FINAL WEEKS FOR TWO EXHIBITIONS AT JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

Lost Angeles, CA

Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066 and New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei will be closing at the Japanese American National Museum on August 13 and August 20, respectively. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday. Admission is free every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066 commemorates the 75th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the tragic and unlawful incarceration of 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Shortly after the signing, a series of Civilian Exclusion Orders were publicly posted all along the West Coast of the United States, notifying persons of Japanese ancestry of their impending forced removal. “Instructions to All Persons of Japanese Ancestry” were the infamous words seen at the top of the posters. Historic examples of these documents and others of the period, along with documentary videos, form the substance of the exhibition. Contemporary artworks by Wendy Maruyama and Mike Saijo are featured as well.

Instructions to All Persons is intended to engage visitors in critical discussions of the Japanese American incarceration experience and its continuing relevance today. It aims to examine the social impact of language and encourage viewers to contemplate the lessons of the past, as well as to compare World War II experiences with current events.

New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei creates a portrait of the pioneering actor, activist, and social media icon while offering an innovative means of engaging with the social history of America. The exhibition features numerous never-before-seen personal items through which visitors will learn not just about Takei but also about the constantly evolving fabric of America’s cultural identity, political outlook, social mores, and media landscape.

In September 2016, Takei and his husband, Brad Takei, donated a treasure trove of materials from throughout his life to the museum and a selection of these items serves as the foundation for New Frontiers. Included are photographs, correspondence, scripts, campaign materials from his 1973 Los Angeles City Council bid, and one-of-a-kind artworks made by his legions of fans.

Additional information about both exhibitions is available at janm.org.

NOW ON VIEW AT JANM:

Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066
Through August 13, 2017
Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066, commemorates the 75th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the tragic and unlawful incarceration of 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Instructions to All Persons is intended to engage visitors in critical discussions of the Japanese American incarceration experience and its continuing relevance today. It aims to examine the social impact of language and encourage viewers to contemplate the lessons of the past, as well as to compare World War II experiences with current events.

New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei
Through August 20, 2017
New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei explores the life and career of pioneering actor, activist, and social media icon George Takei. By examining Takei’s diverse experiences and achievements, this entertaining exhibition creates a portrait of a unique individual while offering an innovative means of engaging with the social history of America.

Common Ground: The Heart of Community
Ongoing
Incorporating hundreds of objects, documents, and photographs collected by JANM, this exhibition chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers through the World War II incarceration to the present.

About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite and traveled 17 of its exhibitions to locations around the world, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America.

JANM is located at 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. General admission is $10 adults, $6 students and seniors, free for members and children under age five. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from noon to 8 p.m. General admission prices and free admission times may not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions. Closed Monday, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information visit janm.org or call 213.625.0414.