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Upper Delaware Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
 

NARROWSBURG, NY and ONLINE - On Sunday, August 18, Japanese artist and activist Yasuyo Tanaka will be speak about her work as a peace and fervent anti-nuclear advocate at the Upper Delaware Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (UDUUF) at 10:15 AM in the Narrowsburg Union. The public is invited to attend in person or online by Zoom.

Tanaka’s August visit to the Upper Delaware River Valley coincides with somber dates In the shared history of Japan in the United States of America and the world.

August 13, 1942 marks the day the Manhattan project began at Columbia University. The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6,1945 and the second fell on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. August 15, 1945 is the anniversary of the end of the war in Japan in 1945.

August 13 to 15 is the Japanese Obon festival, when the spirits of ancestors are returning to their homes along with all of their relatives. It is believed that by honoring and holding memorial services for the spirits of ancestors during this period, family unity is strengthened and blessings are received from the ancestors.

Yasuyo Tanaka is an artist, educator, researcher, organizer, peace worker, and first-generation Japanese immigrant living in NYC.

Born and raised in Japan, where the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, her hometown was damaged by radiation from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disasters and became a final disposal candidate site for nuclear waste. This awakened her to become a social practice artist, researching social and environmental issues and expressing her experiences and what she learned through art.

In her presentation "Under This Sky, Are We Hibakusha?" she will share what she’s seen and felt in the nuclear disaster areas in Japan and the U.S., as well as photos related to radiation contamination. She will introduce the little-known history of the Manhattan Project (developing and manufacturing atomic bombs) which began in New York City, and report on a creative learning project with children at the Manhattanville Community Center near the Nash Garage building (where the Manhattan Project platform was built). This presentation will explore personal connections to events taking place under this sky, beyond time and place.

Tanaka will share images of her work and talk about its place and purpose in the intersection of Japanese and American culture. There will be a public exhibition and a special origami workshop for people of all ages at a time that will be announced at the August 17th service.

The talk will be held live during the Sunday morning service of the UDUUF on Sunday, August 18th at 10:15 AM in the Narrowsburg Union, 7 Erie Ave., Room 102, Narrowsburg, NY 12764. For more information about this or upcoming weekly programs, see uduuf.com or email uduuf2022@gmail.com. Inquiries regarding this program may be made to Cynthia Nash at 646-229-0059.

Come in person if you can, or bookmark this link for this and future UDUUF services: https://zoom.us/j/99359135643?pwd=RS9kb3FKMEF6Y1hNMG9uRFpwa2V3UT09
Meeting ID: 993 5913 5643
Passcode: 885087

For Immediate Release
Event Date: 8/18/2024 [same date as the above]

Origami for PeaceSPECIAL PROGRAM: Origami For Peace

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Upper Delaware Universalist Unitarian Fellowship (UDUUF) will be offering a free public Japanese Paper Origami Workshop conducted by artist and activist Yasuyo Tanaka immediately after its services on Sunday, August 18th, at the Narrowsburg Union, located at 7 Erie Ave.

The workshop will begin at 12:30 PM and will last for an hour and a half to two hours. Materials will be provided.

Everyone is also welcome to attend the service, which begins at 10:15 AM during which Tanaka will speak about the spiritual and tangible fallout from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki not just to the Japanese people, but all of humanity.

Tanaka regularly conducts creative workshops in New York City with the purpose of creating community and self-awareness.

Her visit to the Upper Delaware River Valley follows an installation and projects at the Japan Society in New York City.

Here’s what she says about her origami Peace and Harmony workshop: ”The global pandemic caused us to view disasters as our own problem, not someone else's. Under this sky, there are many casualties every day, including the Gaza-Israeli war, and the Russian-Ukrainian war. This affects our lives as well. "Peace and Harmony" is a workshop series where we come together to make origami peace ornaments. We have shared wishes for a peaceful earth and a safe place to live. With these wishes in mind, we’ll fold cranes out of colored paper (with a world map printed on it) and create peace ornaments.

The purpose of this workshop is to connect our divided minds and bodies in the midst of rapid social change. Together, we create a collaborative work and create a place for everyone to connect with others and our community.”

Media contact for this special event: cynthiadnash@gmail.com