” Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” at ArtCenter (Photo – Garrett Rowlan)
Drive it and they will come.
By Garrett Rowlan
Such was my impression after attending the public opening of Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community.
The exhibition, which explores Japanese-American car culture in Los Angeles, will run at the Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery at ArtCenter through November 15.
They came for the opening. When I arrived, my first impression was that the crowd was far larger than at any other opening I’d attended at the gallery. A mix of enthusiasts, gearheads, and the curious packed the room.
Amid the jostling crowd, I wondered what it was about SoCal and cars—or the love of wheels. Maybe it’s a geographical thing. For European immigrants, California was the end of the country; for Japanese American immigrants, it was just the beginning of a new world.
Regardless of the motivation, the results were on display—posters, informational postings, and, of course, the cars, strategically placed around the gallery’s compact space. Shiny, wall-mounted hubcaps looked like heraldic symbols.
It was almost too much to absorb in one viewing. So I went home, driving, of course.
Japanese American Car Culture Takes Center Stage in Pasadena (Photo – Garrett Rowlan)
ArtCenter’s Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery Through November 12, 2025 Gallery hours Wednesday – Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm Free Admission
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