
Katie Hondorf is a public affairs specialist at SAAM.Jis the day of Robert Pattinson,Bella Swan and Taylor Lautner or shall I say June 30 is The Twilight Saga:Eclipse day. Read more about Obata's writings from our colleagues at the Archives of American Art. Want to learn more about Chiura Obata? Browse selected artworks from the exhibition in an online gallery with commentary from the exhibition's curator, ShiPu Wang, and watch the webcast of his talk in which he discusses Obata’s career as a painter, teacher, and cultural ambassador. I also feel inspired by his correspondence, and will send handwritten notes to friends I haven't heard from in awhile, to show I'm thinking of them in my own way.

Obata is known for his exquisite, vibrant watercolor paintings and woodblock prints of national parks such as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, but he was also a strong believer in the power of the written word. While technology can be a blessing in allowing us to fee connected while apart, it doesn't replace the in-person, very human connection that we may be craving as well. Now that we are all practicing social distancing and mastering this sudden and enormous shift to an almost exclusively online lifestyle (video conference calls, online classes, free educational activities for the little ones in our lives), I find myself looking for ways to reach out and reconnect with friends and loved ones.

Many of us are struggling with the idea of forgoing traditional activities during the beautiful season of spring as we do our part to "flatten the curve." After all, who doesn't look forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival, taking a leisurely walk around the Tidal Basin while sampling all sorts of cherry-based desserts? Through this annual event, we all embrace Obata's love of nature and its simple pleasures. Now an exhibition of his work is interrupted by a virus." As the Washington Post notes, "A great artist’s life was interrupted by internment. Inventories of American Painting and SculptureĬhiura Obata, Lake Basin in the High Sierra, 1930, color woodcut on paper, 11 3/8 x 15 5/8 inches, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Obata Family, 2000.76.25, © 1989, Lillian Yuri Kodani.Ī recent review of the internationally touring exhibition Chiura Obata: American Modern in the Washington Post called Obata's works, "a marvel of invention, nuance and emotional resilience." The exhibition is currently off view since the Smithsonian American Art Museum is closed temporarily as a public health precaution to support the national effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
