Press Releases

Garden Announces Selection of World-Renowned Architect for Expansion

January 19th, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Melissa Wilmot
Portland Japanese Garden
mwilmot@japanesegarden.com, (503) 542-0288

Portland Japanese Garden Partners with World-Renowned Architect, Kengo Kuma

Kuma to lead Garden’s expansion project

Portland, Ore. — January 19, 2011 — The Portland Japanese Garden has announced the selection of world-renowned architect, Kengo Kuma to lead the Garden’s future expansion project. The announcement comes following a two year search process and marks the first public North American project that Mr. Kuma will design.

In 2007 the Portland Japanese Garden began the process of creating a master site plan designed to preserve and enhance the tranquility of the existing Garden, respond to increased visitor numbers, and take advantage of opportunities in the areas of education, environmental sustainability, revenue generation through visitor amenities, and enhancing visitor and member services. In December 2010, the Garden welcomed Mr. Kuma as an architect candidate for this project. As part of his visit to the Garden, Mr. Kuma gave a public lecture on his current projects in Japan and abroad, and also presented design concepts for the expansion project to the Garden’s Architect Selection Committee. Mr. Kuma’s vision for the Garden, as presented to the Architect Selection Committee, was to build on the contributions of original Garden designer Takuma Tono as well as the past Garden directors, while setting forth a clear path for the Garden’s future. The concepts were a seamless expression of contemporary elements solidly rooted in the fundamentals of traditional Japanese architectural design.

After careful consideration and analysis, on January 7, 2011 the Portland Japanese Garden Board of Directors unanimously adopted the recommendation of the Architect Selection Committee to engage Mr. Kuma as the lead architect for the Garden’s expansion project. “The Portland Japanese Garden is thrilled to have this exceptional architect to carry forward the mantle of Portland’s world-class garden,” said the Garden’s CEO, Steve Bloom. “We look forward to partnering in the years to come as we meet our needs and continue to preserve and enhance the tranquility of the Garden for all to enjoy.”

“I am honored and really excited about working with Steve Bloom and the people at the Portland Japanese Garden. They have done significant work in curating and maintaining the Garden, which is truly fantastic,” stated Mr. Kuma. “Its careful growth is a very important cultural effort not only for Portland but also for the U.S. and Japan. This is to be our first public project in North America, and I am very happy that the project carries with it tremendous importance—not just for me but for others as well. I look forward to helping the Portland Japanese Garden take shape in its next steps, and hope to contribute something of lasting beauty and value to the city of Portland.”

Professor Botond Bognar, the Edgar A. Tafel Chair in Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a leading scholar in North America on post-war Japanese architecture, refers to Mr. Kuma as “one of Japan’s most prominent, internationally renowned architects, and for good reason.” Mr. Kuma’s work includes the world-famous Bamboo House near the Great Wall of China, a structure built primarily of bamboo and glass, and the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo, famous for its clean lines and 292 double-pane glass panels beveled like facets on a diamond. At present, Mr. Kuma has been entrusted with redesigning what is arguably the most prestigious building in Japan, the Kabuki-za Theater in Ginza, Tokyo which since 1889 has been a landmark known around the world.

“It is a real coup for Portland that such a renowned architect has chosen the Portland Japanese Garden as his first public North American project. Kengo Kuma’s leadership in the expansion will make the Garden even more of a national treasure,” said Chase W. Rynd, president and executive director of the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.  Given his stature in the global architecture community and exemplary body of work, Mr. Kuma’s vision and expertise will undoubtedly benefit the Garden and community at-large.

“The Portland Japanese Garden is truly a jewel in Portland’s crown,” praised Portland Mayor Sam Adams. “The City enthusiastically welcomes Kengo Kuma to Portland and eagerly anticipates the new developments at the Garden,” he continued.

The expansion project includes construction of new garden spaces, a cultural and education center, gift store and a tea house that will serve the public. The Garden will now turn its attention to a capital campaign to fund the expansion. As the project progresses, updates will be available on the Portland Japanese Garden website at www.japanesegarden.com/expansion.

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The Portland Japanese Garden is the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. Situated on more than 5 acres nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland, the Garden features five traditional garden styles. The Garden is located above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon and is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Visit the Garden online at www.japanesegarden.com.

Portland Japanese Garden Presents Katsura Exhibition

January 19th, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Melissa Wilmot
Portland Japanese Garden
mwilmot@japanesegarden.com, (503) 542-0288

Portland Japanese Garden Presents the Exhibition

Katsura Imperial Villa: The Photographs of Ishimoto Yasuhiro

Portland, Ore. — December 16, 2010 — The Portland Japanese Garden will present photographs of Katsura Imperial Villa, Japan’s most famous example of traditional architecture, by internationally acclaimed photographer Ishimoto Yasuhiro in the Winter 2011 Art in the Garden exhibition. Beginning January 28 and continuing through February 20, the show will feature Yasuhiro’s black-and-white photographs in two rotations during the run of the exhibition.

The Katsura Imperial Villa was originally built as the detached palace for members of the Hachijonomiya family (later the Katsuranomiya family) on the west bank of the Katsura River on the western outskirts of Kyoto in the early Edo period (17th century). The Villa maintains the traditions of Japanese architecture—namely, simplicity and harmony with nature, in the composition of the Shoin-style buildings based on straight lines, the diagonal arrangement of its buildings, and the rhythmical arrangement of the stepping stones along the path.

The photographer, Ishimoto Yasuhiro, received a commission from New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1953 to photograph the Katsura Imperial Villa in black-and-white. His images helped earn him the Person of Cultural Merit award given by the Japanese government in 1996. Born in San Francisco, he studied photography with Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind at the Chicago Institute of Design (now known as the Institute of Design of the Illinois Institute of Technology).

Katsura Imperial Villa: The Photographs of Ishimoto Yasuhiro presents Yasuhiro’s attempt to liberate tradition through a contemporary viewpoint. “This exhibition will offer all viewers an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy the beauty of a traditional Japanese palace and its exquisite gardens rediscovered by one of the world’s greatest photographers,” said Diane Durston, Culture, Arts and Education Curator at the Portland Japanese Garden. “We are pleased to bring these original photographs to Portland.”

Yasuhiro’s photographs have been shown for more than 30 years in major exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the world. The Art in the Garden exhibition also includes selected works in wood and paper by Portland artist Daniel Fagereng, who spent more than ten years apprenticing as a Noh mask carver in Kyoto. Fagereng presents a set of art boxes that interpret details of Japanese interior and exterior architecture, including some works inspired by Yasuhiro’s photography of Katsura. Those interested in photography, art, and Japanese culture should be sure to see this exhibition.

This is the first in a special series of Art in the Garden exhibitions for 2011 in the theme of “Living in Harmony with Nature,” in which the Garden explores the topic of sustainability and introduces lessons in sustainable living based on the traditional Japanese way of life. The series will be launched on Friday, January 28 with a lecture by Azby Brown, Tokyo-based designer and author of Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan.

The exhibition is presented by The Japan Foundation and Consulate-General of Japan in Portland, and will be held in the Garden’s Pavilion. Entrance is included with Garden admission and the exhibition will be open during Garden hours.

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This exhibition is presented by The Japan Foundation and Consulate-General of Japan in Portland. The Portland Japanese Garden is the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. Situated on more than 5 acres nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland, the Garden features five traditional garden styles. The Garden is located above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon and is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Visit the Garden online at www.japanesegarden.com.

Portland Japanese Garden Brings Indigo Textile Artist Exhibition to Portland

November 9th, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Melissa Wilmot
Portland Japanese Garden
mwilmot@japanesegarden.com, (503) 542-0288

Shihoko Fukumoto’s “Indigo is the Color of My Dreams” Opens This Month

Portland, Ore. — October 15, 2010 — The Portland Japanese Garden will present original works from internationally acclaimed Kyoto textile artist, Shihoko Fukumoto, during the fall Art in the Garden exhibition. Beginning October 30 and continuing through November 28, the exhibition will feature wall hangings, an ethereal “indigo cube tea room” installation and other pieces from Fukumoto’s repertoire of beautiful indigo fiber art.

Blue is the color of Japan. Not just any blue, but the deepest shade of hon-ai, the true natural indigo dye that Japanese craftsmen have been using since the ninth century. Achieving a color as deep as what is referred to as “eggplant blue” is no easy task, and neither is re-interpreting traditional Japanese dye techniques for the 21st century audience. “Ms. Fukumoto is one of the rare artists whose commitment to the most stringent standards of traditional indigo dyeing parallels her success as an innovative contemporary artist of first rank,” said Diane Durston, Culture, Arts and Education Curator at the Portland Japanese Garden. “We are pleased to bring Ms. Fukumoto and her work to Portland.”

Now at the height of her career, Fukumoto is known for her mastery of shibori, a complex traditional technique of bind-resist dyeing which she has taken to new limits of invention and creativity by tie-dyeing with soft bokashi techniques of tonal graduation. The results are works of luminous, transcendent beauty. Through the use of folding, pleating, and tie- and dip-dyeing of natural materials that include ramie, linen, cotton, pineapple fibers, and handmade washi paper, Fukumoto has brought new life to the folk custom of indigo dyeing.

Fukumoto’s work has been shown for more than 30 years in major textile exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the world—including the United States, Italy, France, Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, England, Korea, and China. Those interested in fabric art, handweaving and Japanese textile arts should make sure to see this exhibition. Presentations of The Way of Tea will be performed inside the “indigo cube tea room” from 1-3pm on the opening day of the exhibition, Saturday, October 30. Visiting from Kyoto, Japan, the artist will also be present in the gallery from 1-3pm on the opening day. The exhibition will be held in the Garden’s Pavilion. Entrance is included with Garden admission and the exhibition will be open during Garden hours.

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Art in the Garden is sponsored by The Japan Foundation and Wessinger Foundation. The Portland Japanese Garden is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. Situated on more than 5 acres nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland, the Garden features five traditional garden styles. The Garden is located above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon and is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

World’s Top Japanese Garden Designers Return to Portland Japanese Garden

October 6th, 2010

Series of events will introduce garden masters to the community and celebrate their accomplishments

Portland, Ore. — September 28, 2010 — The Portland Japanese Garden is proud to host the first-ever gathering of the Garden’s eight former garden directors and the current Garden Curator, Sadafumi Uchiyama, for a series of events October 13 through October 15. This internationally renowned group of nine individuals represents the most sought-after Japanese garden designers and landscapers in the world. Famous for bringing the beauty, harmony, and aesthetics of Japanese gardening to the world, these directors will be coming together for the first time to share their vast knowledge of Japanese gardening and the history of the Portland Japanese Garden.

During an evening panel presentation held at the Portland Art Museum on October 13 and open to the public, the garden masters will share their knowledge of Japanese gardening, historical photos and commentary about the history of the Portland Japanese Garden, and speak about the evolution and current directions in the art of Japanese garden design. The presentation will be moderated by Joseph Krakora, Executive Officer of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and a member of the Garden’s International Advisory Board.

The three-day Garden Directors event also includes an informal presentation to Garden volunteers and guides, instructional time with the gardening staff, filming of each director for a future documentary, and a final banquet honoring the directors on October 14. For information about reservations for the panel presentation or banquet, visit www.japanesegarden.com.

“This gathering of directors is one of the most significant events to occur at the Garden in its nearly 50-year history,” said Portland Japanese Garden Executive Director, Steve Bloom. “The impact of the art and design of the Portland Japanese Garden on the garden industry in North America has been substantial, and we have this group to thank not only for our own amazing garden, but for their major advancements in this field over the past five decades. We are very proud to host these momentous events.”

Founded in 1963, the Garden has been impressing visitors with its beauty and tranquility since its opening in 1967. The design of the Garden is the unique vision of Professor Takuma Tono, a landscape architect who taught at Tokyo Agricultural University until his retirement in 1969. Tono’s master plan included the creation of several different garden styles to represent historical developments and concepts in Japanese garden design: the Stroll Garden, the Flat Garden, the Tea Garden, and the Sand and Stone Garden. Later, a fifth and more contemporary style of garden, the Natural Garden, was added to complete the site. Critical to the fostering of Tono’s plan was the appointment of these garden directors who have worked to develop and maintain the Garden over the past 47 years.

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The Portland Japanese Garden is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. Situated on more than 5 acres nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland, the Garden features five traditional garden styles. The Garden is located above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon and is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The Garden is online at www.japanesegarden.com.