In the exhibition “Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” is a section of very rare early works by Hokusai, including these two portraits of Kabuki actors. Shawn Eichman, Curator of Asian Art, fills us in Hokusai and Kabuki.

This is the second in a series of podcasts about works in “Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” on view through Jan. 3, 2010.

“Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” on view through Jan. 3, 2009

“Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” has been incredibly gratifying for Academy staff. Putting the exhibition together was a big team effort, and the curatorial departments—Asian Art, Education and European and American Art—collaborated and tried new things. But best of all, it’s a show that is completely from the permanent collection. We don’t need to bring in mummies or Monets from other museums to mount a riveting show. More than 1,300 members came for the special members-only opening reception on Sept. 23. It was so cool to see grown-ups doing the in-gallery activities conceptualized by the Education Department—making prints of “Red Fuji” at the four printing stations, writing haiku, and spinning the woodblocks ingeniously mounted by the Installation Department. And the interest hasn’t died—there is a steady stream of art fans drinking in the views of Mount Fuji every day. Here are scenes from the members’ opening. Photos by Shuzo Uemoto.

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For Shawn Eichman, Curator of Asian Art at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, two of the most interesting works in the current exhibition “Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” are not by Hokusai. Find out why he’s so intrigued by Tomioka Tessai’s two fan paintings in this podcast.

This is the first in a series of podcasts about works in “Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” on view through Jan. 3, 2010.

On Sept 23, Director Stephen Little gave a tour of Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji for staff. From curators to docents, everyone got the inside info on the works in this exhibition. Here we’re looking at a very rare map of Mount Fuji, which was meant to be punched out and assembled as a 3D model. It is one of the gems culled from the Richard Lane Collection. Photo by Shuzo Uemoto.

Today is Museum Day, organized by Smithsonian Magazine, and people have been taking advantage of their free passes. So far more than 250 people have come with their print outs. Thanks everyone! So much is going on—there are a lot of ways to be part of the art at the Academy these days.

This is Nelson, who studies Japanese, in the exhibition “Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.” He’s carefully crafting a haiku—in kanji! He explained that one of the lines refers to Buddha Amida. What an extraordinary young man. Once he’s done, his haiku will be placed in a scroll that is part of the exhibition. Anyone can come and contemplate the woodblock prints and write a haiku about what they experience.
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