The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum is proud to present Resilience – A Sansei Sense of Legacy, a special exhibition on view January 17 – April 4, 2026. In 1942, Executive Order 9066 forced the incarceration of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. Told from the perspective of Sansei – third-generation Japanese Americans – Resilience features the work of eight artists whose families experienced this injustice and whose art reflects on its impact across generations. That impact was also felt here in St. Louis, where many Japanese American families settled post incarceration.

Through sculpture, photography, textiles, and multimedia installations, the exhibition explores themes of memory, silence, survival, and identity. These artists —including Kristine Aono, Reiko Fuji, Wendy Maruyama, Lydia Nakashima Degarrod, Tom Nakashima, Roger Shimomura, Judy Shintani, and Jerry Takigawa —use their craft both to honor their heritage and to confront the racism, hysteria, and exploitation that made incarceration possible.

This free exhibition is made possible through the Museum’s Partnership with the Japanese American Citizens League with support from the JA Community Foundation, the JACL Legacy Fund and the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. This exhibition is located in the Karpati Gallery. The Karpati Gallery, named in memory of József and Peter Karpati, is located on the Museum’s lower level and features a rotating selection of special exhibitions on history, culture, and art.

Citizen’s Indefinite Leave. © 2017