'Witness to Wartime' Headlines Spring Exhibitions at CMA

The Canton Museum of Art (CMA), one of Northeast Ohio's premier American art museums, will open its Spring exhibition season on Tuesday, April 26, with four new offerings: Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii; Abandoned America: Everything Must Pass, photographs by Matthew Christopher; Asian Voices: From the CMA Collection; and Visions 2022: Artwork from the Canton Artists League. Spring exhibitions will be on view April 26 through July 24, 2022.

Opening Celebration May 6th, 5pm - 7pm - The Canton Museum of Art will welcome guests to an in-person opening celebration for the Spring exhibitions on Friday, May 6, from 5pm to 7pm. There will be light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar available. The CMA will be offering free admission and extended hours, from 10am-8pm, in celebration of May's First Friday.

"The arts and creativity fill our community with inspiration for discovery, exploration, and learning," says Max R. Barton II, Executive Director & CEO of the Museum. "While the arts are a backbone for innovation, prosperity, and thriving people and places, they also present avenues for great storytelling, shared cross-cultural communication, and human connections. Such is the case with one of our new spring exhibitions, Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii, which opens here at a time of great international anxiety from yet another war being waged on the European continent, and challenges us once again to look at a dark time in our own history. At the same time, the new Asian Voices exhibition aims to amplify the voices of two groups - American artists of Asian descent, and Asian artists in America, elevating the underrepresented histories of these artists. We can all learn a great deal from the stories of time, place, and culture featured in these exhibitions."

Featured Main Gallery Exhibitions

Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii introduces a modernist painter who left a remarkably comprehensive visual record of his experience during World War II as a Japanese American detainee. Fujii left a remarkably comprehensive visual record of this important time in American history, and offers a unique perspective on his generation.

Fujii's illustrated diary spans the years from 1942 to 1945, taking viewers inside the daily life of inmates forced into the incarceration camps. The exhibition includes ink drawings and watercolors, along with several oil paintings and sculptures, notably a carved double portrait of Fujii and his wife. This stunning body of work sheds light on events that most Americans did not experience, but whose lessons remain salient today.

Abandoned America: Everything Must Pass will take visitors inside declining gems of the rustbelt and highlight the beauty in the decay of the industrial era in America. Photographer Matthew Christopher has had an interest in abandoned sites since he was a child. He started documenting them a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. He has published the books "Abandoned America: Dismantling the Dream" and "Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences" featuring his work. His photography has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the L.A. Times, NPR, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Catholic Sun, Yahoo News, the Daily Mail, New York Post, Buzzfeed, the Weather Channel, the Huffington Post, the Discovery Channel Magazine, the Harrisburg Patriot, and many others. He has lectured on the art of ruins, abandoned spaces, preservation, and mental health history for Preservation Austin, the Pennsylvania State Museum, Preservation Pennsylvania, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and many others. His website, Abandoned America, has gained international attention and is considered one of the leading collections of images of abandoned spaces.

Asian Voices: From the CMA Collection addresses the increasing need to understand the diverse culture and rich history of Asia, especially as hate crimes towards Asians continue to rise. Asian artists have long sought fresh new opportunities in the United States, arriving as refugees, economic migrants, students, or professionals. In celebration of these artists, CMA presents "Asian Voices," an exhibit of work by Asian artists from our collection whose voices speak to the fluidity of an individual's sense of place and self. Featured artists will include Yuko Kimura, Patti Warashina, and more.

Visions 2022: Artwork from the Canton Artists League is an exhibition that honors and highlights the strong diversity of talent that is part of Canton/Stark County's rich visual arts heritage and future. Many of the artists featured in the exhibition are prominent both regionally and nationally for their work, including watercolor, oil painting, and beyond.

Exhibitions, Programming, and Operating Support

The Canton Museum of Art's exhibitions, related programs, and operations are made possible in part through generous support from Arts In Stark, Visit Canton, Stark Community Foundation, The Hoover Foundation, the Paparella Family Foundation, the Canton Museum of Art Exhibition Endowment at Stark Community Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts and Institute of Museum and Library Services. CMA FREE Thursdays, offering free admission all day, is sponsored by PNC Foundation.

About Canton Museum of Art

Recognized for powerful original exhibitions and national touring exhibitions focused on American art and its influences, the Canton Museum of Art makes the discovery and exploration of art accessible to all. The Museum's education outreach programs, School of Art classes, and workshops serve thousands of students of all ages. CMA's acclaimed Collection focuses on American works on paper, primarily watercolors, and contemporary ceramics. CMA's Artisan Boutique is open during regular Museum hours. Founded in 1935, CMA serves more than 45,000 visitors each year. Visit cantonart.org and follow the Museum on Facebook for updates, or call 330.453.7666 for more information.

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