Open Pavilion: Celebrating 50 Years

February 1 – 10, 2013
10 a.m.– 3 p.m.* Pavilion open, tea available
1-3 p.m. lectures and presentations
Included with Garden admission

* The Garden opens at noon on Mondays.

This week of events will recognize the significant role of the many groups in our community that have participated in the Garden throughout its history. Visitors will be able to sample and learn more about the types of programming that the Garden has traditionally presented throughout the year, including Chado, the Way of Tea; ikebana, bonsai, Japanese carpentry and more. A specially designed display will present highlights from the Garden’s history, including historic photographs. Lectures and presentations will feature stories from the Garden’s history and information on Japanese garden design. Visitors are invited to help themselves to a cup of hot tea and relax inside the warmth and comfort of the pavilion while enjoying the views of the Garden.

Open Pavilion Schedule:

Friday 2/1 - Ikebana Day

Portland is fortunate to have five different ikebana schools: Saga School, Ryusei-ha School, Ohara School, Ikenobo School, and Sogetsu School. Representatives of each of these schools will demonstrate an arrangement for display that afternoon and through the weekend.

Saturday 2/2 - Garden History Day

Volunteer historian and longtime guide Lynn Connor and horticulturalist Ed McVicker will talk to guests and answer questions about the Garden stories captured in the pictorial exhibit created to look back on the Garden’s first 50 years.

Sunday 2/3 -  Lecture: Portland Japanese Garden History, Design and Construction

Sadafumi Uchiyama, Garden Curator, is a third-generation Japanese gardener. He has designed and built a unique and wide range of private and public landscape projects and is frequently asked to write, speak, and teach on the subject of Japanese landscape design and architecture.

Monday 2/4 - Niwanobikai Day

Andrew Bernstein is Associate Professor of History at Lewis and Clark College. His talk focuses on Mt. Fuji and its meaning in Japanese spiritual traditions. Professor Bernstein
lived and worked in Japan before returning to the U.S. for graduate studies. His second book is entitled Fuji: A Mountain in the Making.

Tuesday 2/5 – Tea Ceremony Day

Members of Kashintei Kai, the tea society established in 1979—who are volunteer caretakers of the Garden’s Tea House—perform a tea ceremony. Visitors are invited to observe the presentation and taste a bowl of matcha tea.

Wednesday 2/6 – Bonsai Day

The Bonsai Society of Portland will demonstrate bonsai pruning and discuss the care and pruning of these beautiful miniature plants, trees, and grasses. The first bonsai exhibition was held at the Garden in 1970.

Thursday 2/7 – Japanese Carpentry Day

Dale Brotherton of Takumi Company in Seattle has worked on a number of construction projects at the Garden, including construction of the railings and new doors for the Pavilion. He is traditionally trained and uses authentic Japanese carpentry techniques. His lecture at the Garden in 2011 was hugely popular. He comes back to demonstrate and talk about traditional techniques.

Friday 2/8 – Professor Tono Day

Ted Sieckman is a former board member and volunteer historian who studied the life of Professor Tono. His presentation includes images of the Garden in the early days and other materials about Professor Tono’s legacy.

Saturday 2/9 – Garden History Day

Volunteer historian and longtime guide Lynn Connor will be on hand in the Pavilion to discuss Garden stories with guests and answer questions about moments from the Garden’s history captured in the pictorial exhibit she helped create on the Garden’s first 50 years.

Sunday 2/10 -  Lecture: Japanese Gardens in North America

Kenneth Brown is Professor of Asian Art History in the School of Art at California State University Long Beach and author of Japanese-style Gardens of the Pacific West Coast. He
is a leading figure in the study of Japanese gardens in North America, and one of the founding members of NAJGA (the North American Japanese Garden Association).