Japan's Edo Era Brought to Life in Summer 2025 Exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and McAninch Arts Center

"Hokusai & Ukiyo-e" Invites Visitors to Journey Back in Time Through an Art Collection Making Its U.S. Debut and Interactive Experiences Including an Immersive Manga & Anime Exhibit, Silk & Samurai Selfie Station, Kids Area, DIY Digital Ukiyo-e Art and More

Tickets Start at $12

Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2025) - The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located on the College of DuPage campus (425 Fawell Blvd.), present "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection," May 31 - Sept. 21, 2025. The all-encompassing exhibition takes guests on a fascinating journey into the world of shoguns, samurai and Kabuki actors during a vibrant time of Japanese cultural renaissance. Tickets start at $12 and are now available on the exhibition's website, Hokusai2025.org, or through the MAC box office.

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The "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World" exhibition authentically brings 17th-century Japan to life through meticulously crafted recreations, immersive experiences, hands-on activities and historical exhibits. Visitors will be transported to a time when the city of Edo (now Tokyo) flourished under shogunate rule as the cultural and economic heart of Japan, embracing the arts, nature and leisurely pursuits.

The multi-faceted experience centers around the world-class presentation of a 63-piece collection making its U.S. debut, featured as "Museum Galleries - Chiossone Collection" in the exhibition. On loan from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art in Genoa, Italy, the collection includes 53 woodblock prints and original paintings by leading artists of ukiyo-e -a major artistic genre that flourished during Japan's Edo period (1603-1868)-along with several handcrafted objects such as games, instruments and daily objects.

Enhancing the museum exhibition, "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e" immerses guests in Japan's iconic shogun era through a variety of engaging, interactive exhibits spanning over 10,000 square feet. Supporting the art collection and created exclusively for the CCMA and MAC, the show features:

• Historical Edo & Ukiyo-e Exhibit: With a layout inspired by a woodblock print, the first exhibit provides context to the featured art collection, focusing on the lives of Hokusai, Hiroshige and Edoardo Chiossone, the development of ukiyo-e and its lasting impact, the art of woodblock printing, and works from the College of DuPage permanent art collection.

• Hokusai's World: Step Into Edo: This streetscape walk-through experience features recreations of a woodblock printshop and Japanese market. As visitors step into the printshop, they will spot a scene depicting Hokusai and his daughter Oi-both deeply focused on their craft. Publishing boomed in Hokusai's time, and he helped fuel the craze for illustrated books known as ehon.

• Waves of DuPage: Beautiful Cities: Naperville artist Rich Lo created ukiyo-e-style landscapes based on iconic DuPage County locations. These original works were created for the DuPage Public Art Project and will be displayed as murals within communities throughout the county. Framed prints of all these pieces will be showcased together at the exhibition.

• Immersive History of Manga & Anime: Guests can explore the evolution of manga-Japanese comics-through a fully designed environment by Vanessa Vu and Kevin Yu of 2d, where every inch of the space, including walls, furniture and floors, merge into a black-and-white, larger-than-life comic book.

• Hokusai Kids Area: Families can dive into the fascinating world of Hokusai with an original Hokusai biographical anime film, a Children's Day display celebrating how strong, brave and bright kids are with traditional Japanese toys that are gifted, a Japanese dragon costume featured in parades and celebrations, a cherry blossom wish tree where children can write down their wishes and tie it to the tree, calligraphy and origami making, and more.

• Ukiyo-e Imagination Station: Visitors can create their very own ukiyo-e masterpieces through a hands-on digital experience.

• Samurai & Silk Selfie Station: Visitors can snap a photo with exquisite recreations of Edo Era clothing, including a samurai uniform on loan from Warner Bros., a Kabuki character costume designed by Kim Morris, and a stunning empress kimono.

• Great Wave Gardens: The curated outdoor garden will feature a selection of live plants including flowering trees and sculpted evergreens, plus a Japanese bridge, teahouse façade, picnic area and more to convey the spirit of peaceful Japanese landscapes.

• Edo EATS! and Gift Shop: Food and drink will be available at the Edo EATS! concession, and Hokusai-themed merchandise and souvenirs will be sold in the gift shop.

"Think of this exhibition as an immersive cultural dive into Japan's captivating Shogun era, packed with everything from historic masterpieces and recreations of daily life to cherished traditions, natural beauty, and a few surprises along the way," said Diana Martinez, Executive Director of the McAninch Arts Center. "From centuries-old legendary artworks to anime, digital art and kid's activities, there's something around each corner for visitors of all generations to explore, learn and enjoy."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with our international partners to bring this important collection to the museum. Japanese ukiyo-e artists have had a profound influence on global visual culture, and although these works are centuries old, they continue to resonate powerfully with contemporary audiences." said Justin Witte, Curator of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art.

Widely considered as one of the most recognizable images in the world, the collection will feature Katsushika Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, "Under the Wave off Kanagawa," along with eight more of his original works. There will also be 15 works by Utagawa Hiroshige, particularly known for the "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" series, along with works by 15 of their contemporaries.

The MAC will host on-site lectures by authors and curators, film screenings, weekly Japanese calligraphy and woodblock printmaking classes, and more. For many of these events, a "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e" exhibition ticket will grant free access. In addition, 22 cities within DuPage County are celebrating the much-anticipated exhibition displaying ukiyo-e style murals of iconic locations and landmarks as part of the "Waves of DuPage: Beautiful Cities" public art project. Each will also host themed events.

More information about the "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World" can be found at Hokusai2025.org.

Additional Exhibition Information

The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, with works from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, Italy that was originally collected by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898), whose collection is known worldwide for the quality of art and its remarkable state of conservation. The featured ukiyo-e collection on loan will be curated by professor and art historian Rossella Menegazzo of The University of Milan as part of the larger exhibition at the MAC and CCMA, curated by Justin Witte.

Support for "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection" is provided in part by The County of DuPage, Ball Horticultural, DuPage Foundation, Arts DuPage, Wight & Company, The Illinois Arts Council, Capstone Financial Advisors, the JCS Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Molex, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the College of DuPage, Discover DuPage and DCVB DuMore DuPage.

Exhibition Tickets

Ticket prices range from $12 to $32 ($12 tickets available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 - 5 p.m.). VIP add-on packages start at $25 and include benefits such as audio tours, catalogs and exhibition merchandise. For tickets or more information visit Hokusai2025.org or call the MAC Box Office 630.942.4000. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by contacting the group sales coordinator at 630.942.3026 or [email protected].

Guests can explore the evolution of manga-Japanese comics-through a fully designed environment by Vanessa Vu and Kevin Yu of 2d, where every inch of the space, including walls, furniture and floors, merge into a black-and-white, larger-than-life comic book.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9467/257037_8540097f94f2cb21_002full.jpg

About the Cleve Carney Museum of Art

The late Cleve Carney provided a significant legacy gift to establish the Cleve Carney Art Gallery at College of DuPage. The gallery opened in February 2014 with its inaugural exhibition, "Selections from Cleve Carney's Art Collection." In fall 2019, the gallery was expanded to a 2,500 square-foot museum. The Cleve Carney Museum of Art opened June 2021 with the highly anticipated "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" exhibition followed it up in summer 2023 with "Warhol." Funding for CCMA is provided by the Cleve Carney Endowment Fund, which supports vital programming including artist engagement opportunities for community members and students, gallery exhibitions, artist commissions, new acquisitions and other teaching and learning tools that foster cultural enrichment in our community. More information can be found at TheCCMA.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt.

About the MAC

McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college's academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.

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