by Jessica Yoon
Local artist Maggie Hazen has undertaken a project to create an art memorial in honor of the 20th anniversary of the LA Riots.
The memorial, commissioned by Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD) and the SAIGU campaign, will be a modular installation consisting of approximately 6,000 miniature and individually crafted plaster vessels filled with basic food ingredients, which will represent the occupation and unification of the Los Angeles community.
“I just want to bring something beautiful to something that’s been destroyed,” Hazen told iamKoreAm.com in a phone interview. “I think it will speak to the community in terms of the picture of harmony and unity. That’s what I really want people to look out for.”
The 22-year-old recent graduate of Biola University said the program’s manager, Bonnie Kim, was familiar with her previous work and approached her to do the memorial. Hazen said she realized her work was all about mapping geographical regions of human conflict.
“The motivation is kind of what is the essence of a human being and what is our shared point of common interest?” Hazen said. “I realized that it was food, and so I’m using flour, rice, and cornmeal as three main food staples that kind of represent a wide brush stroke of ethnic diversity and something that we share in common.”
The memorial will also invite the direct involvement of the community by having a select group of 25 to 30 representatives who were directly affected by the riots to take part in creating the installation. The entire process will also be filmed and made into a short documentary featuring the stories of the representatives and the building process of the project.
The memorial placement will be part of a three-day event leading up to the Art Show opening on April 28, 2012 and the L.A. Riots commemorative service on April 29, 2012.
“I’m really just looking forward to seeing the community’s reaction and how they see the piece and I really want to hear what people are saying,” said Hazen. “I’m looking forward to different cultures to shake hands and come to some conclusions and some peace.”
Visit Hazen’s KickStarter page if you are interested in donating to this important project. For more info on the artist, go to maggiehazen.com.
A Los Angeles man took his own life after attempting to kill his wife following a domestic dispute, according to news reports.
Jong Sun Park, 32, was found dead after an attempted murder-suicide at the Park La Brea apartments last Friday, the Korea Times reported. Park and his wife reportedly became involved in a major argument, which ended with the wife, believed to be in her late 20s, suffering blunt force injuries to the head.
Park then sent his younger brother an e-mail stating that he would sort everything out and kill himself. The sibling alerted police who broke down the door to the home and discovered Park had committed suicide by hanging himself, according to the Korea Times.
Park’s wife is currently being treated at a local hospital, according to KTLA, and authorities said she is still unaware of her husband’s death. The couple reportedly have two small children, who were staying with relatives at the time of the incident.
Park, who lived in the Los Angeles area, worked as a truck driver transporting imported goods to distribution centers around Southern California. Neighbors told the Korea Times they often heard his truck’s engine in the middle of the night.
Photos by Michael Kovac/WireImage
Despite a late start, Far East Movement sent their diehard fans home happy following an impromptu performance last night at an event in downtown Los Angeles.
The electro pop group threw a party called “Dirty Bass Museum” at Hunter Studios to hype up their forthcoming album. Guests were encouraged to bring gifts for the Toys for Tots program which saw a $5,000 donation from the band in giant check format.
Legendary hip hop veteran DJ Quik was on hand to do a DJ set before giving way to FM’s DJ Virman. Kev Nish told iamKoreAm.com the band wasn’t scheduled to perform but being back in their hometown compelled them to get on stage.
FM whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their chart-topping hit “Like a G6,” followed by “Rocketeer.” They then played a track off their new album “Dirty Bass,” set for release early next year.
The group, in town on their off day between tour dates, will be playing at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, tonight.
The cognac was flowing like water at the event, which was sponsored by Remy Martin. Delicious tacos were also flowing like water with catering by #1 Taco Shop.
Check out the photos and video after the jump: Continue Reading »
The Giving Cycle
One night a month, Jeff Jun’s Lavanderia in Santa Ana, Calif., transforms into a hub of good, clean love.
story by David H. Kim and Julie Ha
photos by Charles Kang
From the outside, this place with the word “Lavanderia” in big blue letters plastered on the storefront window appears your run-of-the-mill laundromat, located on a major thoroughfare in the city of Santa Ana, Calif. But stop by on the third Thursday of any month, between 8 and 10 p.m., and you will hear more than the clanking of coins being deposited into machines or the vigorous swishing of washers and whirring of dryers. You will hear conversation. You will hear laughter. You will see smiling children sucking on lollipops, engaged in coloring books or playing in the aisles. You may even see grown-ups dancing to Britney Spears or Wonder Girls tunes blaring out of a jukebox, as others clap in encouragement.
Welcome to Laundry Love Santa Ana. One evening per month, owner Jeff Jun’s Lavanderia, at 406 E. Santa Ana Blvd., undergoes this transformation from a place to wash clothes to a community of goodwill.
On these nights, he opens his doors to homeless people, the working poor and others in need for a night of free laundering services. The effort is part of a social justice initiative started by a group of local do-gooders and modeled after the national Laundry Love movement, which pairs laundromats with local volunteers who provide coins, detergent and, often, a shoulder, a hand, an ear to those in the community who are struggling financially. For these individuals, clean clothes—a basic need that’s often overlooked in charitable giving—are a luxury. Continue Reading »
Photo credit: Hyungwon Kang
It would have made a wonderful story. South Korean Jindo dog enthusiasts donated two puppies to the K-9 division of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPD would get some donated assistance, and Korea would promote the Jindo, Natural Monument No. 53, of the country’s 467-strong list of important rocks, plants and animals.
At the same time, should anyone be surprised that it didn’t work out? Jindos lived wild on their eponymous island until the 1960s, and, despite their impressive hunting skills and intelligence, have never been bred to be working dogs. Even the Korean police doesn’t use Jindos.
Standard working breeds like German Shepherds have been selectively bred for centuries, and even then, an average litter might only yield one or two pups that can work. The odds would seem to have been stacked again the Jindos from the start.
So whose idea was it? Continue Reading »
FOR ONLY $28!
Featured Event
It’s the new year, and Yim Jae Beum is coming to town! After a sold-out show in Los Angeles last October, he is coming back to hold two U.S. concerts for the 2012 Lunar New Year. Everyone already knows this man can sing! He’s got an impressive resume, debuting as a rock singer back in 1986, releasing Korean classics, such as “For You,” and most recently, joining and winning first place twice on the MBC show, “I am a Singer.”
Seattle and New Jersey, get ready! We are happy to announce that we will be giving away TWO (2) pairs of tickets! read more
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