On This Spot Newsletter August 2025

On This Spot tells the stories of a diverse group of women artists through short-form documentaries. Join us as we put women artists on the map.

Video Spotlight – Miné Okubo

Japanese American artist Miné Okubo moved to New York from California in 1944. She had just been released from captivity in US World War II internment camps. Her illustrated book Citizen 13660 chronicled her experiences. Some consider this the first modern graphic novel. Mine Okubo’s longtime Greenwich Village apartment became a safe haven for many visiting Japanese Americans.

What's Happening

Events and exhibitions related to Spot artists

Miné Okubo, Portrait Study, ca. 1937, tempera on hardboard, 23 1⁄2 × 19 3⁄8 × 1 1⁄2 in. (59.7 × 49.2 × 3.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum

Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Through August 17, 2025

Pictures of Belonging is an unprecedented examination of these three trailblazing figures. By tracing their artistic development before, during, and after the mass incarceration and displacement of Japanese Americans during World War II, the exhibition offers a nuanced view of how these women continued to explore and experiment with new artistic expression throughout their lives.

Upcoming Event:

Webinar with Historic Districts Council

A discussion on the intersection of place, memory, and artistic legacy on the Lower East Side.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Online via Zoom

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