Kia Ora! In a little over a month, Maori Art Meets America – here in San Francisco. Save these dates:

• August 4. Dawn: Ceremonial waka arrival into San Francisco harbor followed by a reception that evening at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
• August 5-14: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum ( 701 Mission Street @ 3rd in San Francisco) will host Toi Maori: Art from the Maori People of New Zealand –  a world class collection of fine Maori cloaks, enhanced with live weaving demonstrations and kete displays along with  photographic works plus live demonstrations of moko (Maori tattooing).  Both exhibitions will be supplemented by indigenous carving, jewelry and pottery. Quite simply, this display is “a must see.”  Toi Maori: Art from the Maori People of New Zealand  is the largest exhibition of contemporary Maori art from New Zealand in the USA in over two decades and seeks to demonstrate the spiritual significance of Maori art and culture.
• August 7, 2pm: Special FREE performance by “Kapa Haka” Maori dance group in Union Square as part of the “Jewels in the Square” series, sponsored by MJM Management Group and SF Parks Trust.