"In Tribute to Chiura Obata"
1885-1975 (小圃 千浦)
Always go with nature, anywhere, in any circumstance, with gratitude.
The renowned and highly respected Japanese American artist Chiura Obata was a popular member of the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley from 1932 to 1942. He maintained his studio and gallery at 2525 Telegraph Avenue (a City of Berkeley landmark), where his wife, Haruko, taught ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging. Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, bullets were fired at the studio. It then closed in 1942 during the forced internment of Berkeley's entire Japanese Armerican community, including 450 U.C. students. Provost Deutsch and University President Sproul criticized the internment, and Berkeley residents supplied art materials to Obata's art schools at the internment camps at Tanforan, California and Topaz, Utah. By providing art education to fellow internees the Obatas helped to instill a sense of calm in the face of hardship and injustice.
After the war ended in 1945, the Obatas returned to Berkeley where Chiura resumed teaching until 1954. His paintings and drawings, predominantly focusing on California landscapes, have been exhibited and collected by museums worldwide.
Erected 2016 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Topics. This historical marker
Location. 37° 51.871′ N, 122° 15.522′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in South Berkeley. Marker is at the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Dwight Way, on the right when traveling south on Telegraph Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Soda Works Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Mrs. E.P. (Stella) King Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Moe's Books (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); J. Gorman & Son Building (about 400 feet away); “A People’s History of Telegraph Avenue” (about 500 feet away); American Baptist Seminary of the West - Hobart Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Church of Christ, Scientist (approx. 0.2 miles away); Anthony Boucher: Editor and Writer (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.
Also see . . . Chiura Obata, Artist (Berkeley Historical Plaque Project). (Submitted on September 2, 2018.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.