Decoration Conferment Ceremony for Mrs. Mimi Gardner Gates, Director Emerita, Seattle Art Museum

On June 30, 2026, a conferment ceremony and reception were held at the Official Residence to congratulate Mrs. Mimi Gardner Gates, Director Emerita of the Seattle Art Museum, on her receipt of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. The ceremony was attended by Mrs. Gates’s friends, as well as museum colleagues and community members. 

Consul General of Japan in Seattle IYORI Makoto expressed his appreciation for Mrs. Gates’s achievements and formally conferred the Order. Mrs. Gates then spoke about the experience that sparked her interest in Japanese art and reflected on her career. She also thanked her family, colleagues, and the staff of the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, and expressed her gratitude for the honor of receiving the Decoration.

After becoming Director of the Seattle Art Museum in 1994, Mrs. Gates made significant contributions to promoting Japanese culture in the United States and fostering mutual understanding between Japan and the United States by expanding the museum’s collection of Japanese art and building networks among art museums and academic professionals in both countries. After stepping down as Director in 2011 and becoming Director Emerita, she founded the Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas (CAAI), which aims to introduce Asian art, culture, and thought, thereby contributing to the promotion of Japanese culture through the center’s programs.