Illustrating Expo ‘74: The Artistic Legacy of Keith Oka

BY DANA BRONSON

As Spokane prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1974 World’s Fair, we’re diving into the Inland Northwest Special Collections to highlight the work of artist Keith Oka.

Keith Oka was a professional advertiser who was born in Okayama, Japan in 1916. He attended school in Seattle and was unjustly incarcerated at Camp Minidoka in Idaho during World War II. During his internment, Keith helped organize and teach art classes, and used his talents to support the war effort by creating canvas signs urging Americans to buy war bonds. After the war, he moved to Spokane where he became the Art Director for the advertising firm Coons, Shotwell, Clark and Associates. This firm was hired to promote and write copy for Expo ’74, and Oka played a key role in creating the concept art based on King Cole’s vision for the fair.

Oka created drawings to help promote the exposition, since finding visual imagery was difficult because the riverfront was essentially a large construction site right up to opening day. These drawings were packaged into a slide presentation that was used as part of a campaign to bring in exhibitors, advertisers, and funding leading up to the exhibition. Keith Oka donated his original drawings and sketches from the campaign to the Inland Northwest Special Collections, where members of the public are welcome to come enjoy this unique collection of Expo ’74 history.

The Inland Northwest Special Collections also houses a published book of sketches by Keith Oka documenting Spokane’s Trent Alley before it was completely transformed by Expo ‘74’s beautification efforts. Sketches from this book will be highlighted at Central Library in an upcoming exhibit, “Searching for Trent Alley: Asian American Footprints in Downtown Spokane,” created by Asians for Collective Liberation. The exhibit will help us trace the areas of downtown that historically served as home to Spokane’s vibrant Asian communities beginning in the late 19th century, and will be on display at Central Library May 4–June 2.

Browse more of Keith Oka’s vibrant work in the Inland Northwest Special Collections Digital Archive at go.spokanelibrary.org/KeithOka