On view at Cascadia Art Museum

Oct. 21, 2021 through Feb. 20, 2022 

Cascadia Art Museum is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of the work of Kenjiro Nomura (1896-1956) in over 60 years along with an accompanying publication. Kenjiro Nomura, American Modernist: An Issei Artist’s Journey will feature the Japanese American artist’s work throughout his life from his early works focusing on Seattle’s urban environment and rural Northwest landscapes, to paintings and drawings capturing his life in World War II internment camps, and post-war abstractions fully demonstrating Nomura’s artistic stylistic and professional growth.

Nomura left a record of more than 100 pieces from his time in the Puyallup detention facility and Minidoka confinement camp. Despite crippling challenges after World War II including the suicide of his wife, he resumed painting, developed a new abstract artistic style, and once again gained recognition. This exhibition, in partnership with Densho, offers a chance for Cascadia to present an important artistic history for our community and ensure the history of Nomura and other Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II is not forgotten.

The exhibition is accompanied by Cascadia’s latest book, Kenjiro Nomura, American Modernist: An Issei Artist’s Journey, written by art historian Barbara Johns, PhD with a contributing chapter by Cascadia’s curator, David F. Martin.

About Cascadia Art Museum

Cascadia Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit organization that celebrates the rich tradition of the visual arts and design in the Northwest during the period 1860-1970. The museum provides enriching experiences for the community and visitors alike through original exhibitions, public programs, publications and educational outreach. Cascadia Art Museum seeks to reassess the hierarchy of traditional art history by regularly including the work of women and minority artists who made substantial contributions to the region’s cultural identity.

Location & Museum Hours:

190 Sunset Ave. S.
Edmonds, WA 98020

Thursday – Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Art Walk Edmonds: Third Thursdays, 5-8 p.m. – free