View all Events

2023 Cultural Workshop Series: Ikebana with Carolyn Alter

Location: Yanai Classroom

Ticket Information

Ticket sales are now closed.

ALL EVENT TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

THIS IS A WORKSHOP SERIES WITH 4 SESSIONS, WITH EACH SESSION BUILDING ON THE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES FROM THE PREVIOUS SESSION.

SESSION DATES ARE: 3/9, 3/23, 4/13, & 4/27.  PRICE REFLECTS BUNDLED COST FOR ALL 4 SESSIONS.

Carolyn Alter, Head Teacher of the Ohara School of Ikebana’s Oregon Chapter, will bring the beauty of kado (the way of flowers) to Portland Japanese Garden this spring by teaching a workshop series consisting of four sessions. Students will receive a creative outlet, a respite from the fast speed of life, as well as the chance to connect with nature, nurture their spirit, and learn about an aspect of Japanese culture.

Photo by Carolyn Alter

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, has been translated as “living flowers” or “giving life to flowers,” and is unique from other approaches to flower arrangements. Workshop instructor Carolyn Alter will teach students how to “bring the essence of nature into their arrangements.” Participants will learn beginner Hana Isho (flower design) in the Ohara School method and based on the curriculum set forth by the Ohara School of Ikebana. Each session will include both demonstrations by Carolyn and hands-on time for the students to create.

The first session will focus on the basic principles of ikebana; its history, reasons to study ikebana, the aesthetics of ikebana design, and the mechanics of arrangement. The instructor will guide students through each phase with a demonstration and then hands-on time to create. The subsequent three sessions will build on the basic principles, where students will review the Rising Form and Ohyo variations using different materials.

Ikebana Study Course Schedule (4 sessions total): Each session is available for morning or afternoon (no mixing of sessions). Students will receive ~9 hours of instruction per series.

Morning session option:

  • Session 1: Thursday, March 9
    • 9 am – noon
  • Session 2: Thursday, March 23
    • 10am – noon
  • Session 3: Thursday, April 13
    • 10am – noon
  • Session 4: Thursday, April 27
    • 10am – noon

Afternoon session option:

  • Session 1: Thursday, March 9
    • 1pm – 4 pm
  • Session 2: Thursday, March 23
    • 1pm – 3pm
  • Session 3: Thursday, April 13
    • 1pm – 3pm
  • Session 4: Thursday, April 27
    • 1pm – 3pm
Carolyn Alter performing ikebana demo in the Cultural Corner
Photo by Peter Friedman

About Carolyn Alter

Carolyn Alter began studying in the Ohara School of Ikebana under Sensei Kitty (Natsue) Akre in 1993. She began teaching weekly classes and founded Wednesday’s Flowers in 2012. She is a long-time member of Portland Japanese Garden, Ikebana International and the North American Ohara Teachers Association. She has attended numerous ikebana conferences in the US and taken classes in Japan, chaired many exhibitions, given numerous demonstrations, and is certified as an Associate First Term Master of the Ohara School of Ikebana. She is also the Head Teacher and Treasurer of the Oregon Chapter of the Ohara School. As a physical therapist for more than thirty years, she appreciates the healing aspects of nature through practicing ikebana. She loves being outdoors, gardening, and the beauty of Japanese culture.

About The Ohara School of Ikebana

The Ohara School of Ikebana emphasizes connecting with nature season by season, utilizing the materials’ individual character, and arranging it in a naturalistic way. They are known for moribana, which broke with more traditional and formal vertical styles, creating new horizontal “landscape” arrangements, with flowers “heaped” (moru) in lower plate-like containers.