Previous Exhibitions

October 2–December 22, 2022

Resilience — A Sansei Sense of Legacy is an exhibition of eight artists whose work reflects on the effect of Executive Order 9066 as it resonated from generation to generation. While several of the artists in Resilience employ traditional Japanese methods in the construction of their work — Lydia Nakashima Degarrod’s use of boro stitching on her works on paper and Na Omi Judy Shintani’s use of kintsugi on the ceramic vessels which accompany her deconstructed kimonos — others use iconography relating to Japanese culture as a jumping-off point for personal explorations on the subject of the incarceration camps — Reiko Fujii’s photographs-as-kimono and Tom Nakashima’s mixed media collage on Byôbu folding screen. Each in their own way, the artists in this exhibition express moments of deeply-felt pain and reluctant acceptance–emotions which were often withheld by their elders.

Exhibition artists are Kristine Aono, Reiko Fujii, Wendy Maruyama, Lydia Nakashima Degarrod, Tom Nakashima, Roger Shimomura, Na Omi Judy Shintani, and Jerry Takigawa. The exhibition was co-curated by artist Jerry Takigawa and Gail Enns.

In partnership with the Pacific Northwest College of Art, all PNCA students receive free entry to the Japanese American Museum of Oregon during the run of this exhibition. Students simply need to let our admissions staff know they are from PNCA when they arrive.

Save the Dates
Saturday, October 1, 4-6p: Friends of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon Preview
Sunday, October 2, 2pm: Artist talk with Tom Nakashima at the Oregon Jewish Museum, exhibition open to general public
Thursday, December 1: Resilience Artists’ Conversation: A Generation of Art and Activism

*Please note: the museum will no longer be open on Friday, December 23, in anticipation of wintery weather.

This exhibition is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, and the National Endowment for the Arts.