Traditions: Ohio Heritage Fellows; 201; Yasue Sakaoka interview, part 4 of 5

Q:

YASUE: I like to finish some permanent pieces and steel is fine, but I’m not welding anymore because it’s hard on my eyes. I’m doing small bronzes when I have time. And bronze is more permanent as you may have seen many of the art monuments in the world. Bronze sculptures here. There’s a big one in (inaudible) statue is probably one of the biggest bronze sculptures that’s being restored. So, permanent material is the idea. Yea.

Q:

YASUE: It plays out as a series of planes in my inspirations. So, I have used basically just two or three shapes. And the white is beautiful when it’s white, there is not a problem to cut up. And it reflects light and dark very, very well. And I can achieve scale too, as I have said.

Q:

YASUE: Yea, I miss using colors. They are rich.

Q:

YASUE: I have studied the style aesthetics, it’s one of the (inaudible) schools of the early twentieth century. And I have done works with just with primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. And it still uh, (inaudible) so I’m finding I don’t use some other colors as much and it’s not a fashionable color today. But I’m still using them.

Q:

YASUE: I keep unfolding pieces, so I haven’t really counted time. When I have to rush for an exhibit, I allow at least three or four weeks. When I want to finish something new.

Q:

YASUE: Uh, my formal training is not in architecture. But I grew up with lots of ideas with civil engineering and architecture because I was surrounded by those people. And I went to an architectural school. My MFA from that school is in sculpture. So, I could collaborate with many students, graduate students working on real projects, that was wonderful. I have left a couple of outdoor projects in Oregon around Eugene in parks. They’re still standing, permanent materials.

Q:

YASUE: I usually decide it for myself. It has to satisfy me. And I... I’m looking at many things and I enjoy looking at buildings, so I know some good things and things which are not so interesting to me. So, I decide it for myself. Sometimes I ask, you know, a good friend like Jean, what do you think? But usually I decide it.

Q:

YASUE: I feel good about it for a while, then I move on to another one. And sometimes it’s nice to go back and look at some old things. And I keep good ones, which I like.

Q:

YASUE: Well, I’m very thankful to Bonnie Sanford, we used to be at Ohio Arts Council. I got into the Artists in Community program when I came here in nineteen eighty. And she says just to why not try also the Great Columbus Arts Council Program, Artists in School. And it took me two years to get in to it. But I’m in, I’m still with it. I enjoy going to different places. And I do many things. My programs are three, creative kite making, sculpture intermediate, also uh, traditional Japanese paper folding. I just did one in Marion there. In January, no February one. It was an after school program and junior high school students, (inaudible) but they must have enjoyed it. So I may return there.

Q:

YASUE: Well, partially it’s income. But also I am saying I am an (inaudible) and if you do some artworks, or if you do some music, it helps your skills for learning. There have been many, many studies done. For instance uh, I think it’s one of the schools in northern Ohio and they played Mozart. And they did some math projects, and their achievement went up visibly. I have a list of studies I have listed for (inaudible) when she had to uh, protect her program. At one point, uh, they’re were at the point where they may lose the program. And arts, music, and I notice this that it’s the band. They can cut out the fund very, very quickly, first thing on the chopping block. I’m saying keep arts, keep music, band...not the band. Yea it’s the band yea, it’s also music.

Q:

YASUE: I was in charge of a sculpture program. Liz invited me after she saw the Ohio selection at Dayton Art Institute. And she... I received a call out of a clear sky. Yasue, I want you to come and visit my program and see what it is and if you can spend time, I want you to spend as much time as possible. And I was freelancing, working on this project and that and I thought, well, this might be interesting. I haven’t really dealt with teenagers. So, I decided to visit for a while, see how it would work. And I start—she said, why not three days a week. So, I was just Monday through Wednesday. I made some good friends. This is to both myself. Towards the very end of my tenure at Stivers, one of my students, who did a self-portrait and cast it, became number one with the national scholastics. So, I became listed as one of the best art educators in this country. I think my mother would be delighted to hear that. Yea. That was interesting. I didn’t know anything about it, yea I gave—receives some additional after the fact mentions, yea. But I enjoyed Stivers and I must say Liz Whips leadership is phenomenal. She’s also very abnormal. She is a creative artist herself too. I think her work suffers from her busy administrative work. But she’s into it and she is a very good teacher, yes, I have really enjoyed visiting that school. And have become good friends with several people, yea.

Q:

YASUE: I was encouraged by John Seto, (inaudible) there is this program. John Seto is at the California Arts Council now. He left Ohio. But I met him through Shumaker Garity. I was... I did a best woman show at Shumaker Garity and that’s on my resume. But, I was in touch with uh, Mr. Bauer. And, let’s see now... where am I going? And I was with the Shumaker Garity and that... oh yes, yes... the person who came to take the former directors places came with John. She has retired. I don’t think I need to mention her name. Everyone knows her, if you know Shumaker Garity. And, he started to work for the Ohio Arts Council. He had experience. And... and he suggested two good things. Because African Americans have Kwanza, why don’t the Asians begin their own festival? And that was a good idea in many ways. I didn’t like no Asian for Asian things. It can limit you in many, many ways and it’s not the most uh, I think, healthy way to deal with the rest of the population. That was one of the positions. Then, why not apply for the apprenticing program? And I looked around, I have many friends who would enjoy doing that and using that resource. After so many months of working together regularly. So, I applied, I got in. Then second phase was more exciting. They have the basics under control after the first phase. I applied for the second phase. I made it. And you have seen the photographs. They have done some exciting things for me. And it’s good for visual arts.

Q:

YASUE: They were eager. They also were interested to continue their art form in some ways. So, it was just the right thing to do. And it grew into something very, very creative.