Ikebana / 生け花: The Art of Japanese Floral Arrangement

Tuesday, April 7th 1:00pm - 2:30pm
380 Lone Pine Road
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

EVENT UPDATE: Due to the uncertainties presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19), we are making alternate arrangements for this event as a precautionary measure. The safety, security, and welfare of our guests, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. An email with more information will be sent to participants.

Cranbrook House Library
$35/person (Adults, Seniors, and Students)
Demonstration is limited to 45 Guests

Presented by Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research in collaboration with Ikebana International, Detroit Chapter 85, and organized by Lauren Paul, President, Detroit Chapter 85
Ikebana Experts:
Janet Knowlton (Ichiyo School)
Lauren Paul (Ikenobo School)
Leslie Rosinski (Sogetsu School)

Join Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research as we explore four traditional Japanese arts, celebrating the ongoing revitalization of the Cranbrook Japanese Garden—and the long connection between Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan.  

Ikebana (which means "arranging flowers" or "making flowers alive") is the Japanese art of floral arrangement. The tradition goes back to the seventh century when floral offerings were made at altars and reached its first zenith in the sixteenth century under the influence of Buddhist tea masters. There now are over 1,000 different types of schools of ikebana throughout the world today. A school is normally headed by an iemoto and often passed down within a family from one generation to the next. The demonstration at Cranbrook will feature three experts practicing three different schools. These include the oldest school, ikenobō, which marks its beginnings from the construction of the Rokkaku-dō, the second oldest Buddhist temple in Japan.

Ikebana International is a worldwide organization founded in Tokyo, Japan, in 1956, by the late Ellen Gordon Allen. Its members are dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and other countries through ikebana and other related arts of Japan. 

For more information on Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85, please visit their website: www.ikebanadetroit.org/.

CRANBROOK JAPANESE GARDEN

For more information on the Cranbrook Japanese Garden, including the recent rehabilitation of the Lily Pond Cascade, please visit the Center for Collections and Research Japanese Garden website: center.cranbrook.edu/visit/japanese-garden.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The  ikebana (Japanese floral arrangement) demonstration will take place in the Cranbrook House Library.  Designed by Albert Kahn for George and Ellen Booth to house their library and hold large gatherings for families and friends, the library is the perfect space for studying these traditional Japanese arts. Guests will be seated while the experts demonstrate their art.  Questions will be encouraged at the end of the demonstrations.

Cranbrook House is located at 380 Lone Pine Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, across from Christ Church Cranbrook.  Free parking is available in the Cranbrook House parking lot, a five-minute walk from the house’s front door.

ADMISSION
$35/person (Adults, Seniors, and Students)


REGISTRATION
Advance registration is required as participation is limited.  Tickets are non-refundable (but may be transferred to another participant).  For more information, please contact Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.  Our Administrative Assistant, Alissa Seelmann-Rutkofske, may be reached at 248.645.3307 or center@cranbrook.edu (Tuesday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm).

RELATED EVENTS

Wagashi / 和菓子: The Art of Japanese Sweets

Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Presented in collaboration with GEN-J: Grassroots Exchange Network Japan
Cranbrook House Library
 

Shodo / 書道: The Art of Japanese Calligraphy

Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Presented by Shodo Expert Kyoko Fujii
Accompanied by Koto Musician Yuko Asano
Cranbrook House Library

Chanoyu / 茶の湯: The Art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Saturday, May 2, 2020| 1:00pm, 2:30pm, and 4:00pm
Presented by Tea Master Tomoyo Koehler and the Local Omotesenke School of Chanoyu
Tea Ceremonies Conducted in the Frank Lloyd Wright Smith House
Each Tea Ceremony is limited to 20 Guests

Photo Credits
Banner (from left to right): Chou you no sekku Chrysanthemum Design of Nerikiri sweets by Toshiko Sugii Steffes. Photography from Toshiko Sugii Steffes Instagram; Basket Arrangement from Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85. Photography by Beverly Benson Wolf, BB Wolf Fine Art Photography, Copyright 2020 Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85; Kyoko Fujii during a Demonstration at the Detroit Institute of Arts, March 2019. Photography Courtesy of Kyoko Fujii; Tea bowl and Whisk with Chrysanthemum Blossom. Photography by Steph Carter licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

Basket Arrangement from Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85. Photography by Beverly Benson Wolf, BB Wolf Fine Art Photography, Copyright 2020 Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85.

Chrysanthemum Arrangement from Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85. Photography by Beverly Benson Wolf, BB Wolf Fine Art Photography, Copyright 2020 Ikebana International Detroit Chapter 85.