“Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” has been incredibly gratifying for Academy staff. Putting the exhibition together was a big team effort, and the curatorial departments—Asian Art, Education and European and American Art—collaborated and tried new things. But best of all, it’s a show that is completely from the permanent collection. We don’t need to bring in mummies or Monets from other museums to mount a riveting show. More than 1,300 members came for the special members-only opening reception on Sept. 23. It was so cool to see grown-ups doing the in-gallery activities conceptualized by the Education Department—making prints of “Red Fuji” at the four printing stations, writing haiku, and spinning the woodblocks ingeniously mounted by the Installation Department. And the interest hasn’t died—there is a steady stream of art fans drinking in the views of Mount Fuji every day. Here are scenes from the members’ opening. Photos by Shuzo Uemoto.
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- Asian Art Curator Shawn Eichman leading a walk-through of “Hokusai’s Summit”
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- Asian Art Curator Shawn Eichman leading a walk-through of “Hokusai’s Summit”
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- Members opening of “Hokusai’s Summit”
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- Conservator Hiroko Sakurai worked on the paintings in the exhibition from the Richard Lane Collection. Her husband, UH professor John Szostak, will give a lecture on Japanese art on Nov. 12.
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- “Hokusai’s Summit” curator Sawako Chang with her husband Michael Chang.
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- Academy Director Stephen Little with Consul General of Japan Yoshihiko Kamo and his wife Etsuko.
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- Academy Asian Art team Shawn Eichman, Celeste Ohta, Sawako Change, Tim Siegert, Kiyoe Minami, Hiroko Sakurai and Susan Thomas
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- Members’ opening of “Hokusai’s Summit”
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- Looking at a rare 3D map of Mount Fuji, from the Richard Lane Collection
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- Contemplating woodblock prints
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- Making a print of “Red Fuji” in the gallery.
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- Members’ opening of “Hokusai’s Summit”
