The Workhouse Arts Center will present Japanese Art and Culture Day at the Workhouse, Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Gift of Trees, National Cherry Blossom Festival. On Saturday, April 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., visitors to the Workhouse Arts Center will find an array of interesting, educational, entertaining, and free activities celebrating the art and culture, both ancient and modern, of Japan. A ceremonial planting of cherry trees will kick-off the event at 11:30 a.m. The trees have been provided by the Merrifield Garden Center.
Activities include demonstrations of the ancient and living art of bonsai, Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging, and the art of the Edo period (1615-1868) featuring Ukiyo-e prints. More modern art and culture offerings include the culinary art of vegetarian sushi making, and the Japanese art of Anime, being presented in the screening of the film 5 Centimeters Per Second. Children can learn about and participate in traditional Japanese games, crafts and dress being offered by The Japan-America Society of Washington, DC.
In celebration of the 100th Year of the Gift of Trees, the day will begin with a presentation featuring the ornamental Asian trees. Keith Tomlinson, manager of Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia will take a look, through the lens of the deeply held relationship between humans and nature, at how these trees attract our collective passion as an aesthetic icon of spring and societal renewal.
Presenters for this celebration of Japanese art and culture include the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Ikebana International, The Potomac Bonsai Association, and the Workhouse Arts Center’s Studio Artists. This celebratory festival runs from 12PM to 4PM at the Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton, VA. For more information on the festival offerings visit WorkhouseArts.org.