Upcoming Event: Fukushima Now: Relief Effort to Support Children in Fukushima

Two years after the Tohoku disaster in 2011, memories have faded and conversations about the incident, and what we can learn from it, are rapidly disappearing from the media. As time widens the gap between March 11, 2011 and the present, I wonder how I can stay connected to the issues that arose from the disaster -- but often I am left feeling very helpless. That's why I am so honored to be a part of a benefit next Saturday March 30, that keeps the conversation going.

Bay Area Artists for Japan have organized Fukushima Now: Relief Effort to Support Children in Fukushima, which will be held at the Kala Institute of Art in Berkeley, CA. The fundraiser will encompass an art auction (with 50 works of art) and a panel discussion addressing current conditions in Fukushima, as well as the continuing impact of the use of nuclear power on people worldwide.

The panelist will include: Takashi Arai, Photographer; Jacqueline Cabasso, Executive Director, Western States Legal Foundation; Linda Seeley, Vice President, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace; and Jeffrey Jousan, Co-Director of the film Women of Fukushima. I really look forward to hearing what these guests have to say in this collective setting.

In addition to the panel, I will be showing a series of videos I shot in Japan six months after the disaster, titled Food + Radiation. Featured on Umami Mart in 2011, I interviewed several food producers, a bar owner and parents about the impact of the disaster on their everyday lives. Here is a video I made about testing radiation in food in Japan:



I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to the organizers of this event for the opportunity to screen my videos.

There will be delicious food for sale by local chefs and caterers, and as an added bonus, Kayoko and I are excited to be serving drinks all night. Come say "hi"! We will be working hard for your tips, which will all be donated to the cause.

Bay Area Artists For Japan will send all proceeds to  a3a! Anzen Anshin Action in Koriyama, a non-profit group in Koriyama, a city in Fukushima prefecture. This organization helps pay the cost of independent health care and exams for children and mothers in Koriyama.



WHAT: Fundraiser, art auction and panel discussion on the global impact of the 2011 Tohoku disaster.

WHEN: Saturday 3/30, 5-8pm

WHERE: Kala Art Institute
2990 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA
Map here

Admission is FREE; Food will be available for sale

For more details and information, please check out the Bay Area Artists for Japan website.

See you next Saturday in Berkeley!