The 2026 CCA@CCA Symposium, under the theme Hope As Movement, dives deeper into the following question: how do we cultivate hope to fight the paralysis created by fear?

This symposium addresses the role of art as a witness during times of oppression by focusing on the paintings of Japanese artist Chikaji Kawakami, who created art to document his life and elevate his spirits while incarcerated at internment camps at Tanforan and Topaz during WWII. Artworks by both Kawakami and the influential Japanese-American artist Chiura Obata are featured in the accompanying exhibition, Under the Guard Tower: The Watercolors of Chikaji Kawakami, at California College of the Arts’ Campus Gallery from April 1–May 15, 2026. 

The symposium panelists include Chikaji Kawakami’s granddaughter, Diane Coward; the director of the Monterey Museum of Art, Corey Madden; the exhibition curator, Lydia Nakashima Degarrod; and contemporary artists whose art practices address the internment of their families during WWII. The panelists will address issues related to the role of art under oppression and the legacy of artists such as Kawakami and Obata. 

The symposium will be followed by an exhibition reception from 6:30 to 8 pm at the adjacent CCA Campus Gallery (1480 17th Street).