NEWS

Special Exhibition "Exploring Hidden ICU Collections" at ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum

Update: January 15, 2020

The ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum is holding a special exhibition titled "Exploring Hidden ICU Collections" from Jan. 7 (Tue.) to Mar. 13 (Fri.).

The special exhibition features a Japanese arts and crafts collection donated by Dr. Donald Othmer (1904-1995) and his wife Mildred (1907-1998), who contributed to the development of ICU, and has on display about 140 items including metalwork such as mirrors and handguards, lacquerware they purchased during their Japan trip, and custom-made Arita ware Christmas plates that the couple used to send to their friends and acquaintances every year.

What captures a great deal of attention among the donated items are the Arita ware square plates they designed every year as a Christmas greeting card and sent to their friends. The humorous messages glazed on the backside of the plates give a glimpse of their warm personalities.

Dr. Donald Othmer was a world authority in chemical engineering and an inventor with many patents. He served as a trustee of Japan ICU Foundation and together with Mrs. Othmer contributed to the development of the university. ICU established a foundation with their bequest, used it to appoint professors in the science field, and built the Mildred Topp Othmer Library and the Global House dormitory for international students. Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum houses a collection of about 350 items of Japanese arts and crafts cherished by the couple.

Gallery tour

Twenty- to thirty-minute-long gallery tours will be conducted by ICU students from the Curatorial Training Program on the following days. We are looking forward to your participation.

Jan. 22 (Wed.): at 14:00 and 15:30

Jan. 29 (Wed.): at 11:30 and 14:00

Feb. 5 (Wed.): at 11:30, 14:00, and 15:30

Feb. 12 (Wed.): at 11:30, 14:00, and 15:30

Feb. 19 (Wed.): at 14:00 and 15:30

Related open lecture

Lecturer: Dr. Yukiko Shirahara, Curator, Special Assignment, Nezu Museum

Title: Collecting Japanese Art in the US -- Its Development in the 20th Century

Time and date: from 14:00 to 15:30, February 22, 2020 (Sat.)

Place: Museum Entrance Hall

Admission free. Reservations can be made over telephone, by e-mail, or from here.