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UID:events.uid.6575@www.discovernikkei.org
DTSTART:20220423T000000Z
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DESCRIPTION:&lt;strong&gt;The Okinawa Association of America (OAA)&lt;/strong&gt; will 
 host their third annual mini craft fair on &lt;strong&gt;April 23 (Saturday)\, 9
  a.m. - 1 p.m. at the OAA Center’s parking lot in Gardena.&lt;/strong&gt;\n\nT
 hough small in size\, this outdoor boutique stands out in that it will inc
 lude &lt;strong&gt;Okinawa-themed items such as art prints\, greeting cards\, to
 te bags\, clothing\, stickers\, and more.&lt;/strong&gt; The organization hopes 
 that this will be a big draw\, as Okinawan items are rarely available at l
 ocal stores\, festivals\, and other craft fairs.\n\nThe OAA also hopes tha
 t the event will provide an unintimidating\, community-based platform for 
 youth artists\, independent creators\, and hobbyists to showcase their tal
 ents.\n\nThis event is being led by &lt;strong&gt;Melissa Oshiro Tran&lt;/strong&gt;\,
  one of the OAA’s youngest volunteers. Currently a freshman at CSU Long 
 Beach\, Melissa says &lt;strong&gt;“My mom bringing me to all the meetings and
  events to volunteer\, led me to coordinate an event like this. I’m trul
 y thankful that there are places like OAA to teach people of all ages abou
 t themselves and sharing their culture.”&lt;/strong&gt;\n\n&lt;strong&gt;“The OAA 
 is blessed to watch a young member like Melissa growing up within the orga
 nization and continuing her involvement even while a college student\,”&lt;
 /strong&gt; commented Yuko Yamauchi\, the OAA’s Executive Director. &lt;strong
 &gt;“It’s inspiring to witness her applying her talents and interests to 
 contribute to the community and strengthen her cultural identity.”&lt;/stro
 ng&gt;\n\nIn addition to learning practical skills and meeting new friends\, 
 Melissa’s countless volunteer hours at the OAA have inspired her to stud
 y traditional Okinawan patterns and ways to implement those into her own w
 ork. &lt;strong&gt;“Learning about [our] heritage is important because if we d
 on’t learn\, I believe that we will never truly know a part of ourselves
 \,”&lt;/strong&gt; the young artist added. &lt;strong&gt;“[The craft fair is] not 
 just an event for fun\, but one to share our culture through our expressio
 n of art with everyone.”&lt;/strong&gt;\n\nThe OAA Center is located at &lt;stron
 g&gt;16500 S. Western Ave. in Gardena&lt;/strong&gt;. The event will be held outdoo
 rs in the parking lot. Street-side parking is available. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span sty
 le=&quot;text-decoration: underline\;&quot;&gt;Masks will be required for community saf
 ety.&lt;/strong&gt; For more information\, please contact the OAA office: oaamen
 sore@gmail.com\, (310) 532-1929.\n\n&lt;strong&gt;\nCONFIRMED VENDORS&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;
 em&gt;(subject to change without notice)&lt;/em&gt;\n\n&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arnot Ohana 
 Treasures:&lt;/strong&gt; Embellished towels and water bottles&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A
 imee Buday &amp;amp\; Monica Solis:&lt;/strong&gt; Okinawa-themed figurines\, scarv
 es\, coasters\, candles\, bags\, placemats\, and pillows&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;H
 iro Melody Edington:&lt;/strong&gt; Okinawa-themed decals\, masks\, mugs\, key f
 obs\, and more&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rumiko Hirano:&lt;/strong&gt; Okinawa-themed coin
  purses\, tissue cases\, tote/handbags\, traditional Okinawan chopsticks (
 akakiibashi) with case&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kanasa:&lt;/strong&gt; Tote bags\, &quot;Shima
 nchu nu Kwii: The Voices of Shimanchu&quot; magazines\, stickers – IG @kanas
 aorganics @shimanchumag&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dana &quot;Kame&quot; Mays:&lt;/strong&gt; Hand-bo
 und sketch books\, handmade bookmarks\, hand-crocheted doilies\, handcraft
 ed pen and letter opener set&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Melissa’s Creations:&lt;/stron
 g&gt; Okinawa-themed cards\, art\, tote bags\, and more – IG @melissatcreat
 ions&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seiji Nakaki &amp;amp\; Lasha Tamae:&lt;/strong&gt; Washi tape\
 , keychains\, zines\, and more – IG/Twitter @seijigay @lashadraws&lt;/li&gt;&lt;l
 i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OAA:&lt;/strong&gt; Okinawa-themed tote bags and t-shirts\, used books
  sale (not Okinawan)\, white elephant sale (not Okinawan)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;
 Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko L.A.:&lt;/strong&gt; Okinawa-themed shirts\, stickers\,
  and more – FB/IG @rmdlosangeles&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shimanchu Dushi-nu-chaa
  (Okinawan Friends):&lt;/strong&gt; Okinawa-themed postcards\, stickers\, music 
 CDs\, and more – IG @shimanchu.playlist&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tierra Murra by 
 Ecommshipments:&lt;/strong&gt; Photocards\, hats\, jewelry\, and clothing – ti
 erramurra.com&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;YuMa Accessories:&lt;/strong&gt; Cell phone charms
 /straps – IG @yumaaccessories&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
DTSTAMP:20240425T093129Z
SUMMARY:Okinawan Craft Fair in Gardena – Art\, Crafts\, Gifts by Local C
 reators
URL:/en/events/2022/04/23/okinawan-craft-fair-in-gardena-art-crafts-gift/
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