata Star Family Festival
Where: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, 2454 S. Beretania St.
Admission: Free
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