Indonesian kites flying high in Pacific Coast<\/p>\n
LONG BEACH, Pacific Coast: An Invitation to Indonesian Kites,
\nthe year-long featured exhibit at the World Kite Museum, will be
\njoined by Kites & Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia, sponsored by
\nthe Drachen Foundation and the International Kite Festival.<\/p>\n
\"The combination of lively videos, vibrant flying kites and
\nhands-on demonstrations by the Indonesian kite flyers will make
\nthis week anything the dry and dusty fare sometimes associated
\nwith museums,\" said director of the World Kite Museum Kay
\nBuessing.<\/p>\n
Spearheaded by Terry Shields, an ardent Indonesian kite
\nfestival-goer, several Indonesian kite makers donated 32 unique
\nand rare kites to the museum several years ago. The pieces range
\nfrom a 10-foot Balinese Jangan with a 140-foot-long tail to a
\nsingle leaf kite made in Southeast Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Kite flyers representing Indonesia are S. Nyoman Adnyana,
\nAnshori Djausal, Lamasili, Sari Madjid and Tinton Prianggoro.<\/p>\n
The World Kite Museum & Hall of Fame, located on the Pacific
\nCoast, began in the late 1980s when local kite enthusiasts met to
\ndiscuss the idea of forming a museum dedicated to kites and their
\nflyers. Their goal was to create a place where people could learn
\nabout the history, art, science and fun of kites worldwide.<\/p>\n
The project gained momentum in 1990 when the city allowed the
\nfledging museum group to use a city building as its headquarters
\nto begin displaying a growing collection of kites, kite
\naccessories, kite literature and kite memorabilia. The museum
\nopened on Aug. 21, 1990.<\/p>\n
The first displays were from the David Chekley Asian kite
\ncollection of 700 Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian kites. It was
\ndonated by the family of Chekley, a Seattle architect who devoted
\nhis life to acquiring the kites. Chekley's 350 Japanese kites are
\nconsidered the most complete collection outside of Japan.<\/p>\n
Today the museum's kites number more than 1,400, too many to
\nbe displayed in the small building.<\/p>\n
The museum changes exhibits regularly and rents space to store
\nthe multiple artifacts. As well as displaying its kite
\ncollection, the museum provides extensive archival materials.<\/p>\n
The American Kite Association has combined its archives with
\nthose of the museum and private kite archives to form a major
\nkite information source available around the world.<\/p>\n
An international advisory board, whose members are from
\nEngland, France, Japan, Singapore and Brazil, promotes the
\nmuseum, obtain items for the collection and offer advice on
\nspecific projects and exhibits.<\/p>\n
Education programs are conducted in area elementary and high
\nschools.<\/p>\n
Large birds, elephants, bats, gods and goddess, kites made of
\nbamboo, cloth, paper and native leaves have been flown, bringing
\nglory and honor to their communities.<\/p>\n
Besides the kites, sounds of accompanying gamelan orchestras,
\nkite hummers and bamboo xylophones, videos of kite fishing and
\nbat catching, as well as artifact photos and interpretive panels
\ndraw viewers into the world of Indonesian kites and the culture
\nof the exhibit.<\/p>\n
The kites range in size from the nine-foot-tall Balinese
\nbebean, with a tail made and flown by a team dressed in identical
\nsarongs and turbans, to a single leaf kite, sometimes made from a
\nsingle palm leaf. The kites from Sumatra are made with
\nelliptical wings covered with a shiny, opaque paper. Elephant
\nkites painted on nylon taffeta fly in trains, trunks swaying
\nsimilar to their progress through the forest.<\/p>\n
From Sulawesi come leaf kites in diamond picture shapes with
\nattached hummers. A bamboo base is strung like a loom so that
\nleaves can be woven through the strings.<\/p>\n
Leaves are available to touch. The number one public sport,
\nkite fighting, is also represented by two different sized kites.<\/p>\n
The hand-painted lozenge shaped kites fly with the highly
\nprized cutting line.<\/p>\n
They swoop and dive, luring their opponent into positions so
\nthey may cut their line from the sky.<\/p>\n
-- World Kite Museum & Hall of Fame<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesian-kites-flying-high-in-pacific-coast-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }