“Floating Clouds” (1944) by Hisako Hibi (1907-1991). (Courtesy of the Hibi family, Smithsonian American Art Museum)

DELTA, Utah — The Topaz Museum and Friends of Topaz Museum announce that the 2024 Topaz Pilgrimage is scheduled for Thursday, May 2, to Saturday, May 4, in Salt Lake City and Delta, Utah.

This year’s pilgrimage will celebrate the powerful and lasting legacy of Topaz artists.

Topaz was one of ten American concentration camps run by the U.S. government’s War Relocation Authority, in which more than 125,000 Japanese Americans and their immigrant parents were incarcerated during World War II.

Despite their unjust imprisonment and harsh conditions, incarcerees at the Topaz found ways to let their creative talents and expressions flourish. Through watercolors, oil paintings, jewelry, dance, photography, ikebana, music, and more, the Topaz incarcerees left behind a legacy of art that continues to inspire and influence subsequent generations.

This in-person event will provide opportunities to view the art, experience the music, hear the stories, and learn the history behind the creativity and strength of Topaz artists.

The pilgrimage will be held in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition “Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo,” curated by Dr. ShiPu Wang, professor of art history at UC Merced.

This exhibit premieres Feb. 24 at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) and travels to four additional venues, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Note: Registration does not include entrance fees or transportation to UMFA. Tickets can be purchased at the museum. Pilgrimage attendees will receive a discount.

Two days of cultural and historical activities, including a visit to the “Pictures of Belonging” exhibit in Salt Lake City and a full day of activity on Saturday at the Topaz site and Museum in Delta have been planned.

For a full agenda of programs and to register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/topaz-art-pilgrimage-registration-800075345897

Registration is now open, and includes lunch, programs, and tours at the Topaz site and Topaz Museum in Delta. Registration does not include transportation, May 3 bento, or UMFA entrance fee, but bus transportation and bento dinners can be added at the time of registration.

Reservations for the pilgrimage will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration closes on April 15 or when capacity is reached.

For more information, email [email protected] or [email protected].

The mission of the Topaz Museum is to preserve the Topaz site and its World War II history; to interpret the impact of Topaz on the incarcerees, their families, and the citizens of Millard County; and to educate the public in order to prevent a recurrence of a similar denial of American civil rights. As part of its mission, it stewards 639 acres of the one square mile of the original Topaz site.

In 2017, the museum board opened the Topaz Museum in Delta, Utah, to share the stories of Topaz’s history with all Americans, for generations to come.