June 1936 The First Competitive Exhibition organized by the American Artists’ Congress
June 1936 The First Competitive Exhibition organized by the American Artists’ Congress Fig. 101. Sakari Suzuki, “Of Her Past” The first exhibition, held to discover new artists, received over 200 submissions, and the jury members Max Weber, Stuart Davis, Hugo Gellert, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi selected the following work, “Of Her Past” (fig. 101) by Sakari […]
December 1937 Exhibition of In Defense of World Democracy: Dedicated to the People of Spain
December 1937 Exhibition of In Defense of World Democracy: Dedicated to the People of Spain Fig. 107. Eitaro Ishigaki, “Flight”Fig. 108. Chuzo Tamotzu, “Militarism Over Japan”Fig. 109. Sakari Suzuki, “War” Japanese artists who were active in the United States had gained recognition in the art world. However, their position became increasingly tenuous in the U.S. […]
September 1937 Exhibition of Asian Artists Excluded from the WPA
September 1937 Exhibition of Asian Artists Excluded from the WPA Fig. 104. Eitaro Ishigaki, “K.K.K.”Fig. 105. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Fire Trap”Fig. 106. Roy Kadowaki, “George Washington Bridge” In addition to the large annual exhibitions, which were a prestigious event for artists, the American Artists’ Congress also held special exhibitions. Among these special exhibitions, “Paintings by New […]
1945 Outbreak of War between Japan and the U.S.
Fig. 124. Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “Water Torture”Fig. 125: Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “The Killer”Fig. 126. Yauso Kuniyoshi “Eradicate the Enemy: Buy Wartime Bonds!”Fig. 127. Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “Clean Up This Mess!”Fig. 128. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Map of China Cut into Pieces.”Fig. 129. Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “Victims of Militarism”Fig. 130. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Tanks and Soldiers”Fig. 131. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Dilemma”Fig. 132. Toshi Shimizu, […]
1936-1941 American Artists’ Congress and the Municipal Art Committee
Fig. 101. Sakari Suzuki, “Of Her Past” In response to the growing labor movement in New York City during the Great Depression and concerns about the spread of fascism in Europe, some artist’s art began to critique social issues. In November 1929, these liberal-minded writers and artists formed the John Reed Club. In February 1936, […]
The Great Depression and the New Deal
Fig. 78. Sakari Suzuki, “Preventive Medicine.” Mori Suzuki created a mural at Willard Parker Hospital on the theme of the history of the fight against infectious diseases, featuring Louis Pasteur, Edward Jenner, and Hideyo Noguchi. In the fall of 1929, the New York stock market crashed, ushering in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Galleries […]
1927, 1935, 1936 The New York Shimpo and the Japanese Artists Exhibition
Fig. 52. A Group Photograph taken at a Japanese exhibition in 1927. Kuniyoshi Yasuo is in the center, Hamachi Kiyomatsu is second from the left in the front row, and Eitaro Ishigaki is third from the left in the back row. Bumpei Usui’s “Furniture Factory” is on the far left, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s “Two Women” […]
1920s The Salons of America and the Society of Independent Artists Exhibition
Fig. 11. C. Ording. Salons of America exhibit at the Anderson Galleries, 1922 or 1923. Wood and Adelaide Lawson Gaylor papers, circa 1849-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. In the 1920s, the United States enjoyed a post-first World War economic boom. The streets were filled with flappers, women with short skirts and bobbed hair, […]
1922 Gacho-kai Exhibition
Fig. 5. The Gacho-Kai group photo at the exhibition site. In the center of the front row is Kotato Gado(T.K. Gado), and Yasuo Kuniyoshi is on the right side of the front row, facing sideways. Eitaro Ishigaki is on the far left in the back row, Kyohei Inukai is second from the left in the […]
1917-1918 Exhibitions of the Japanese Art Association
Located on the East Coast of the United States, New York City was an immigration hub for Europeans that prospered as a center of economy, industry, and culture at the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, a Japanese community formed there which mainly consisted of government officials and business people. However, […]