A day of tradition and culture

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Two colorful dragons bobbed and danced, then later

battled -- supported by a line of people jumping to the beat of drums.

The popular Chinese procession marked the opening of Sunday’s Orange

County Museum of Art’s lunar New Year celebration, part of the museum’s

ongoing Family Arts Day programs.

The festival drew more than 1,000 people to the Asian celebration --

now an annual event, said museum spokeswoman Elena Arrojo.

The museum traditionally has a number of Asian cultures represented at

the event through a variety of dances, music, theater performances and

visual arts.

“We try to present as many different art forms as we can,” Arrojo

said. It took six months to plan the daylong event.

The idea for the New Year celebration grew out of a budding

relationship between local museums and the Asian community. Over the

years, the museum featured a number of exhibitions by Vietnamese, Chinese

and other artists. To maintain these relationships, the museum started

hosting the lunar festivals four years ago, Arrojo said. Parents and

children spent the afternoon making masks and banners, listening to a

Chinese youth orchestra, watching performances by the East West acting

troupe, and touring the museum exhibitions, too.

There were vending stands serving snacks for hungry little artists.

Other tables featured a display of intriguing gifts from Asia, such as

traditional brush calligraphy sets.

Melissa and Mikayla Peterson spent a good part of their visit making

animal masks out of colorful paper and shiny bits of foil.

“I’m going to use [this rabbit] for Easter,’ said Melissa, 5, sitting

beside her sister.

Her father stood by smiling, carrying other artistic masterpieces the

girls had made.

Arrojo said the popular Family Arts Day events are held several times

a year and feature a different theme each time. In spring, the museum

will host “Tapestry of Cultures,” celebrating the traditions of different

countries around the globe.