Program Alert! Experience Art and Inspiration in Yosemite National Park. 

July 16, 2026 – Yosemite National Park officials announce they will be celebrating the legacy of California artist Chiura Obata with the sixth annual Obata Art Weekend in Yosemite Village on Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19, 2026.

Chiura Obata was a renowned Japanese American artist and one of California’s most influential artists of the 20th century. Obata first visited Yosemite in 1927 for a six-week trip to the High Sierra, where he spent his time sketching and painting the tall granite peaks, sparkling lakes, and dramatic views. He worked with ink and watercolor, using traditional Japanese printmaking techniques to capture the grandeur of nature, effectively bringing Japanese art techniques and ideas to America.

To celebrate Obata’s impact on Yosemite, the park will feature art workshops and demonstrations, ranger talks, presentations, a community art fair, a roundtable discussion, and more all weekend long! No registration is required for demonstrations, but art workshops require sign-up in advance. Check out the link more information: www.yosemite.org/obata-art-weekend.

Unable to make it this time around? A special exhibit featuring Yosemite National Park’s collection of Obata original pieces will be in the Ansel Adams Art Gallery from July 3rd to the 20th.

This event was made possible in part by the generosity of the Yosemite Conservancy and their donors.

View video here.

Source: NPS