To commemorate the anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Rifu and surrounding communities in Northern Japan in 2011, young artists from Rifu and from the USA created and exchanged art pieces that illustrated aspects of their respective cultures that they particularly valued.

The 100 pieces in this exhibit were selected from art that was exchanged between students in Rifu, Japan and their peers in New Rochelle, NY and New Milford, CT as part of Creative Connections’ 2012-13 ArtLink program.

During and after the exchange, the Japanese and US students also swapped heartfelt notes of support and gratitude.

The exchange and exhibit were originally commissioned by the Hammond Museum in North Salem, NY. It was made possible, in part, by grants from The US-Japan Foundation, The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, ArtsWestchester and the Westchester County Government.

Special thanks go to art teachers Nozomi Takahashi, Christy Morejon, Laurie Dwyer and Nicole Duverger for inspiring their students, to Stomu Miyazaki for curating the exhibit at the Hammond Museum, and to Martin Hara for producing the exhibit’s intro video.