By Lina Broydo
United States Post Office Releases Ruth Asawa Stamps
August 13, 2020
With these stamps the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is paying tribute and honors pioneering Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa (1926-2013), a well known San Francisco artist, by launching the Ruth Asawa stamps showcasing her whimsical wire sculptures art.
Each pane includes 20 stamps, with each of 10 designs. You can order the stamps online or visit your neighborhood Post Office provided you wear a mask.
Born Ruth Aiko Asawa on January 24, 1926 in Norwalk, California, to Umakichi and Haru Asawa, immigrants from Japan, is the fourth of seven children.
Her parents were truck farmers who were growing seasonal crops such as strawberries, carrots, green beans, and tomatoes.
Ruth Asawa’s final public commission in 2002 can be seen in the “Garden of Remembrance” on the grounds of San Francisco State University featuring boulders from each of ten camps where Japanese Americans were interned.
Information
800-782-6724
usps.com
Photos courtesy of USPS
Photo of the “Garden of Remembrance” by Aiko Cuneo
Photo of Ruth Asawa in her SF Studio from Randal Partridge Archive
Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival Goes Virtual!
August 23 – September 7, 2020
The first-ever virtual Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival brings movies to your home. Have fun for 13 days while streaming award winning films from around the world.
From the opening night of “Shared Legacies” on August 23 to “Golda,” “Menachem Begin: Peace &War,” “Ben Gurion: Epilogue,” “Pollywood” with guest of honor Tad Taube, the Honorary Consul of Poland, to “My Amazing Funeral – El Dia Que Me Muera” on closing night of September 7 – this will definitely be a culture, politics, comedy and drama saturation fortnight collaboration with Film Festival Flix (FFF) to show this year’s films – all from the comfort of your home with cozy PJ and satisfying Popcorn on the menu.
To watch films, you will need an FFF account: https://filmfestivalflix.com
Information: SVJFF.org
A Conversation and an Online Date with Dr. Anthony Fauci
August 18 at 11 a.m.
Join Dr. Fauci on a rare visit to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco and conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Club. Dr. Fauci, one of America’s most trusted medical figures and leading experts on infectious disease will be available for a unique opportunity for you to ask your questions directly. Dr. Fauci was appointed director of NIAID in 1984.
He oversees an extensive portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and malaria as well as emerging diseases such as Ebola and Zika….and of course, COVID 19. He has advised six presidents on domestic and global health issues.
He was one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved millions of lives throughout the developing world.
Dr. Fauci is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest honor given to a civilian by the President of the United States) and the National Medal of Science.
Information and Tickets
Price: $22
This program will be online only and to receive access to it, you must pre-register for a link to the program.
commonwealthclub.org
All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.
Photo courtesy of The Commonwealth Club
It’s All About Arts: Ballerina Book Club
ALL ARTS is breaking new ground as the premier destination for inspiration, creativity and art of all forms.
This New York Emmy-winning arts and culture hub is created by WNET, the parent company of New York’s PBS stations. With the aim of being accessible to viewers everywhere, ALL ARTS’s Webby-nominated programming — from digital shorts to feature films — is available online nationwide through allarts.org, and its free.
This week I selected: Isabella Boylston, Ballerina Book Club host and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, as she shares insights into her five favorite books. Enjoy!
Information: For all the ways to watch, visit allarts.org
Photo courtesy of Isabella Boylston
Each week from August 13, 2020 and for the duration of the Covid-19 nightmare I will post a different set of decorative stairs with hope we will reach the top of these stairs when the brilliant minds will find and implement the miraculous vaccine.
Cheer up! Stay Safe!
(You can see my daily posts of “Painted or Tiled Stars” on my Lina Broydo TravelLina Blog on Facebook starting July 31, 2020)
![](https://laoferta.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/stairs-Sierre-Ecuador-300x225.jpg)
And the night is like a velvet lullaby
There’s a heaven of blue
And we’ll go there, just you and I
Let’s build a stairway to the stars
And climb that stairway to the stars
With love beside us to fill the night with a song
We’ll hear the sound of violins
Out yonder where the blue begins
The moon will guide us as we go drifting along
Can’t we sail away on a lazy daisy petal
Over the rim of the hill?
Can’t we sail away on a little dream
And settle high on the crest of a thrill?
Let’s build a stairway to the stars
A lovely stairway to the stars
It would be heaven to climb to heaven with you
(This song was performed by Ella Fitzgerald as well as by Johnny Mathis.)