JACS PR 6/07

JACS Establishes Cecilia Nakamura Arts Fund

Los Angeles, CA.—Japanese American Community Services of Southern California (JACS) is pleased to announce a $295,000 donation from the Cecilia Nakamura Trust to establish the Cecilia Nakamura Arts Fund—to support a new generation of individual artists, arts organizations and their work.

Dean Matsubayashi, President of JACS said, “JACS’ mission is to provide financial support to ‘emerging’ projects and organizations, which includes a focus on cultural arts, so we are grateful to Cecilia for her generosity in making this donation to JACS.”

“We believe that Cecilia’s bountiful gift will go a long, long way in strengthening JACS’ annual giving programs, and allows us to honor her name in perpetuity. We see her as a shining example of how the Nisei can continue giving to the community even beyond our lifetime,” said Fred Hoshiyama, a member of JACS’ Board of Trustees.

Cecilia Nakamura was born in San Francisco in 1913, and at a young age, her Kyoto-born mother, Tsuyeko Nishikawa, a koto teacher, began Nakamura’s music training on the koto. She also learned the violin at a young age.

After high school Nakamura studied costume design and tailoring at Trade Tech in Los Angeles. She also began dancing with Michio Ito, renowned Japanese modern dance choreographer, performing at the Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl. She continued life-long friendships with Michio Ito, photographer Toyo Miyatake, and a lively mix of Japanese and American artists of the burgeoning modern arts movement.

During World War II, Nakamura was interned at Poston, while her friend and mentor, Michio Ito was deported to Japan as an enemy alien. After returning to Los Angeles, she began a long career as a tailor working with Hollywood designer Frank Acuna, who created costumes for Eleanor Powell, Liberace, Gilbert Roland, Clark Gable, and others.

Throughout her declining years, Nakamura kept her spicy sense of humor, strong-willed independence, compassion, and love of the arts. She passed away in June 2006.

Nobuko Miyamoto, Founder/Artistic Director of Great Leap and a long-time family friend said, “Cecilia would be so happy to know that her work as a dancer and her connection with Michio Ito will be continued with the creation of this fund in her name. She was part of the renaissance of Japanese American artists in her own way.”

The origins of JACS can be traced back to Shonien, a Los Angeles-based children's home and day nursery for Japanese immigrants in the early 1900s. After World War II and the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans, the Shonien re-directed its focus and eventually became the Japanese American Community Services of Southern California in 1961.

JACS is currently establishing an Ad-Hoc Arts Advisory Committee to provide support in setting up the Cecilia Nakamura Arts Fund. JACS is currently planning a reception for later this summer. Grant applications for the Cecilia Nakamura Arts Fund will be available in October 2007, with the first distribution in June 2008. For more information, please see the website at http://www.jacsfund.org.