Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Rat

Experience the sights and sounds of this annual festival! Join us for music, art making and classic traditions, including colorful lion dances performed by Gund Kwok, the only all-women lion and dragon dance group in the country. Then, help us celebrate the release of PEM’s first children’s book, Piece by Piece, with author Susan Tan, illustrator Justine Wong and special programming to celebrate Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese House.

Included with admission except where noted.

PERFORMANCES

Drum Welcome and Cubs Lion Dance
11-11:30am | Atrium
Help us kick off the celebration with performance by The Cubs of Gund Kwok. These young dancers (ages 6 to 9) have mastered the strength, skill and coordination required to perform this tradition.

Gund Kwok Lion Dance
11:30am-noon | Atrium
Gund Kwok Asian Women’s Lion Dance Troupe, the first all-women lion dance group in the country, performs this traditional dance to ward off evil for the coming year. Following their performance, enjoy a chance to talk with the performers and get up close to their incredible costumes.

Chinese Folk Art Workshop
1–1:45 pm | Atrium
Members of The Chinese Folk Art Workshop, all between the ages of 12 and 18, present traditional dances to welcome the Year of the Rat. Listen to drumming, watch graceful performances, and see a diabolo (a traditional Chinese yo-yo) in action.

DROP-IN ACTIVITIES

Zodiac Family Tree Banners
10am-4pm | Garden Atrium
Create and decorate your own zodiac animal banner with Jennifer DiCristoforo, artist and author of The Lucky Bamboo Book of Crafts. Match your family members with the animals of the Chinese zodiac, then decorate and assemble into a banner to represent your family tree.

Decorate a Dishcloth
10am-4pm | Create Space Studios
“I see more blue in the kitchen and race inside. It’s just a dishcloth, but it reminds me of Nainai’s apron.” Inspired by Piece by Piece, decorate your own dish cloth that you can then upcycle into an apron at home. Printed dishcloth apron instructions are provided or available at pem.org/piecebypiece.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Piece by Piece Storytimes with Susan Tan and Justine Wong
12pm and 3pm | Morse Auditorium
Day-of registration at Admissions and Information Desks
Join author Susan Tan and illustrator Justine Wong for readings of their picture book, Piece by Piece, inspired by the Yin Yu Tang house. See the pages projected on screen and hear about their process of creating this magical story of discovery, wonder, and family.

Piece by Piece Book Signing with Susan Tan and Justine Wong
2pm | Morse Auditorium
Purchase a copy of PEM’s first children’s picture book, Piece by Piece, then meet the creators! Author Susan Tan grew up visiting museums with her grandmother, an art historian, who encouraged her love for art and story. She is the author of Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire, Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic, and Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story. Illustrator Justine Wong is a multimedia artist living in Toronto with her two cats, Kumo and Opal. She loves to travel in search of new forms, landscapes, and feelings to draw. Justine’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Monocle, and Lucky Peach.

SPECIAL FAMILY TOUR
Emmy’s Yin Yu Tang
12:15pm, 2:15pm, and 3:45pm | Meet at Information Desk
$6; free for Salem residents, PEM members, and youth 16 and under
Space very limited; day-of registration at Admissions and Information Desks
Join a PEM Educator for a special family-friendly tour of Yin Yu Tang inspired by the museum’s first picture book, Piece by Piece by Susan Tan and Justine Wong. Explore the nooks and crannies of the house, learn its history, and engage in a guessing game as we uncover the truth and purpose of various historic objects.