Jun 10 2009
PRESS RELEASE: Father’s Day Events Celebrated at Portland Japanese Garden
Portland, Ore. – On June 20 & 21, the Portland Japanese Garden will be hosting a special Father’s Day weekend celebration of events as a part of their current Art in the Garden June exhibition Parallel Worlds: Art of the Ainu of Hokkaido and Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. The exhibition itself is believed to be the first of its kind to compare the extraordinary textile art of indigenous people of North America and Japan. Parallel Worlds offers a rare opportunity to view exquisitely designed traditional Attush and Ruunpe ceremonial robes from Ainu artists of Hokkaido, opposite stunningly woven Ravenstail and Chilkat robes by Native American artists of the Pacific Northwest.
To celebrate the Father’s Day weekend and in conjunction with the exhibition, on both Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm there will be demonstrations of Ainu woodcarving with Masamichi Nitani, weaving by Lily Hudson, and a Ravenstail weaving demonstration with John Beard, as well as Tlingit storytelling with Ishmael Hope. These events and entrance to the exhibition are all free with Garden admission.
Parallel Worlds Curator Diane Durston says: “We look forward to families visiting the Garden to celebrate the Father’s Day weekend with us and to experience first-hand these amazing craftspeople demonstrating their work.”
Throughout the month of June, the exhibition and surrounding programming will provide opportunities for cultural exchange and the exploration of related themes through a series of lectures, demonstrations, ceremonial dances, storytelling, and public discussions. Watch the Garden web site (www.japanesegarden.com) for additional details.
The Portland Japanese Garden has been proclaimed by his Excellency Nobuo Matsunaga, former Ambassador of Japan, to be “the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan.” The Garden is above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon. The Garden is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Hours are 10am-4pm October 1-March 31, and 10am-7pm April 1-September 30.
