In less than a week, Cathy Erickson’s textile exhibit, What Remains: Japanese Americans in Internment Camps closes. For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to see this moving exhibit, now is your last chance.
For over a decade, Cathy Erickson has focused her artwork on the hardships that Japanese Americans faced when they were interned in camps during World War II. Much of the work was done in collaboration with Margaret Chula, an internationally known haiku poet. Photographs, letters, and historical documents were used as background information, as well as visiting with people who took part in this piece of American History. The series includes volunteer work at archaeology digs at the Manzanar National Historic Site, which is located in California, as well as work at a local Japanese American Museum.
What Remains: Japanese Americans in Internment Camps has shown at the Japanese Gardens in Portland, and other areas across the nation. Quilts from this show have also been displayed in Brazil where the artist won a viewer’s choice award. The nearly twenty piece exhibit explores the stories, experiences and history behind Japanese Internment Camps in American during World War II through textile art.
The textile exhibit has been brought to you by Cannon Beach’s Center Diamond, which is coincidentally where Erickson purchased her first piece of fabric. Center Diamond has been selling fabric for over 20 years in Cannon Beach. Contemporary batiks, brights, Asian, landscape/beach, and modern fabrics are their focus, but they also have lots of sewing supplies and notions. Look for their custom made Haystack Rock batik and Tufted Puffin fabric and buttons – all available only at Center Diamond.
The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum is open Thursday through Monday from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.