Cherry Blossom Celebration

Tracie Griffith Tso - Studio 22

Enjoy an indoor hanami in the Art Center and revel in all things cherry blossom. Artists show and make work inspired by the popular pink and white blooms. Find a bevy of activities and performances to enjoy this regional celebration in Alexandria.

FREE, ALL AGES

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Taiko Drums - Opening Celebration

12 pm - 12:30 pm

Nen Daiko

Kick off the Cherry Blossom festivities with an opening performance by members of Nen Daiko, the taiko ensemble of Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax, VA. This dynamic group performs at events around the Washington DC area year-round, and have been thrilling audiences since 1994.

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Artist Demonstrations

Stop by the following studios at the listed times for a Cherry Blossom-related artist demonstration:

Candace Edgerley - Studio 14

Marcia Jestaedt Demonstration

Studio 13 12:00 pm

Sermin Ciddi Hands-on activity

Studio 331 12:30 pm

Jamaliah Morais - Studio 25

Jamaliah Morais Demonstration

Studio 25 1:00 pm

Anna Yakubovskaya Demonstration

Studio 302 1:30 pm

Lisa Schumaier Hands-on activity

Studio 16 3:00 pm

Tracie Griffith Tso - Studio 22

Tracie Griffith Tso Hands-on activity

1st Floor Foyer 3:00 pm

Wei Liang Demonstration

Studio 324 3:30 pm

Jolande Goldberg Hands-on activity

Studio 326 4:00 pm

Ann Barbieri Demonstration
Studio 322 4:30 pm

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Cherry Blossom Hands-on Projects

Cherry Blossom Wishing Wall
April 1 - April 6

Annemarie Feld - Cherry Blossom Wishing Wall

Studio 14 artist and Fiberworks member Annemarie Feld has designed a weeklong interactive art piece for visitors to the Art Center. Visitors are encouraged to stop by anytime between Monday April 1 and Saturday April 6 and add their cherry blossom wishes to the communal art wall in the North Hall by the spiral staircase. Write your wish, dreams, or inspirational message on the tag of an individual cherry blossom, and pin it to the wall. Come back for Saturday's Cherry Blossom Celebration to see the art tree in full bloom!

Annemarie Feld grew up in Switzerland and was always interested in design. When she moved to the United States, her interest in three dimensional design soon evolved and expanded to wearable art.The start and inspiration of all her designs are the materials, textures and colors. She describes her works as “wearable paintings," often experimenting with new and unexpected combinations. Her designs create tension by counterbalancing the soft, irregular shapes of natural leather or fabrics with hard-edged metal handles and clasps ordinarily used in farm equipment.

Cherry Blossom Tree Art
April 6 only (12 pm - 4pm)

Spring 2019 Art in Common Spaces artist Liliane Blom provides a hands-on art-making project all afternoon for kids and parents. Make your very own cherry blossom tree using paper, glue, and your imagination.

Liliane Blom - Cherry Blossom Tree Art

Liliane Blom is an award-winning photographer, classically trained painter and innovative installation artist. She describes her fusion of photography and painting as digital painting. In the last decade she has been transforming her photographic images into installations that have reached and touched a large and varied audience. Based in Rockville Maryland of French/Norwegian extraction she is a frequent exhibitor in the Washington region.

Her installations are interactive and immersive and often environmental in scope. They are multi-sensory experiences, that engage the viewer with sound/touch and light. The videos central to her installations are mostly animations created from her photographic artwork, which she rearranges to highlight a feeling - be it joy, grief or longing. Playful, they unapologetically appeal to our sense of wonder, and invite the viewer into a contemplative space.

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Hand-Printed Lantern Demo and hands-on activity
April 6 only (3 pm - 5 pm )

Tracie Griffith Tso - Hand-Printed Lantern Activity

Studio 22 resident artist and Scope Gallery member (Studio 19) Tracie Griffith offers a hands-on activity and artist demonstration for visitors to the Cherry Blossom Celebration. Chinese paper lamps are traditionally associated with Buddhism and were adapted in Japan to promote businesses and festivals. The Japanese termed it Chouchin (Chou means hang, Chin means light). Sculptor Isamu Noguchi re-introduced the traditional 300-year-old utilitarian fixture into "light sculptures" in the 1950s. Visitors can take part in painting the lantern with the artist, while learning about the rich history of this art form.

Tracie Griffith Tso painted her first bamboo brushstrokes on rice paper at age 12 in a brushpainter’s studio in California. She specializes in spontaneous Chinese flower-bird painting, with her growing repertoire focused on traditional subjects including red-capped cranes, pandas, golden carp, horses, bamboo, rabbits and flowers of all types. Each piece is an original composition on handmade high-fire stoneware.

A native Californian, Griffith Tso has taught and lectured about Chinese brushpainting nationwide. The artist and her husband reside in Reston, Va. along with her workshop rabbit, Cleo.

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Cherry Blossom Art Displays in Studios and Galleries

Ann Barbieri - Studio 322

For the entire month of April, visit Cherry Blossom Art Displays in these participating studios and galleries:

1st Floor

• Mina Hanig - Studio 7
• Fiberworks - Studio 14
• Lisa Schumaier - Studio 16
• Scope Gallery - Studio 19
• Jamaliah Morais - Studio 25
• Tracie Griffith Tso – Studio 22
• Val Proudki - Studio 30

2nd Floor

• Marietje Chamberlain - Studio 225

3rd Floor

• Anna Yakubovskaya - Studio 302
• Chris Cardellino - Studio 313
• Ann Barbieri – Studio 322
• Guy Jones - Studio 337
• Bev Andrews - Studio 342
• Site 3 Project Gallery

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