Title:

Spectators are viewing paintings and drawings of relocation center life by Miss Mine Okubo, Nisei, who resettled to new York from the Tapaz Center, at the opening of an exhibit of her work on March 6, at the American Common in New York under the auspices of the Common Council for American Unity. At the left is Miss M. Margaret Anderson, editor of Common Ground, the Council's quarterly. Miss Okubo came East in 1944 to serve as contributing artist to Fortune Magazine's special issue on Japan. She has also contributed to the New York Times, Saturday Review of Literature, Survey Graphic, and Lamp. She recently completed a manuscript for a book about the evacuation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. Born in Riverside, Calif., her art work has been widely exhibited on the West Coast, where she won several prizes. The University of California awarded her the B.A. and M.A. degrees, and in 1938 its highest art honor--the Bertha Henicke Taussig Memorial Traveling Fellowship. On this she studied for two years in Europe. She returned to this country when the war started and began work almost immediately at the Golden Gate Fair, demonstrating fresco painting. She was evacuated to the Tanforan Center in May 1942 and taught art for six months. At Central Utah, she was on the staff of the Topaz Times and art editor of Trek. Her father, a married brother and family are at the Poston Center. Another brother teaches art at Heart Mountain. A married sister and family resettled in Brooklyn, N.Y. Two other brothers are in the U.S. Army--Pvt. Senji, who recently returned from France with the Purple Heart after service with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Pfc. Soku, who is stationed at Fort Snelling, Minn. -- Photographer: Fujihira, Toge -- New York, New York. 3/6/45

Contributing Institution:

The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.