logo by Mits Katayama
Project Overview Project Update- Related Works: Winsor Graphics : Porcelain Panels Production
| The Seattle Japanese American Citizen League (JACL), along with a consortium of organizations and individuals, Pike Place Market-Public Development Authority, Wing Luke Asian Museum, Lake Washington JACL, Puyallup JACL, White River JACL,commissioned a public artwork commemmorating Japanese American farmers, to be installed in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market. click on Schedule From the founding of the Pike Place Market at the turn of the century until the start of World War II, Japanese American farmers constituted a large segment of the people who delivered and sold produce daily at the market. Through their efforts, the market grew, becoming the best place in Seattle to buy fresh, locally grown produce and farm products. Before World War II, farmers in the market numbered about 600; after the War their numbers dwindled to fewer than 50. The departure of the Japanese American farmers and the onset of the War contributed significantly to the steady decline and near destruction of the market in the early 1970s. Today, the Market is the centerpiece of Seattle's history of commerce and tourism. Each year, 9 million people pass through Pike Place Market, many unaware of the contributions of the Japanese American farmers and their subsequent internment. This public artwork to change that as it will educate residents and visitors from around the nation and around the world. |
Public Art Conference