Dear Members:
It’s been a long hot summer and a long time since I saw you last. I hope, like me, you are looking forward to getting together again. There will be an opportunity to do so on October 16 when we plan a Coffee & Wine Reception in conjunction with the Print Show. Please save the date! In the meantime, I want to tell you about the summer at CWAJ. Outside organizations are noticing the good work that we do!
CWAJ Received Its First Award by a Central Government Agency! In June, CWAJ received the Women’s Challenge Support Award from the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office. Ever since its founding in 1949, CWAJ has been supporting women through travel grants and scholarships, but this is the first time for CWAJ to receive recognition from a central government agency. It is a testament to all the good work that members have done over the years. Congratulations to all who have contributed to our positive impact! And, a special thank you to Professor Yuko Itatsu, SA scholar 2000, our nominator, and to Shigeko Nagaoka and Ritsuko Watanabe for submitting our nomination.
CWAJ participated in EXPO 2025 Osaka/Kansai! On July 25, CWAJ presented two one-hour sessions about its scholarship program at EXPO’s “WA” Space, Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier”. At both sessions, three past scholars (Rin Ishikawa, Matoko Ogoda, and Sangita Das) spoke about the value of higher education to an audience of 80, followed by a lively Q&A. They each represented CWAJ par excellence. I wish you all could have been there. Joanna Chinen and Ritsuko Watanabe co-chaired this initiative and, as we say in the U.S., we send kudos to both, “job well done.”
CWAJ delivered a traveling Print Show at Highfield Hall and received recognition in the Boston Globe. As the Boston paper reported, “The show originated in Tokyo with a jury of experts from Japan’s top art institutions, and aims to bring global attention to contemporary prints as well as CWAJ’s mission to support women’s education through the arts.” 15 members joined over 100 locals for the opening night when Highfield Hall sold over $25,000 of prints. It was a great team effort by co-chairs on both sides of the Pacific: Naoko Yagura and Joanne Fallon. Naoko managed the Japan side of selecting and shipping the prints, while Joanne championed the organization of the exhibit through to fruition, negotiating contracts, insisting on good PR in local media, and coordinating with staff on many details associated with our visit. We were terribly excited that Japanese artists were receiving so much recognition.
A big thank you to all! It’s been an eventful summer and there is more to come! Stay tuned and, be sure to check the Enews to read about the exciting programs we have planned for the fall.
Onward and Upward,
Heidi
