Enduring Bonds: Recent Japanese Acquisitions in Memory of Yoko McClain

Last year, the JSMA lost our dear friend and supporter Yoko Matsuoka McClain (1924-2011), who first came to Oregon in 1952 as a student and began working for the museum, eventually receiving a B.A. and M.A. A pillar of the community and UO professor of Japanese language and literature from 1964 to 1994, McClain wrote numerous books and articles and spoke frequently on both sides of the Pacific. As the granddaughter of Sôseki Natsume (1867-1916), one of Japan's most famous writers, McClain was revered by anyone familiar with Japanese literature, and yet she wore this legacy lightly, charming all she encountered both with her intellect and approachable attitude. Her grace and stature as a scholar and educator opened many doors, both here and abroad.
      McClain’s fifty-seven-year connection to the museum made her a most fitting recipient for our Gertrude Bass Warner award in August 2011. She immeasurably enriched our collection by donating 150 Japanese objects and collaborating on brilliant exhibitions, including two featuring the sôsaku hanga (creative print) master Sekino Jun'ichirô (1914-1988) that marked new territory for the scholarly study of modern Japanese prints. Because McClain acted as translator for Sekino whenever he came to Oregon, their families developed an enduring bond. Thus it was that in 2011 McClain urged the artist’s son, Professor Junpei Sekino of Willamette University, to consider donating some of his father’s works to the museum. Her encouragement and his generosity resulted in a gift of 24 large-format Sekino landscape and figural prints spanning a period of over 25 years.  A selection of eight of those gifts, plus two more Sekino portraits purchased using funds donated by McClain’s friends and admirers, are displayed in this inaugural installation celebrating Professor Sekino’s magnanimous gift and commemorating Yoko McClain.