GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — As a follow up to its Warhol-inspired DuPage Pop Art Challenge, the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) announces “WAVES OF DUPAGE: Ukiyo-e Public Art Project,” sponsored by the College of DuPage and the National Endowment for the Arts. The project will showcase large-scale, ukiyo-e style artwork depicting iconic locations throughout DuPage County. Communities interested in having their locations featured can apply at TheCCMA.org/Hokusai-Partners. The initiative is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection,” which will be presented by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the MAC May 31 – Sept. 21.
Communities throughout DuPage County such as Lisle, Glen Ellyn, Naperville and Wheaton have signed on to participate in the public art project and will select an iconic location, building or landmark in their town that will be rendered into a ukiyo-e style mural, which will be displayed in highly visible locations throughout the community, such as an exterior wall or window. Accomplished local artist and illustrator, Richard Lo, has been selected to design the murals. Specializing in ukiyo-e art, Lo’s works can be seen across the City of Chicago. The Waves of DuPage public art project will be a unique way to highlight each village or town, attract visitors to the community, celebrate the arts and instill civic pride. Those interested in participating in the program can apply through the exhibition website, TheCCMA.org/Hokusai-Partners.
“We are immensely proud to be a part of a county that supports local arts and culture initiatives with support that allows us to produce this multi-faceted Hokusai exhibition,” said MAC Director and Exhibition Director, Diana Martinez. “The comradery and excitement these bi-annual exhibitions bring to the community is remarkable. The hundreds-of-thousands of visitors from across the globe will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in this unique and lively time in history, while being encouraged to explore DuPage County to discover what each town has to offer.”
The Public Art Project is just one way surrounding communities are embracing the exhibition. Local businesses, restaurants, libraries, art galleries and more will infuse Hokusai’s culture into special events, programming, public art, offerings and more to celebrate this summer’s Hokusai exhibition. Community events include woodblock workshops and origami classes, topic lectures, restaurant menu items and more. Additional details about community programming will be announced at a later date.
The international exhibition has already garnered tremendous support locally as well as nationally. Major sponsors for this exhibition include The County of DuPage, Ball Horticultural, DuPage Foundation, Arts DuPage, Wight & Company, The Illinois Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the College of DuPage and Discover DuPage.
These sponsors are instrumental in “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e” becoming more than a typical museum show. As previously mentioned, the College of DuPage and National Endowment for the Arts are sponsoring the public art project. The Children’s Area is supported by the Illinois Arts Council, which will feature an educational video about the Edo Period, supported by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. Wight and Company is sponsoring the historical area featuring biographical information about Hokusai. DuPage Foundation and Arts DuPage is sponsoring an interactive recreation of an Edo-Era building. Ball Horticulture, a leader in all facets of horticulture based in West Chicago, will be sponsoring the peaceful, outdoor Japanese garden by providing Japanese plants.
“Early in the life of our company, our founder, George J. Ball, worked directly with Japanese growers," says Anna Ball, Ball Horticultural CEO and Board Chair. "On trips to Japan in the 1930s, he established lasting relationships with fellow seed breeders like Sakata, who we still do business with today. We are especially happy to be part of the upcoming ‘Hokusai and Ukiyo-e’ as it provides us the opportunity to highlight this important part of our history, the role of Japanese culture in our story, and our continued interest in partnerships.”
Additional Information About Partnership Opportunities
For more information about how to partner or become a sponsor for the “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” exhibition, please visit the website at TheCCMA.org/Hokusai-Partners. The CCMA and the MAC welcome all partnership ideas, educational collaborations and art installation placements throughout DuPage County, the city of Chicago, in neighboring communities and beyond. Additional opportunities include: a feature in the exhibition’s “Eki Stamp Book,” cross-promotion of a Hokusai-inspired event, an organized lecture with the curator, submission of ukiyo-e art to be featured in a digital showcase.
About the “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” Exhibition
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the College of DuPage (COD) campus, present “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection” May 31 – Sept. 21, 2025. The exhibition will feature a collection of 53 works of art and 13 artifacts that has never been seen before in the U.S. More than a museum show, this arts center experience will immerse guests in Japanese Edo culture through several interactive exhibits, from a peaceful outdoor Japanese garden to an anime exhibit. The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art in collaboration with the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, Italy and with the support of MondoMostre. More information can be found at Hokusai2025.org.
Hokusai is widely recognized as one of Japan's greatest artists, as he was instrumental in developing the genre of ukiyo-e and modernized traditional print styles. Widely considered as one of the most recognizable images in the world, the exhibition will feature Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. In addition, visitors will have the rare opportunity to view nine original works by the legendary artist. There will also be 17 works by Hiroshige and works by 15 of their contemporaries.
The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, with works from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, Italy that was originally collected by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898), whose collection is known worldwide for the quality of art and its remarkable state of conservation. The featured ukiyo-e collection on loan will be curated by professor and art historian Rossella Menegazzo of The University of Milan as part of the larger exhibition at the MAC and CCMA, curated by Justin Witte.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale. Anytime Tickets (specific date/flexible time) for “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” are $40. Timed Tickets (specific date/specific time) are $27 (Tuesday-Friday) and $32 (Saturday, Sunday). VIP add-ons are also available, including the “Shogun,” which includes an exhibition poster, tote and VIP Lanyard for an additional $25; and the “Emperor,” which includes the Shogun package plus an audio tour and exhibit catalogue for an additional $70. Tickets can be purchased at Hokusai2025.org.
About the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, Italy
Founded in 1905, the Museum is named after Edoardo Chiossone. Skilled Genoese engraver who lived and worked in Japan at the end of the 19th century, Chiossone is known throughout the world for having designed the first Japanese banknotes and securities. The Museum, in the city center and facing the sea, was the first museum dedicated to Japanese art to be founded in Italy, and houses the largest, most precious and most varied collection of Japanese art in Italy and one of the most important in Europe, donated to the city of Genoa by Chiossone himself.
About MondoMostre
MondoMostre is the world's leading producer of exhibitions. Founded in Italy in 1999, it has successfully delivered critically acclaimed exhibitions for many of the most recognized museums internationally. As thought leaders at the forefront of cultural discourse, it offers unique insight and a distinct perspective that is helping to shape the future of the cultural sector. Through its exhibitions, it seeks to inspire audiences globally by making great works of art accessible to more people. MondoMostre champions the power of arts and culture to educate, build knowledge and reflect its shared humanity.
About the Cleve Carney Museum of Art
The late Cleve Carney provided a significant legacy gift to establish the Cleve Carney Art Gallery at College of DuPage. The gallery opened in February 2014 with its inaugural exhibition, “Selections from Cleve Carney’s Art Collection.” In fall 2019, the gallery was expanded to a 2,500 square-foot museum. The Cleve Carney Museum of Art opened June 2021 with the highly anticipated “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition followed up in summer 2023 with “Warhol.” Funding for CCMA is provided by the Cleve Carney Endowment Fund, which supports vital programming including artist engagement opportunities for community members and students, gallery exhibitions, artist commissions, new acquisitions and other teaching and learning tools that foster cultural enrichment in our community. More information can be found at TheCCMA.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
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