THIS EVENT HAS ENDED
Tue October 28, 2014

Project Mah Jongg

SEE EVENT DETAILS
From the 1920s through the 1960s, the living rooms of many Jewish American homes resounded with lively exclamations of “crak, bam, dot!” and the distinctive clacking of tiles. This was the heyday of the Chinese game of mah jongg in the United States—a game with a rich history in the Jewish American community, especially amongst women.

This summer, The Contemporary Jewish Museum presents Project Mah Jongg, an exhibition that explores the traditions, history, and meaning of the game of mah jongg in Jewish American culture. It includes vintage photographs and artifacts such as scorecards, aprons, rulebooks, and tiles, with a focus on items from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1950s. An ambient soundscape in the exhibition includes oral histories interspersed with the sounds of the game in action. Players and non-players alike can take part in a round of mah jongg at a special game table within the gallery.

In addition, original works created for the exhibition by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, and renowned illustrators Maira Kalman, Christopher Niemann, and Bruce McCall offer personal interpretations of mah jongg in contemporary art and design. The Contemporary Jewish Museum is also working with local Bay Area artist Imin Yeh to create an interactive work entitled Paper Mahjong, a printed and downloadable template for making a game set at home.
From the 1920s through the 1960s, the living rooms of many Jewish American homes resounded with lively exclamations of “crak, bam, dot!” and the distinctive clacking of tiles. This was the heyday of the Chinese game of mah jongg in the United States—a game with a rich history in the Jewish American community, especially amongst women.

This summer, The Contemporary Jewish Museum presents Project Mah Jongg, an exhibition that explores the traditions, history, and meaning of the game of mah jongg in Jewish American culture. It includes vintage photographs and artifacts such as scorecards, aprons, rulebooks, and tiles, with a focus on items from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1950s. An ambient soundscape in the exhibition includes oral histories interspersed with the sounds of the game in action. Players and non-players alike can take part in a round of mah jongg at a special game table within the gallery.

In addition, original works created for the exhibition by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, and renowned illustrators Maira Kalman, Christopher Niemann, and Bruce McCall offer personal interpretations of mah jongg in contemporary art and design. The Contemporary Jewish Museum is also working with local Bay Area artist Imin Yeh to create an interactive work entitled Paper Mahjong, a printed and downloadable template for making a game set at home.
read more
show less
   
EDIT OWNER
Owned by
{{eventOwner.email_address || eventOwner.displayName}}
New Owner

Update

EDIT EDIT
Links:
Event Details

Category:
Art, Museums

Date/Times:
Contemporary Jewish Museum 62 Upcoming Events
736 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA EVENTS CALENDAR

TODAY
27
SATURDAY
28
SUNDAY
29
MONDAY
1
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Edit Event Details

I am the event organizer



Your suggestion is required.



Your email is required.
Not valid email!

    Cancel
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.

Success!

Your event is now LIVE on SF STATION

COPY LINK TO SHARE Copied

or share on


See my event listing


Looking for more visibility? Reach more people with our marketing services