The Cleve Carney Museum of Art at the College of DuPage has opened "Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World," an immersive exhibition exploring Japanese ukiyo-e art from the Edo period. The show features woodblock prints and scrolls, including Hokusai's iconic "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa," drawn from the collection of 19th-century Italian engraver Edoardo Chiossone. Many prints are on view in the U.S. for the first time. The exhibition extends beyond traditional display with an outdoor garden, manga and anime rooms, and a recreated Edo village built by the college's theater department.
This exhibition matters because it bridges traditional museum presentation with immersive, audience-engaging experiences, a balance curator Justin Witte notes is often missing in contemporary museums. By collaborating across the entire arts center—including theater designers and students—the show makes centuries-old Japanese art feel fresh and accessible. It also highlights the growing trend of regional museums and community colleges hosting ambitious, internationally sourced exhibitions that might otherwise be limited to major metropolitan institutions.