Celebrating pioneering women artists who transformed American art history, featuring Dr. Hayashi's powerful documentation of Japanese American internment camps through innovative panoramic photo-collage.
Exhibition Overview
“Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art” celebrates pioneering women artists who transformed American art history. The Canton Museum of Art presents this significant exhibition featuring two of Dr. Masumi Hayashi’s powerful works documenting Japanese American internment camps.
Hayashi’s inclusion honors her groundbreaking work documenting the Japanese American internment experience through innovative panoramic photo-collage, creating immersive visual records of these historic sites that continue to resonate with contemporary audiences.
Featured Works
The exhibition features two major works from Dr. Hayashi’s acclaimed Internment Camps series:
Heart Mountain Relocation Camp, Interior
From the American Concentration Camps series (1990-1995)
This powerful work documents the interior spaces of Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in Wyoming, one of the ten concentration camps where Japanese Americans were forcibly incarcerated during World War II. Hayashi’s panoramic technique creates an immersive perspective that allows viewers to experience these historic spaces in their full architectural and emotional context.
Manzanar Relocation Camp, Tree View, Inyo, California
Panoramic photo-collage with Fuji Crystal Archive prints, 1995 Size: 27” x 63”
This iconic image presents the stark landscape of Manzanar Relocation Camp in California’s Owens Valley, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The lone tree standing among the foundations creates a poignant memorial to the 10,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned at this site.
Collection Loan
Both works are generously loaned from the Akron Art Museum’s permanent collection, demonstrating the ongoing circulation and importance of Hayashi’s work within Ohio’s cultural institutions.
Exhibition Details
- Museum: Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio
- Dates: November 25, 2025 - March 1, 2026
- Curator: Kate Hatcher, Curatorial Assistant
- Theme: Breaking the “glass ceiling” - women who elevated American art
- Scope: Approximately 100 works by pioneering women artists
- Catalog: Exhibition catalog will be published
- Exhibition Page: View at Canton Museum
Exhibition Significance
Breaking Barriers
“Shattered Glass” refers to breaking the “glass ceiling,” the invisible barriers that prevent qualified people from advancing in their careers. This is the first original exhibition at the Canton Museum of Art to highlight only female artists and their heavily ignored contributions to American art.
The exhibition features approximately 100 works in various mediums - from oil paintings to ceramics and film - by artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Dorothea Lange, Lee Krasner, Judy Chicago, and many others who revolutionized their fields while facing adversity due to gender, race, sexuality, and economic status.
Dr. Hayashi’s Contribution
Dr. Hayashi’s inclusion recognizes her unique contribution to:
- Documentary photography and social justice art
- Asian American artistic expression
- Environmental and industrial documentation
- Innovative photographic techniques
The Internment Camps Series
Hayashi’s documentation of Japanese American internment camps represents a crucial body of work that:
- Preserves visual memory of this dark chapter in American history
- Offers unprecedented panoramic perspectives on these historic sites
- Combines artistic innovation with historical documentation
- Continues to educate new generations about wartime injustice
Her personal connection to this history - her mother was interned during World War II - infuses the work with both artistic rigor and deep emotional resonance.
About Canton Museum of Art
The Canton Museum of Art is one of Ohio’s premier museums for engaging experiences with American art and its influences. Located in the heart of Canton, Ohio, the museum has a long history of presenting important exhibitions that explore American art history and contemporary practice.
Museum Information
- Address: 1001 Market Avenue North, Canton, Ohio 44702
- Phone: 330.453.7666
- Website: cantonart.org
Plan Your Visit
The exhibition opens in November 2025 and runs through March 2026. Check the Canton Museum of Art website for:
- Specific opening date and hours
- Admission information
- Related programming and artist talks
- Museum member benefits
Related Programs
Watch for exhibition-related programming including gallery talks, educational programs, and community events exploring themes of women in American art, Japanese American history, and innovative photography techniques.
About the Curator
Kate Hatcher serves as Curatorial Assistant at the Canton Museum of Art, where she develops exhibitions and programs that explore American art history with particular attention to underrepresented voices and innovative artistic practices.
Exhibition Catalog
An exhibition catalog will be published in conjunction with “Shattered Glass,” featuring essays on pioneering women artists in American art history, reproductions of featured works, and scholarly analysis of the artists’ contributions to American culture.
Educational Resources
The exhibition provides valuable educational resources about:
- Japanese American incarceration during World War II
- Women’s contributions to American art history
- Panoramic photography and photocollage techniques
- Social justice themes in contemporary art
For educators and group visits, contact the Canton Museum of Art’s education department for guided tour opportunities and curriculum connections.