Volunteers prepare branches for the upcoming live art demonstration of bamboo sculpture at the Courtyard Theatre in Plano.[/caption]An Exchange of Japanese Arts and Culture is the kick-off event to Plano International Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Haggard Park, said Graciela Katzer, Plano International Festival president.
The artists from Sogetsu Foundation in Tokyo are experts in Ikebana, a special type of Japanese art of making flower arrangements and sculptures from branches, said Amira Matsuda who has been studying Ikebana art since 1995.
Matsuda said she wanted to bring a glimpse of Japanese arts and culture to the Plano community. Matsuda is also the president of the Iraqi American Association of North Texas.
Adults and children can participate in origami and calligraphy workshops on Saturday. The three-day celebration will end with a live tea making ceremony, Katzer said.
“We started to work on this festival about a year ago,” Katzer said. “It is a great possibility to do a cultural exchange.”
Volunteers from the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas Japanese Association, City of Plano and Plano International Festival are helping prepare for the weekend exhibit of Japanese art.
Artists from Plano Art Association will exhibit their art during the weekend-long celebration of Japanese culture, said Soheyla Rashidyan, Plano Art Association president.
“It is a great way to learn about a culture—a great way to have a dialogue with people who are a little bit different from us,” Katzer said.
