2020 - 2021 Schedule - Our 20th Anniversary Season!
Online Presentations and Videos
Welcome to our First Saturday PDX twentieth anniversary season, and our debut collection of online programs! The season starts 12 September, 2020 running through 5 June, 2021 - come join us on another voyage of discovery. Registration is required for each of these free events; available on the Upcoming Presentation page.
Stamp Collecting in 1950's China, The Chinese Textile Collection at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, The History of the Chile Pepper in China, Tales of a Female Rebel in 18th Century China and Historical Tea Preparation and Consumption in China are all part of this season's schedule.
Stamp Collecting in 1950's China, The Chinese Textile Collection at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, The History of the Chile Pepper in China, Tales of a Female Rebel in 18th Century China and Historical Tea Preparation and Consumption in China are all part of this season's schedule.
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Collecting Under Socialism: Philately in 1950's China
Wendy Larson, Ph.D. University of Oregon 12 September, 2020 Come with us as we explore the world of stamp collecting in Socialist China. China has a long history of collecting, including birds, insects, flowers, stamps, art, and later, Mao badges. When the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, collectors rethought their activities in the new political environment. In this talk, Dr Wendy Larson introduces the contentious debates among stamp collectors in the 1950's, which focused on both the dangers and pleasures of the hobby. |
Chinese Art Collection at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Anne Rose Kitagawa, M.A., Chief Curator of Collections
and Asian Art
Director of Academic Programs
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon
3 October, 2020
We explore "Myriad Treasures," the inaugural installation in the newly refurbished Soreng Gallery of Chinese Art at the University of Oregon’s JSMA , featuring 113 objects spanning four millennia of Chinese history from the museum’s legacy collection along with a few exciting recent acquisitions.
Anne Rose Kitagawa, M.A., Chief Curator of Collections
and Asian Art
Director of Academic Programs
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon
3 October, 2020
We explore "Myriad Treasures," the inaugural installation in the newly refurbished Soreng Gallery of Chinese Art at the University of Oregon’s JSMA , featuring 113 objects spanning four millennia of Chinese history from the museum’s legacy collection along with a few exciting recent acquisitions.
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The real Mulan? Tales of a Female Rebel in 18th century China
Cecily McCaffrey, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Willlamette University 7 November, 2020 Join us for the discussion of a fascinating figure, the eighteenth century Chinese female rebel Wang Cong’er. In this talk, Dr Cecily McCaffrey explores the accumulation of tales about Wang (who herself left no written record), considering in particular the moral overtones expressed in both imperial and contemporary writings – and asks whether the comparison to Mulan might be warranted. |
History of the Chile Pepper in China
Brian Dott, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Whitman College
5 December, 2020
We will see how the nonnative chile went from obscurity to ubiquity in China, influencing not just cuisine but also medicine, language, and cultural identity. Dr Brian Dott tracks the cultural meaning of the chile across a wide swath of literary texts and artworks, revealing how the spread of chiles fundamentally altered the meaning of the term spicy. He emphasizes the intersection between food and gender, tracing the chile as a symbol for both male virility and female passion.
Brian Dott, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Whitman College
5 December, 2020
We will see how the nonnative chile went from obscurity to ubiquity in China, influencing not just cuisine but also medicine, language, and cultural identity. Dr Brian Dott tracks the cultural meaning of the chile across a wide swath of literary texts and artworks, revealing how the spread of chiles fundamentally altered the meaning of the term spicy. He emphasizes the intersection between food and gender, tracing the chile as a symbol for both male virility and female passion.
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A Century of Collecting Chinese Painting at Oberlin College
Kevin Greenwood, PhD Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art , Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College 9 January, 2021 Dr Kevin Greenwood will take us for a brief but lively overview of the impressive but little known collection of Chinese paintings at the AMAM. Works range from the 14th to the 21st centuries, and include such luminaries as Xie Shichen, Zhang Hong, Gao Fenghan, Wang Jian, Wang Yuanqi, Wu Changshuo, Chang Dai-chien, Liu Haisu, Zeng Fanzhi and others. Further information here Video here |
Welcoming the Year of the Ox 牛, 4719
20 years of First Saturday!
First Saturday Program Committee
6 February, 2021
20 years of First Saturday!
First Saturday Program Committee
6 February, 2021
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Literati Gardens in the Ming
Ann Wetherell, PhD 6 March, 2021 Dr Ann Wetherell explicates one of the inscriptions over the Moon Gate, “Read the Landscape,” or “Read the Painting,” as she discusses the relationship between Chinese paintings and gardens. A Chinese scroll literally takes the view on a stimulating journey. Mountain and water are just two examples of iconic depictions, fully appreciated by the audience. The scroll is a metaphor for a spiritual journey, as is the viewer’s journey through a garden. |
China & the Netherlands: Historical Exchanges of Art and Artistic Practices
Dawn Odell, PhD
Associate Professor of Art History
Lewis & Clark College
3 April, 2021
Dawn Odell, PhD
Associate Professor of Art History
Lewis & Clark College
3 April, 2021
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Simmering, Whisking, Steeping: Methods for Preparing and Consuming Tea in Premodern China
James A. Benn, PhD Professor of Buddhism and East Asian Religions, McMaster University Director, McMaster University Centre for Buddhist Studies 1 May, 2021 Dr James Benn will explain how a bowl of tea was by no means a stable thing over the centuries. It looked, smelled, and tasted quite different depending on when and where it was made. We will explore different methods of making tea in premodern China, examine famous works of tea literature, read some poems, and look at both rare and everyday examples of teaware. |
History of Chinese Textiles at the JSAM, U of O
Ina Asim, PhD
Associate Professor, Pre-Modern Chinese History
University of Oregon
Ina Asim, PhD
Associate Professor, Pre-Modern Chinese History
University of Oregon
PLEASE REGISTER on our Upcoming Presentation page to receive online attendance details for each date
Our program series is co-sponsored by Portland State University's Institute for Asian Studies, and is free and open to the public.
When we return to onsite programming, our regular monthly location is here with an elevator and is wheelchair friendly with unrestricted viewing and tables for note taking. 9:30 - 11:00 am (click on address for directions):
Portland State University, Academic & Student Recreation Ctr (ASRC), Room 230
1800 SW 6th Ave, Portland OR 97201
Excellent MAX and bus transportation is right by the venue; plan your Trimet trip HERE. There is also a nearby parking structure at SW 6th and Harrison with an entrance on 6th Avenue is also available.
When we return to onsite programming, our regular monthly location is here with an elevator and is wheelchair friendly with unrestricted viewing and tables for note taking. 9:30 - 11:00 am (click on address for directions):
Portland State University, Academic & Student Recreation Ctr (ASRC), Room 230
1800 SW 6th Ave, Portland OR 97201
Excellent MAX and bus transportation is right by the venue; plan your Trimet trip HERE. There is also a nearby parking structure at SW 6th and Harrison with an entrance on 6th Avenue is also available.
