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COPY 118 Waverly Pl. Dec. 17, 1951 Dear Mr. Ihara: I had word the other day from Mr. Washburn of the Carnegie Institute after he had received the photographs. I am very happy to report that he and the trustees of Carnegie plan to invite a certain number of paintings from Japan for the forthcoming International Exhibition in October 1952. This exhibition is held for a two month period in Pittsburgh. At this writing, I do not know how many artists will be invited but the number is not half as important as establishing a precedent of representation and inclusion. It will make things much easier for the years to follow. It undoubtedly was very difficult to choose from photographs alone since there was no way of seeing the actual work. Since it was a gamble to begin with, the decision was one of the most pleasant surprises and I am very happy about it. There is still one obstacle to overcome. Permission must be granted by the military government, which I hope will not be too difficult nor involved. Mr. Washburn will write to you directly to inform you of their choice. The number of paintings may seem small but other nations are not represented by a larger number. (See my letter re Carnegie International). I have spoken to the Mainichi Press division head here and they are most eager to work with you in assembling the paintings and making the packing and shipping arrangements. They have been most cooperative and I believe they should be given credit for their interest and willingness to help. I hope you will find it expedient to work with them for I have so informed Mr. Washburn. Mr. Funato in Tokyo will be the person responsible at Mainichi. The exhibition opens on October 16th and remains on view until December 14th. However, the paintings must arrive in Pittsburgh by September 1st, which means the paintings will be gone for about 6 or 7 months. Carnegie of course will pay all expenses and insurance. I forgot to mention that some photographs did not have any date on the back. In order to be eligible for the exhibition the work must be by a living artist and have been executed within the last five years. Any further news that I hear, I will be glad to write you and keep you informed. Let me know your reaction as well as that of your members. From here on, let us trust that everything goes well. With all best wishes to you and the artists of your organization, holiday greetings, Sincerely, Mr. Usaburo Ihara Japanese Artists Association Naruse Bldg. No. 1, 3 Gofukubashi Nihonbashi, Choku Tokyo, Japan
