A summer of firsts—and full circles

Hello Again & Happy Autumn!

It's been a minute since I've reached out, and I've missed staying in touch with y'all. The slower pace of summer didn't last long—turns out that's what happens when you're living a full, joyful life. I mentioned I'd share more about my summer in my last newsletter, so here's some of what I've been up to since then.

A Lineage of Resistance

July was the month to dive deep into my communities and celebrate our connections. I had the honor and privilege to play taiko at the Tule Lake Pilgrimage—a 4-day trip with Japanese camp survivors, their descendants, and community members to acknowledge, learn, and heal from the WWII Japanese incarceration. I've been attending this biannual pilgrimage since 2012, and it's always a powerful and touching experience. While my family was incarcerated in a different camp (Topaz, Utah), I attend as a descendant and as a taiko artist.

On the final night, there's a Cultural Program at Ragland Theater, where attendees share talents through song, dance, and music. Tule Lake Taiko, an ephemeral group formed at the pilgrimage, meets 90 minutes before the show to decide what to play—many never having met or played together. This time was especially exciting, as we had our largest group to date.

Performing at the Tule Lake Pilgrimage is by far one of my favorite places to play taiko, because the audience understands the power of taiko—and what it means to play music that is so visible and unapologetically Japanese. Much of Japanese culture was hidden or suppressed during WWII due to fear of persecution. But many of the folks incarcerated at Tule Lake refused to deny, hide, or change who they were. Taiko in the U.S. has origins in similar resistance—camp descendants learned to play taiko to reclaim their culture, to bring awareness to their families' experiences, and to fight for civil rights. I'm proud to be part of that lineage and to celebrate the courage of those who came before.

Check out Tule Lake Taiko, as well as the other talents from the pilgrimage, here.

Trying something new!

I did my first artist vending gig this summer! I had the pleasure to sell some prints and share collaging at the Teance Midsummer Bazaar in Berkeley. It was fun to chat with visitors who came to enjoy the festivities—the yummy food, the art, and of course, the tea! Some familiar faces also come by to make some more art together. It was quite a lovely event. I’m looking forward to similar opportunities in the future.

I completed my first commissioned collage—for a fellow taiko artist, no less! (I love when my worlds joyfully collide.) I met Leanna Keith at a taiko intensive last year—she's an incredibly talented musician. I was thrilled when she asked me to create the cover art for her next album, a brilliant improvised collaboration. She says it responds to the, “rapidly developing generative AI, hustle capital culture, divisive identity politics, and the general overwhelm of technology as a usage in order to emphasize maximum efficiency over real human connection.” The album celebrates human connection and what happens when artists come together to create—which aligns deeply with why and how I make art too.

Look out for Leanna’s album, No Bullshit, dropping October 17.

Life is abundant

I participated in my final exhibition with the 2727 Artist Co-Op in the first half of August. Timelapse: Works in Progress was particularly exciting because it invited visitors into our creative process, sometimes even asking them to create along with us.

My contribution was the Community Collage from East Bay Open Studios and an invitation to contribute to it with provided materials. What resulted was a beautiful interactive piece.

Between the opening reception, the workshop, and visitors throughout the exhibition, the collage grew quite large. I am so appreciative for everyone’s contribution. I hope to offer this piece to the public to interact with at least one more time.

On top of all this, I'm honored to share that I received a Civic Arts Grant Award from the City of Berkeley's Civic Arts Commission. This grant will support my taiko teaching at Berkeley Buddhist Temple. It's a meaningful vote of confidence in this work and the first significant financial support I’ve received since pursuing art full time. I'm grateful for the recognition.

This summer reminded me how much art grows when it's shared—whether on a pilgrimage stage, an album cover, a bazaar table, or a collage created by dozens of hands. Thank you for following along, and here's to what's next.

Cheers,

💜 Trisha

My heart is full—grateful for folks like my beginner taiko students who gifted a money plant to congratulate me on receiving the grant.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 11-December 6, 2:30-4pm Beginner Taiko Classes (Berkeley Buddhist Temple, 2121 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94704)

October 17-December 12 APAture Festival 2026 Visual Arts Showcase: Generation (Arc Gallery & Studios, 1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103) Opening Reception October 17, 6-9pm

Browse my shop!