MUSICAL CELEBRATION: Dayton Art Institute salutes Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The Royal Hawaiians, a Dayton family, will perform May 26 at the Dayton Art Institute. CONTRIBUTED

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The Royal Hawaiians, a Dayton family, will perform May 26 at the Dayton Art Institute. CONTRIBUTED

In recognition of May as Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Dayton Art Institute will offer a special musical celebration Thursday, May 26 in the museum’s Shaw Gothic Cloister.

From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the DAI will present Keigo Hirakawa’s jazz piano trio, singer-songwriter Mark Joshua, and dance group The Royal Hawaiians.

Keigo Hirakawa and his jazz piano trio will perform May 26 at the Dayton Art Institute. CONTRIBUTED

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Keigo Hirakawa is a Japanese American jazz pianist with a unique sense of expressiveness and rhythmic interaction. He brings highly personal and energetic style of improvisation to ensembles. He distinguishes himself with his articulate use of harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary and his leadership style on the bandstand.

Mark Joshua is a Filipino American singer-songwriter from Cincinnati. He has been writing songs since he was 13 and performing live for over 10 years. His acoustic-based performances recall Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Foy Vance. Joshua’s latest singles can be heard on Spotify and other streaming services.

Cincinnati-based singer-songwriter Mark Joshua will perform May 26 at the Dayton Art Institute. CONTRIBUTED

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The Royal Hawaiians are a Dayton family who are descendants of the Royal Hawaiian tribes. They have been teaching and performing traditional Hawaiian dances locally for more than 10 years. They will demonstrate traditional dances and also lead a dance lesson with guests at the celebration.

The Royal Hawaiians, a Dayton family, will perform May 26 at the Dayton Art Institute. CONTRIBUTED

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“We are thrilled to be able to highlight these performers from the local Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, as we celebrate the achievements and contributions of all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the month of May,” said DAI Director & CEO Michael R. Roediger. “The DAI’s commitment to celebrating the achievements of these peoples and cultures through its art collections dates back to the museum’s earliest days.”

In addition, the museum will offer a discounted general admission of $5 after 5 p.m. on May 26. The Asian American Pacific Islander Celebration is free to museum members and included in museum general admission for non-members. The museum is open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

The Dayton Art Institute is located at 456 Belmonte Park N., Dayton.

For more information, visit www.daytonartinstitute.org/visit or call 937-223-4278.

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