Free Hokusai Japan Fest features traditional arts and cuisine
On Saturday, June 21, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the McAninch Arts Center are celebrating this summer’s must-see exhibition, “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection,” with a free “Hokusai Japan Fest.”
It will be noon to 6 p.m. at the MAC’s Lakeside Pavilion on the College of DuPage campus, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn.
The programming for this family-friendly festival, curated by Stephen Toyoda of the Japanese Culture Center, features traditional Japanese entertainment evocative of the Edo era.
The schedule for the day is as follows:
• Noon and 5:30 p.m.: Tsukasa Taiko (Japanese drumming)
• 12:30 and 5 p.m.: Odori (lively Japanese folk or theater dance characterized by rapid footwork)
• 1 and 4:30 p.m.: Musical performance featuring the samisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument
• 1:30 p.m.: Shotokan Karate demonstration by JKA Chicago
• 2 p.m.: Aikido demonstration by the Aikido Association of America
• 2:30 p.m.: Kendo demonstration by Chicago Kendo Dojo
• 3 p.m.: Large Brush Shodō (Japanese calligraphy) by award-winning master Hekiun Oda Shihan (Genshinkai)
In addition, there will be ikebana (flower arrangement) demonstrations by the Ohara School of Ikebana, shodō, calligraphy lessons, woodblock printmaking demos, origami lessons, food vendors and more.
Food vendors include: Izakaya Shinya in Wicker Park, Toshiko Sugii Steffes, Lu's Fine Asian Cuisine in Wheaton, and 2d Restaurant in Chicago.
While admission to “Edo’s Hokusai Fest” is free, a ticket is required for access to the full exhibition. Exhibition tickets may be purchased on site, by calling the box office at (630) 942-4000 or online at Hokusai2025.org.
About the “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” Exhibition
The “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection” exhibition continues to Sept. 21. Take a journey into the world of shoguns, samurai and Kabuki actors during a vibrant time of Japanese cultural renaissance.
The exhibition’s featured art collection, on loan from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art in Genoa, Italy, features 53 woodblock prints and original paintings by the masters of ukiyo-e, including works by Hokusai, Hiroshige and 15 of their contemporaries, and a selection of handcrafted objects such as games, instruments and hair ornaments.
The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, with works from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, Italy that was originally collected by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898), whose collection is known worldwide for the quality of art and its remarkable state of conservation. The featured ukiyo-e collection on loan will be curated by professor and art historian Rossella Menegazzo of The University of Milan as part of the larger exhibition at the MAC and CCMA, curated by Justin Witte.
Support for “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection” is provided in part by The County of DuPage, Ball Horticultural, DuPage Foundation, Arts DuPage, Wight & Company, The Illinois Arts Council, Capstone Financial Advisors, the JCS Fund, Molex, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the College of DuPage, Discover DuPage and DCVB DuMore DuPage.
Exhibition tickets
Ticket prices range from $12 to $32 ($12 tickets available Tuesdays and Wednesdays for admission after 2 p.m.). Youth tickets for $20 are available for those age 12 or under. VIP add-on packages start at $25 and include benefits such as audio tours, catalogs and exhibition merchandise.
For tickets or more information, visit Hokusai2025.org or call the MAC box office at (630) 942-4000. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by contacting the group sales coordinator at (630) 942-3026 or grouptix@cod.edu.