Re:Turning the Stories – A Multivocal Exhibition at Casa and Nikka Yuko

We are excited to share that Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden will be hosting a special Pavilion exhibit in collaboration with CASA Art Centre this fall! From September 16 to October 12, 2025, visitors can explore Selections from Nikka Yuko – Re:Turning the Stories, a small but meaningful display drawn from the larger exhibition that ran at CASA this past summer.

About the Exhibit

This Pavilion display will feature works from six artists whose pieces were part of Nikka Yuko – Re:Turning the Stories, which was on view at CASA Art Centre in downtown Lethbridge from June 6 to August 25, 2025. That exhibition included a total of 42 artists and opened with a vibrant reception on June 14.

Re:Turning the Stories grew out of a 2024 public call issued by the Gallery at CASA in collaboration with Nikka Yuko and the Nikkei Memory Capture Project. Artists were invited to consider the Garden not just as a landmark, but as a place that gathers experiences, preserves memory, and continues to shape identity.

Over the past year, participating artists engaged with archives, explored the Garden, and created new works in diverse mediums. Their pieces range from deeply personal reflections on memory and place, to studies of the Garden’s colours, forms, and seasonal rhythms.

Why It Matters

Established in 1967, Nikka Yuko has always been more than a garden. Its very name blends Japan (Ni), Canada (Ka), and Friendship (Yuko), embodying both cultural exchange and the history of the Nikkei community in southern Alberta. From early settlers to families displaced during World War II, to those who chose to remain and rebuild, the Garden stands as a monument to resilience, belonging, and friendship.

Re:Turning the Stories honours these layered histories, echoing the mission of the Nikkei Memory Capture Project: by “returning the stories,” we remember the past, give voice to the present, and shape shared histories for the future.