Quilts, Ikebana, Japanese Textile Arts and Tea Ceremony: Seven third grade classes at Black Mountain Primary School in North Carolina were given the opportunity to learn about Japanese art and culture through hands-on projects which were fully integrated into the school curriculum. The goal was for students to see and experience the similarities and differences in cultural and regional creative expression and lifestyle and to bring the practice of Ikebana into the classroom setting.

Visiting Artist, Norma Bradley, is a certified Ichiyo Instructor, multi-media artist and teaching artist. Her passion for Japanese art and culture began at an early age and she brings this passion to schools throughout the south-eastern region of the United States. “Quilts tell the stories of our lives through their color, shapes and textures and become a visual vehicle for communication. My recent Art Quilts are inspired by my love of Ikebana.”

Students, teachers, and community members were invited to share their personal quilts and the stories they hold. Students were excited about trying on authentic children’s clothing from Japan. Images of Japanese quilts and textile design helped to build their knowledge of design. They thoroughly enjoyed learning to make Origami flowers inspired by the work of Fiber Artist, Kumiko Sudo. The lifework and cutout technique of Visual Artist, Henri Matisse, who was inspired by Japanese art and culture, was introduced. Students created paper quilts and fabric blocks inspired by their knowledge. To help keep the memory of the project they took home their fabric block.

Norma created the theme and background cloth for three collaborative art quilts that will be on permanent exhibit at the school. A few students at a time worked with her to develop each quilt. She completed the quilts in her studio. One represents the mountains in southern Japan and our Appalachian Mountains. The second quilt represents our shared appreciation for nature’s gift of flowers and the practice of Ikebana. The third quilt represents the Cherry Blossom, the favorite flower of Japan which also in blooms in May in our region. They were in full bloom during the project.

Emiko Suzuki, Visiting Artist and Professor First Grade in the Ikenobo School of Ikebana and Tea Ceremony Master enriched the project as she told stories of her life in Japan and taught the children Japanese words of greeting.  Emiko did an Ikebana demonstration. She directed the students in the creation of an Ikebana arrangement that was placed in the Ikebana containers they created with their art teacher. They were excited and delighted by their designs. So were we! 

The completed quilts were presented to the school during a closing ceremony. Students sang Japanese songs and played instruments native to Japan and the United States, taught to them by their music teacher. Norma read the Haiku she wrote.

Black Mountain Primary

Students

Talented, Awesome, Wondrous

as flowers

The beauty and grace of Tea Ceremony was demonstrated by Emiko Suzuki, bringing the program to a close.

The quilts were on exhibit at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville during the Ikebana International Spring Show and at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts for Art and Bloom. In May of 2014 they will be exhibited at the North American Regional Conference (NARC ) taking place in Asheville, NC. They will be on permanent exhibit at Black Mountain Primary School, Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Chapter #74 in Asheville has a lively outreach Education initiative. This year we did a demonstration for the community at a local nursery, a workshop at a woman’s prison in addition to the school project. 

The project was made possible by the Center for Global Partnership (The Japan Foundation) the North Carolina State Arts Council, Black Mountain Primary School, the Asheville Chapter of Ikebana and the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.

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