Portland, Oregon.-  The Portland Art Museum is proud to present “The Artist’s Touch, The Craftsman’s Hand: Three Centuries of Japanese Prints from the Portland Art Museum” on view through January 22nd 2012. The Portland Art Museum owns an extensive collection of over 2,500 Japanese prints dating from the late 17th century to the present. This fall through January, the museum will mount its first major exhibition of prints selected from the permanent collection. Some of the more historically important pieces in the exhibit were chosen from the Mary Andrews Ladd collection of 750 traditional woodblock prints which was gifted to the museum in 1932. The exhibit will also feature rare prints by iconic Ukiyo-e artists like Suzuki Harunobu, credited as the first to produce full-colour prints, and Katsushika Hokusai, known for his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. Other rare works include privately commissioned surimono prints that were used for special occasions. Quintessential images of Japanese beauties (bijin-ga) and 18th-century prints of actors are stellar examples from the collection.