Garry Knox Bennett – Vertical at 75
Curated by Nancy M. Servis, Executive Director, Richmond Art Center

Blossoms & Thorns: The Legacy of Richmond's Historic Japanese American Nurseries is an exhibition of contemporary and historic photographs and artifacts exploring the Japanese American cut flower nurseries that began in Richmond in the early 1900's and continued for over 100 years despite various challenges including internment during World War II.

The contemporary photos are the inspiration for this exhibition. While the buildings fell into disrepair, the roses and carnations continue to thrive and often are found bursting through the roofs and windows. The contemporary photographers' images document the beauty of these "ruins," as well as the profound tenacity of the plants and the significance of the years of work that cultivated them.

The exhibition also explores the remarkable legacy of Japanese Americans who built a thriving community and flower industry in Richmond beginning over a century ago. During WWII these families were forced into internment camps and had to leave their properties, businesses and homes behind. In a few cases they were able to pass them on to others to run for them until they could return. Several of the family businesses were able to rebuild and continued for many years after the war despite additional encroachments by the construction of Highway 80 and BART. Eventually, federal policies that favored flowers imported from Latin America caused this once vital industry to lose its viability and the businesses were shut down.

Richmond holds the last extensive historic flower nurseries built by Japanese Americans in California, but they will soon be demolished to make way for affordable housing.

"These nurseries are a rare legacy of an important chapter in Japanese American history and in the heritage of our state. Preserving California's Japantowns' surveys of Nikkei communities across California did not identify any other sites that hold this depth and breadth of historic connection to the Japanese American flower-growing industry," states Donna Graves, historian and director of the project, Preserving California's Japantowns. Graves is the curator of the historic portion of this exhibition. She has written extensively about the Richmond nursery community and initiated a video documentary project about Richmond's Japanese American heritage that is currently underway.

Collaborators: City of Richmond's Arts and Culture Division; Susan Sharfman, Richmond resident; Tom Panas, El Cerrito Historical Society; Natalia Lawrence, Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Richmond; Monique A. le Conge, Director Library & Cultural Services; Donna Graves, Historian/Arts and Culture Planner; Morgan Smith, Tom Leatherman, and Betty Soskin: National Park Service - Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park.

Nikkei Advisors Charlotte Sakai, Marjorie Fujioka, Jill Shiraki, Flora Ninomiya, Joan Matsuoka, Chizu Iiyama, Barbara Saito, Jim Oshima and Larry Oishi.

Sponsored by the City of Richmond's Neighborhood Public Art Project and the National Park Service.

The Public Works of Sargent Johnson
Featuring photographs by Duane M. Conliffe

Raku Mastery
Raku Mastery: Featuring Steven Allen, Frank Boyden, Bruno Kark, David Kuraoka, Jane McDonald and Paul Soldner is in conjunction with the Richmond Art Center's Raku Festival, Focus on Fire which takes place on Sat, Sep 10, 10am – 3:30 pm.