Emerging Radiance 

Emerging Radiance:

Honoring the Nikkei Farmers of Bellevue

Emerging Radiance is an immersive, tech-forward installation by Michelle Kumata and Tani Ikeda honoring the untold stories of Japanese American farmers who lived in Bellevue, WA from 1920 to 1942. These farmers transformed unusable land into a thriving and prosperous community before being forcibly uprooted and incarcerated, along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans, during WWII. Three augmented-reality filters bring the farmers' stories to life, animating the mural on a life-sized farmhouse structure with archival images and audio recordings.

Tribeca Festival 2022 Official Selection Emblem

Produced by Meta Open Arts and presented in partnership with Immediate Justice, Densho, and Future Arts at Bellevue Arts Museum.

Special thanks to VMF for structural support.
Future Arts is honored and delighted to be a producing partner on this project.
Emerging Radiance is a Winner of Tribeca X 2022.
Content by ARTXIV

  • Inside a gallery sits a small house structure with mural
  • Michelle Kumata paints wite dots around a QR code on a mural to blend it with the artwork
  • Patrons in the gallery viewing the artwork
  • A modern gallery full of onlookers
  • Tribeca Festival award winner for interactive
  • Patrons gather around to tour the artwork with ASL
The Stranger Logo
Redefine Logo
Crosscut Logo
The Seattle Times Logo

Follow Our Journey

🚀 Art of Tomorrow, Powered by You Seattle is a city of innovation, yet its artists earn 4X less than tech workers. Future Arts is changing that. With your support, we’ve already launched: ✨ AR murals ✨ Mixed-reality festivals ✨ Groundbreaking

We ultra respect your privacy.