Maneki Neko @ The Bellevue Arts Museum

I have a set of carved crayons in the Maneki exhibition currently showing at the Bellevue Arts Museum.  Please stop by if you're in town.

Maneki Neko: Japan's Beckoning Cats – From Talisman to Pop Icon
February 22 - August 4, 2013
Bellevue Arts Museum
510 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Since the Edo period (1603 - 1868) a fabricated cat with a paw upraised in the Japanese gesture of beckoning has been considered a good luck charm, drawing good fortune to individuals and businesses. This exhibition highlights a unique selection of more than 150 cats collected by maneki neko aficionado Billie Moffitt, as well as interpretations of this tradition by renowned contemporary artists. Whether carved in wood or stone, sculpted in clay or formed in papier mâché, these alluring and enigmatically artful felines express aspects both of historic Japanese lore and contemporary pop culture.

To celebrate the exhibition, Bellevue Arts Museum has invited several contemporary Northwest artists to create their own interpretations of this Japanese tradition. Participating artists include: Diem Chau, Joey Chiarello, Jeffry Mitchell, Saya Moriyasu, Moxie, Yuki Nakamura, George Rodriguez, Maki Tamura, Jason Walker, and Patti Warashina.

Here's a short segment on King 5's Evening Magazine about the show:
http://www.king5.com/on-tv/evening-magazine/Beckoning-Cats-200292971.html
It was fun doing the shoot.  It's a really cool show, bring the whole family. :) 

Here's Deanna Duff's article in the NW Asian Weekly about the show:
http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2013/03/japans-beckoning-cats-visit-bellevue/
Thanks Deanna :)