b'E X E C U T I V E V I S I TCEO Visits White House for Historic Asian-American Artist InstallationOn November 20, 2020, SCOA President & CEO and GM for the Americas Mark Nakajima was invited to attenda White House Rose Garden ceremony to honor the installation of a sculpture by the late Japanese American artist,Isamu Noguchi (1904-88).In this first visit to the U.S. Capitol since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Nakajima was among the 50 guests at the event held onthe gardens east terrace, hosted by then First Lady MelaniaTrump, who selected the bronze sculpture from the White HouseAbove,First Lady Melania Trump cuts the ribbon for theinstallation celebration of Noguchis Floor Frame in the White Historical Association.House Rose Garden The sculpture not only showcases diversity within our nations finest art, but it also highlights the beautiful contributions of Asian American artists to the landscape of our country, said the former first lady.Mr. Nakajima noted that this installation served as a milestone for the Asian American community, a fact that was recognized during the ceremony.Isamu Noguchi is the first Asian-American artist whose work is installed in the White House, Mr. Nakajima said.Above,Mr. Nakajima speaks with then U.S. Secretaryof Commerce Wilbur Ross and his wife during the receptionThe sculpture, Floor Frame (1962) represented Noguchis Right inset,idea of the intersection of a tree and the ground, taking on the Isamu Noguchiqualities of both an implied root system and the canopy of a tree, Below,according to the White House. In order to reconnect viewers to Floor Frame the planet, he envisioned the sculpture placed directly on the by Isamu Noguchi ground. The sculpture placement on the Rose Garden terrace in the White House allows visitors to happen upon it, giving it a found quality.Rose Garden.Photo credit: Isamu Noguchi, a second generation Japanese-American was an White House Historical artist, landscape architect and a widely acclaimed sculptor of the Association 20th century. After high-school, Noguchi dropped out of a pre-med program at Columbia University to pursue sculpture full-time serving as an apprentice under Gotzun Borglum, best known for creating Mount Rushmore. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 Noguchi became a political activist and co-founded the group Nisei Writers and Artists Mobilization for Democracy, dedicated to raising awareness of the patriotism of Japanese Americans. Amidst the backlash against Japanese Americans in the U.S., he voluntarily entered Colorado River Relocation Center internment camp in Arizona, where he used his skills as a land-scape architect to improve the camps internal conditions.Among his many accolades, Noguchi is the recipient of a Gug-genheim Fellowship (1927), The Edward MacDowell Medal for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to the Arts (1982), and the Kyoto Prize in Arts (1986). Much of his work is on exhibit at The Noguchi Museumin Queens, New York.Sumitomo Corporation of Americas 5'