Inspiring Women and Girls of Color

Admission to JANM will be free to the public on Saturday, March 12, in celebration of the Smithsonian Institution’s annual Museum Day Live! event. This day is intended to encourage all people to explore our nation’s museums, cultural institutions, zoos, aquariums, parks, and libraries. This year, in recognition of Women’s History Month, the event has a special focus on reaching women and girls of color in underserved communities.

Mine with open newspaper, surrounded by anti-Japanese slogans, Berkeley, California, 1941
Mine with open newspaper, surrounded by anti-Japanese slogans, Berkeley, California, 1941. Gift of Mine Okubo Estate
(2007.62.14).

 

At JANM, we are very fortunate to have some significant pieces in our collection created by Japanese American women, such as the artist Miné Okubo (1912–2001), whose collection has been digitized and can be viewed on our museum’s website.

janm_2007.62.147_a
Gift of Mine Okubo Estate (2007.62.147).

Okubo was a young woman during World War II. She and her family were removed from San Francisco to Tanforan Assembly Center, and then incarcerated in the concentration camp at Topaz, Utah, for the remainder of the war. Okubo was a keen observer; she made sketches and ink drawings that depicted what life was really like in camp.

Gift of Mine Okubo Estate (2007.62.181).
Gift of Mine Okubo Estate (2007.62.181).

In many ways, Okubo was ahead of her time. Her graphic novel, Citizen 13660 (1946), was the first published personal account of the camp experience. Through her pen and ink drawings, readers got an intimate view of what daily life became when Okubo, an American citizen by birth, was reduced to a number: 13660.

To learn more about Miné Okubo and her trailblazing life, we recommend viewing our online collection of her work, reading Citizen 13660, which can be purchased at the JANM Store and janmstore.com, and checking out the biographical volume Mine Okubo: Following Her Own Road, edited by Greg Robinson and Elena Tajima Creef.

Mine and Benji standing with their luggage, Berkeley, California, 1942
Mine and Benji standing with their luggage, Berkeley, California, 1942. Gift of Mine Okubo Estate (2007.62.23).

 

Visit the Japanese American National Museum for FREE on Museum Day!

Screen Shot 2013-09-24 at 12.04.13 PM

Bring yourself and a friend to the Japanese American National Museum for free! On Saturday, September 28th, JANM will be participating in the Smithsonian Magazine’s “Museum Day Live!” A ticket will provide free admission to one person, plus a guest.

In the spirit of Smithsonian Museums, who offer free admission everyday, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket… for free.

The Japanese American National Museum is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate Museum, and excited to be a part of Museum Day Live! When you come on Saturday, check out I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story, an exhibition of banners created by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, on view through October 27, 2013.

Here are some rules and guidelines to ensure an enjoyable and smooth museum visit:
–       Only an official Museum Day Live! ticket is eligible for free entry. Official tickets can be requested through the Museum Day Live! website: www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/ticket/
–       One ticket per household, for two people.
–       A ticket will gain entry to only one of the participating museums, excluding parking and special events and exhibits.
–       If the museum reaches capacity, the museum has the right to limit the number of guests until space becomes available.

See you on Saturday!

***

For Museum Day Live! FAQs:
www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/Museum-Day-Faqs.html#ixzz2Z97wd51P

View the list of museums that are participating by using this link: www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/venues/

For more information on the Smithsonian magazine: www.smithsonianmag.com/?ref=logo