Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ to

Kristi Lin, a Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ member, will lead a weaving workshop to honor Japanese American tradition. (Photo by Beto Soto from the official website of Kristi Lin)

Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ will host a weaving workshop, led by Kristi Lin, on Thursday, Oct. 27, via Zoom meeting.

The church's announcement posted that the training is a part of the Japanese American National Museum’s (JANM) Art Break program. They welcome all ages and artistic skills to join the workshop.

Besides, the church noted that the materials are scissors, tape, and a cereal box of any size.

Workshop Details

According to JANM’s website, the workshop would be about discovering the art of weaving. As added on the website, they use these arts to respect Japanese American traditions and new concepts.

In addition, Lin will share her knowledge about the traditional ways of weaving in Japan. She would also teach some combination methods of contemporary weaving, as further explained. Besides, the participants could easily find materials at home suitable for all generations.

About Kristi Lin

The same website revealed that Lin is a landscape architect and sculptural weaver. They added that she is a member of JANM’s 30 Changemakers Under 30, an award given as part of JANM’s 30th Anniversary celebrations in 2022.

Moreover, they emphasized Lin belongs to the fourth-generation Japanese American and third-generation Chinese Americans. The website mentioned that Lin supports change of culture.

She is interested in how a culture transforms with each age and how people seek to preserve history.

Her View on Nature

JANM’s website highlighted that they know that nature is constantly changing. As a landscape architect, Lin views nature as an artistic motivation, as mentioned on the website.

They revealed that she made large-scale weavings to represent herself in her solo exhibition at the Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego. They noted that Lin used her clothes dyed in vegetable dyes from her food scraps.

As further explained, Lin hung the weavings in the cultural garden so they could be swayed in the breeze and faded in the sun. The website emphasized that as nature evolves, Lin’s work entices people to reflect on how their culture is designed naturally by the ever-changing earth.

Preserving, Sharing History

In JANM’s History section, they stressed that the purpose of JANM is to preserve and share the story of Japanese Americans. It centers its mission on developing to enrich the appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural differences.

The museum noted that they are documenting the stories of Americans of Japanese ancestry as a vital part of U.S. history.

The same website explained that from a small nonprofit, JANM became a national group that collected nearly $60 million. They used this money to refurbish a historic former Buddhist temple structure in 1992 and built an adjacent contemporary Pavilion in 1999, as mentioned on the website.

In addition, they added that the museum was a combined initiative of a band of Japanese American World War II veterans and a group of Little Tokyo businessmen in 1985. Besides, JANM received the National Medal for Museum and Library Services in 2010.

The website revealed that this medal is America’s highest honor for museums.