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Garden+ Lecture Series: Steve Bloom

Reflections on a Residency: Insights to Peace and Understanding

The Garden’s CEO will share insights and stories from his newly-completed residency in Japan. During six months in late 2018 and early 2019, Bloom visited gardens and arts organizations in Japan, Singapore, Brazil, China, and the U.K. — telling the story of the Garden, building new connections, and seeking opportunities for collaboration and exchange. He’ll reflect on what he learned and on new ways that the Garden can build on its role of facilitating understanding to make the world a more tranquil and peaceful place.

Photo by Christina Sjogren

About the speaker

Under Steve Bloom’s leadership, Portland Japanese Garden has seen strong institutional and programmatic growth. He oversaw the completion of a $37 million expansion of the Garden and its facilities designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, created a curatorial department, expanded and improved programs in culture, art, and education, established an International Japanese Garden Training Center, formed an International Advisory Board, and has dramatically increased the Garden’s national and international visibility and recognition.

The Garden+ Lecture Series places the Japanese garden in bold and inspiring new contexts by bringing designers, authors, practitioners, and researchers to the Garden to share fresh ideas.  Come experience original perspectives, thought-provoking research, and new creative work. We bring presenters from around the globe to shed new light on how gardens connect to subjects as diverse as spirituality, technical innovation, architecture, culture, design, and society — all made more resonant with the  Garden itself as a backdrop. Garden+ is a presentation of the International Japanese Garden Training Center, which is supported by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.