McAllen, TX- The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) is proud to present an upcoming exhibition titled “Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy,” which delves into the enduring impact of Executive Order 9066 on Japanese Americans during World War II. This insightful exhibition brings together the artistic reflections of eight accomplished artists, shedding light on the experiences of those affected by this pivotal moment in history. This exhibition is supported by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of McAllen, which consists of 16 sister companies.
In 1942, in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law Executive Order 9066. The law ordered the forced imprisonment of all Japanese Americans living on the west coast of the United States, which had the second largest population of Japanese people living outside of Japan.
Told from the point of view of Sansei (third generation) Japanese Americans, Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy is an exhibition of eight artists whose work reflects on the effect of EO9066 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; Judy Shintani’s kimono cutouts honored in ceramic vessels—others use iconography relating to Japanese culture as a jumping-off point.
Above: Reiko Fujii, Detained Alien Enemy Glass Kimono, 2009; glass, fused images, copper wire, 48 x 42 x 6 inches; Courtesy of the artist
Resilience – A Sansei Sense of Legacy
Member Opening Reception
Thursday, September 7, 2023
5:00-7:00 PM
RSVP for the Reception
This exhibition reception is free for IMAS Members with optional pre-registration encouraged. Members may bring one non-member guest per Membership. Additional Member guests may attend for a $10 admission fee. Please present your Membership card and ID for entry. Membership may be purchased online or at the door.
Exhibition artists are: Kristine Aono, Reiki Fuji, Wendy Maruyama, Lydia Nakashima Degarrod, Tom Nakashima, Roger Shimomura, Judy Shintani, and Jerry Takigawa.
Co-curated by artist Jerry Takigawa and Gail Enns, Resilience was conceived to serve as a catalyst to cultivate social dialogue and change around the issues of racism, hysteria, and economic exploitation still alive in America today. The eight artists featured in Resilience were selected because of their personal connection to the subject matter, their work is well respected within the Japanese American community as well as within the art world, and due to their activism on the subject of incarceration camps.
Takigawa and Enns explain, “The Sansei generation is perhaps the last generation of Japanese American artists that can be directly connected to the WWII American concentration camp experience—making their expression particularly significant in clarity of emotion. These artists lived through the years of “gaman” or silence about the camps. That silence made a deep impression on the artists selected for Resilience.”
“Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy” opens to the public on August 30, 2023. IMAS will be hosting an after-hours opening member reception Thursday, September 7, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. This opening reception is free for IMAS Members with pre-registration encouraged. Learn more about the reception and IMAS membership program at theimasonline.com/member or call (956) 681-2817.
