George Tsutakawa in Japan video project
name: label: Creator
content: Tsutakawa, George
label: Names
content: Archives of American Art
label: Names
content: Gadd, Dan
label: Names
content: Karlstrom, Paul J.
label: Names
content: Levine, Ken M.
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
label: Topic
content: Asian American art
label: Topic
content: Asian American artists
label: Topic
content: Japanese American art
label: Topic
content: Japanese American artists
label: Topic
content: Asian American painters
label: Topic
content: Asian American educators
label: Topic
content: Asian American sculptors
creator: label: Creator
content: Tsutakawa, George
setName: label: See more items in
content: George Tsutakawa in Japan video project
abstract: label: Summary
content: The George Tsutakawa in Japan video project measures 4 linear feet and contains unedited video recordings of Tsutakawa's return trip to his childhood home in central Japan. The recordings, made by the West Coast Regional Center of the Archives of American Art in 1988, were subsequently edited into the 23-minute documentary George Tsutakawa: An Artist's Pilgrimage, also included in this collection.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a Japanese American painter and sculptor based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Seattle in 1910, he moved with his mother to Fukuyama, Japan, at the age of seven. While there, he took an interest in art, and was influenced by traditional Japanese practices. Returning to Seattle at age 16, he continued his education in art at the University of Washington. His interest in sculpture led to numerous commissions for fountians worldwide, a form that combined his experiences in both the Pacific Northwest and Japan.  During his career, Tsutakawa designed, built, and installed over 70 fountains.

Following a 1987 interview with Tsutakawa conducted by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, the Archives' West Coast Regional Center took the opportunity to further document Tsutakawa's experience as a Japanese-American artist. Fourteen hours of video were recorded over a three-week period in the fall of 1988, centered around the Fountain of Lotus, a sculpture Tsutakawa was commissioned to design for a new art museum in his childhood home of Fukuyama, Japan. Tsutakawa is accompanied by members of his family, including his wife Ayame, his daughter Mayumi, and his son Gerard.

The video crew for this project included Paul Karlstrom (Archives of American Art West Coast regional director), Ken Levine (director and videographer), and Dan Gadd (videographer). The project was made possible by a Smithsonian Research Opportunities Grant and additional private donations, as well as an equipment loan from Sony.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 4 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1988-1990
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.tsutgeor
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 2 series.

Series 1: Unedited Video for Documentary, 1988 (3.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-4)

Series 2: George Tsutakawa: An Artist's Pilgrimage, 1990 (3 folders; Box 4)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed by Tim Lake in 2019.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Some of the video recordings in this collection have been copied for research access and digital copies are available in the Archives of American Art offices.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The George Tsutakawa in Japan video project measures 4 linear feet and contains unedited video recordings of Tsutakawa's return trip to his childhood home in central Japan. The recordings, made by the West Coast Regional Center of the Archives of American Art in 1988, were subsequently edited into the 23-minute documentary George Tsutakawa: An Artist's Pilgrimage, also included in this collection.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview recorded on video June 26-27, 1987 by his daughter Mayumi Tsutakawa, as well as the George Tsutakawa papers, 1953-1991.