Friendship with Japanese Arts and Culture
Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY
September 29 to October 1, 2023
There was a Japanese “Friendship Weekend”, 9/29 – 10/1 at the Jay Heritage Center (JHC), Rye, NY. This was a collaboration between the Japan Society of Fairfield County, Jay Heritage Center, and the New York chapter of Ikebana International.
On Friday, September 29, the celebration began with remarks by Mr. Tomoe Sato, of the Consulate General of Japan in New York. Attendees enjoyed traditional tea service by Urasenke School teacher Suzuki Miyako Somi and her students. The New York chapter of Ikebana International presented a preview of their ikebana flower exhibition. Also on view was a rare internment camp painting by master sumi-e painter and great post-war abstractionist Koho Yamamoto. JSFC president Jackie Alexander gave remarks on the history of the painting.
Tomoe Sato, Jackie Alexander, & Koho painting
Tea ceremony
The ikebana exhibition, which was free and open to the public, continued on Saturday and Sunday in the JHC Carriage House. Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging. This spectacular display was the work of Sogetsu, Ikenobo, and Ohara artists of Ikebana. The exhibitors included several JSFC members: Judy Hata, Shizue Pleasanton, Roxane Wasserman, Diane Caminis and Jackie Alexander.
Shizue Pleasanton Sogetsu
Judith Hata with joint ikebana
Diane Caminis Sogetsu
Because of the heavy rain on Friday, the sumie art piece, “Topaz Internment Camp”, depicting an internment camp scene, was moved to the Carriage House so that all exhibits would be in one place. This 1978 painting by Koho Yamamoto, will be the focus of upcoming exhibit/programs on Japanese American WWII history as well as appreciation of Koho Yamamoto's other abstract art. The painting was recently acquired by the Topaz Museum in Delta, UT. It will be on loan to the Jay Heritage Center through next year before it is moved to Topaz Museum permanently.
Painting "Topaz Internment Camp" by Koho Yamamoto
On display in the carriage house was a slide show about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans (including Ms. Yamamoto and her family). The slide show was accompanied by posters about the incarceration (more commonly known as "Internment". These posters were based on the essay, “A History of Executive Order 9066” by Austin Guo. Austin spent the summer as an intern at the Jay Heritage Center through the Princeton Internship for Civic Service (PICS).
Ms. Jackie Alexander generously donated the funds to Topaz museum to acquire “Topaz Internment Camp”. Ms. Alexander is president of the Japan Society of Fairfield County, and Secretary of the Ikebana International New York Chapter. She has a personal association with Topaz - her grandparents were interned at the Topaz Internment Camp during the war and one of them passed while staying at the camp.
artist Koho Yamamoto
On Saturday, September 30, in the afternoon, “Obi-Obi” joined us in the Carriage House. This volunteer and craft group upcycles kimono fabrics and obi belts into unique home décor and bags. All proceeds from their sales went to JSFC’s Sakura Manbon project to plant more trees. Arigato!
Also Saturday afternoon Mr. Nori Ishikawa played shakuhachi at the ikebana exhibit in Japanese and western style.
Both Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1, Japanese pottery artists Namiko Kato and Hiroko Yokotagawa were there selling their wares.
