Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art Celebrate Japanese Arts and Culture for the 2015 Cherry Blossom Festival
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian art, will host an array of events in honor of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, D.C.’s popular springtime celebration, including a daylong family event March 28 exploring Japanese art, crafts, film and fashion, themed ArtJamz painting parties and a book signing of the new commemorative publication Cherry Blossoms featuring artwork from the collections.
Visitors can also see cherry trees bloom starting March 7 in “Seasonal Landscapes in Japanese Screens,” an exhibition featuring Japanese painted folding screens from the 16th and 17th centuries.
On Saturday, March 28, the galleries will host a premiere event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, “Cherry Blossom Celebration,” a free, family day where visitors can unleash their inner artist with Washington’s popular ArtJamz, take guided tours exploring nature in Japanese arts and browse vintage Japanese kimono for purchase. Anime fans can view classic sci-fi anime films, including the 3-D epic Harlock: Space Pirate, and meet legendary anime director Shinji Aramaki.
Throughout the spring, guests can learn about other well-known expressions of Japanese culture in “Zen, Tea, and Chinese Art in Medieval Japan”—such as Zen Buddhism, tea drinking and ink painting, which emerged in the 12th–16th centuries. Also on view will be “Oribe Ware: Color and Pattern Come to Japanese Ceramics,” an exhibition on the renowned style that introduced vivid pattern and color to Japanese ceramics in 1605. In addition, cherry blossom enthusiasts anywhere in the world can share the splendor of the season digitally with a new suite of free e-cards featuring artworks from the Freer and Sackler collections, available online.
Visit asia.si.edu/cherryblossom for the complete schedule of programs.
Schedule
Featured Exhibition
Seasonal Landscapes in Japanese Screens
March 7–Sept. 7
Freer
Cherry trees bloom in this selection of folding screen paintings from the Freer Gallery. These landscapes from the 16th and early 17th centuries combine ink-painting techniques assimilated from China with the vibrant color and gold of traditional Japanese painting in a new style and grand scale.
Special Event
Cherry Blossom Celebration
Saturday, March 28; 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Freer and Sackler
The Freer and Sackler Galleries celebrate the 2015 National Cherry Blossom Festival with a day filled with Japanese art, films, family activities, a book signing and a special store event.
Tours
Nature in the Arts of Japan
11:15 a.m., 12:15, 1:15 and 3:15 p.m.
Freer
Building on the theme of this year’s festival, “Our Natural World,” these tours explore how Japanese artists incorporated nature-based imagery into a variety of media. Learn about the works’ importance in Japanese culture, past and present.
Films
Cherry Blossom Anime: Shinji Aramaki in Person
11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Freer, Meyer Auditorium
Join legendary anime director Shinji Aramaki as he introduces and discusses two of his films. Cosponsored by Otakorp Inc.
Harlock: Space Pirate
Saturday, March 28; 11 a.m.
Inspired by a wildly popular 1970s television series, Harlock: Space Pirate is a 3-D sci-fi adventure with eye-popping CGI effects. Followed by a Q&A with director Shinji Aramaki.
Appleseed: Alpha
Saturday, March 28; 3 p.m.
A female soldier and her cyborg partner roam a World War III-ravaged New York in search of the legendary city of Olympus—mankind’s last hope. Followed by a Q&A with director Shinji Aramaki.
Imaginasia
ArtJamz: Cherry Blossoms
2–4 p.m.
Sackler sublevel 2, ImaginAsia classroom
Visitors can unleash their inner artist and discover the beauty of cherry blossoms in Japanese art during a painting party hosted by Washington’s popular ArtJamz. The event will start with a guided tour of the Freer, and then visitors will create their own masterpieces to take home. All materials included; all ages welcome. Advanced registration required: asia.si.edu/imaginasia.
TrunkSshow
Vintage Japanese Garments
11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sackler store, sublevel 1
Presented by Kyoto Kimono, this shopping event includes vintage kimono, haori jackets, obi, décor items and fashion accessories created from vintage Japanese textiles. Kyoto Kimono owner Nancy McDonough demonstrates how to wear and care for kimono. Traditional Japanese crafts and teas are also featured.
Book Signing
Cherry Blossoms
1–3 p.m.
Sackler shop, sublevel 1
Released just in time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, this keepsake book features cherry blossoms from the Freer|Sackler collections. The flower features prominently in Japanese art; magnificent renderings by masters such as Hiroshige and Hokusai range from serene blossoms among tall evergreens to surreal showers of petals. Cherry Blossoms is richly illustrated with grand screens, woodblock prints and works in ink on silk. The text by James T. Ulak and Howard S. Kaplan demonstrates the flower’s deep-rooted symbolism and timeless appeal.
After-hours Events
ArtJamz: Cherry Blossoms
Thursdays, March 26 and April 9; 7–9 p.m.
Freer and Sackler
Visitors can unleash their inner artist and discover the beauty of cherry blossoms in Japanese art during a painting party hosted by Washington’s popular ArtJamz. The event will start with a guided tour of the Freer, and then visitors can create their own masterpiece in the Sackler’s ImaginAsia classroom accompanied by friends, drinks and music. All materials and refreshments included; ages 21 and over only. Advanced registration required: asia.si.edu/cherryblossom. Discount for Silk Road Society members: asia.si.edu/silkroadsociety.
Performance
Tamagawa University Taiko Drumming and Dance Troupe
Thursday, April 9; 12 p.m.
Freer, National Mall entrance
Thundering taiko drumming meets traditional Japanese dance in a special performance on the National Mall. Led and choreographed by Kabuki dance master Isaburoh Hanayagi, this troupe is one of the top-ranking taiko groups in Japan and comes from the country’s most prestigious performing arts school.
Exhibition
Zen, Tea and Chinese Art in Medieval Japan
Through June 14
Freer
Zen Buddhism, tea drinking and ink painting—well-known expressions of Japanese culture—have their roots in Chinese arts and ideas introduced to medieval Japan from the late 12th to the 16th century. By the end of that period, arts and customs from Song, Yuan and Ming dynasty China had been assimilated into Japanese culture, emerging as Japanese practices such as chanoyu, the art of tea. In this exhibition, Chinese and Japanese paintings, lacquer ware, and ceramics illuminate this remarkable period of cultural contact and synthesis.
Exhibition
Oribe Ware: Color and Pattern Come to Japanese Ceramics
Through June 14
Freer
Invented in Japan in 1605, Oribe ware introduced vivid pattern and color to a ceramics tradition that had previously favored somber, monochrome designs. Oribe ware vessels were used primarily for serving food and drinking tea, and their sprightly patterns with glossy black or brilliant green glazes made them a shimmering addition to 17th-century dining trays and tearooms. A major technological advance in ceramics—the Motoyashiki multichamber climbing kiln, which allowed potters to melt glazes to dazzling translucency—made this radically new appearance possible. This exhibition highlights the best selections of Oribe ware in the Freer’s collection, including two new acquisitions on view for the first time.
The Freer Gallery of Art, located at 12th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located at 1050 Independence Ave. S.W., are on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day (closed Dec. 25), and admission is free. The galleries are located near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. For more information about the Freer and Sackler galleries and their exhibitions, programs and other public events, visit asia.si.edu or follow twitter.com/freersackler or facebook.com/freersackler. For general Smithsonian information, call (202) 633-1000.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation’s greatest springtime celebration. The 2015 Festival, March 20 until April 12, includes three weeks and four weekends of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for more information, and find the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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SI-70-2015
