GREETINGS

2024 marks the 75th anniversary of CWAJ, and to celebrate, we are holding a special exhibition Trailblazers across two sites: Hillside Forum (October 16-20), and the Frederick Harris Gallery of the Tokyo American Club (October 8 – November 5, 2024). This exhibition honors pioneering women in Japanese printmaking: SHINODA Toko, YOSHIDA Chizuko, IWAMI Reika, YANAGISAWA Noriko, and TATSUNO Toeko whose contributions have enriched the art world and inspired many women artists. The prints showcased in the Trailblazers exhibition will also be available for purchase through the Online Gallery during the online sales period, October 22-27, 2024. 

Founded in 1949, CWAJ initially provided travel grants for Japanese students to study abroad. Over the past 75 years, we have evolved into a 100% volunteer organization promoting the arts, education, community, and friendship, all under the philosophy of women supporting women. Our primary mission remains the provision of scholarships, funded by donations and proceeds from the CWAJ Print Show. To date, we have awarded over 870 scholarships. In addition to these higher education scholarships, the CWAJ Young Printmaker Award is in its 20th year, and most of the recipients are still active in the printmaking and art community.

The Hands-on Art Program (HOA) is a unique program where people with visual impairments can enjoy art at the Print Show. This year four prints were chosen to make raised images from. After asking the artists for permission, the coordinators discussed possible prints with experts at the Japan Braille Library, to find ones that we would be able to make into a 3D print, using a method called stereo copying.

We are offering time slots on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to CWAJ’s group of visually impaired friends. The HOA table is also open every day for drop-in visitors, both for people with visual impairments and for anyone who is interested in the program and wants to touch the raised prints.

ハンズ・オン・アート(HOA)プログラムは、CWAJ版画展で視覚に障害のあるゲストの方々にアートを楽しんでいただくための独自のプログラムです。今年は、4つの作品を選び触図を制作しました。作家のご協力のもと、コーディネーターが日本点字図書館の専門家と相談しながら、ステレオコピーという方法で立体化が可能な版画を選びました。

プログラムは、金、土、日に行います。参加を希望される方は、視覚障害者との交流の会（VVI）までお申し込みください。多くの方々にこのプログラムにご参加いただければ幸いです。また、HOAテーブルは毎日オープンしていますので、視覚障害者の方だけでなく、プログラムに興味のある方、立体コピーに触れてみたい方など、どなたでもお立ち寄りいただけます。

Please join us at the Hillside Forum in Daikanyama as we look at “How Prints are Made” and learn how artists use, abuse, and mix printmaking disciplines to expand and express their ideas to us. Join us in our exploration into “The Magic of Printmaking”.

* Reservations are not required. Please gather at the guided tour table in the lobby 10 minutes before the meeting time.