Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, has been a center for Japanese art and culture in South Florida since opening in 1977. Morikami invites guests to discover South Florida’s history and connection with Japan, and explore a series of six diverse gardens, each inspired by a different historical period and style of Japanese gardening.
Visitors experience traditional and contemporary Japanese culture through engaging exhibits, varied educational programs and seasonal events, a world-class bonsai display, Pan-Asian cuisine, and a distinctive museum store. The Morikami Museum is presenting the following November workshops, classes, and demonstrations:
Tuesdays, Nov 1, 8,1 5
Ikebana Flower Arrangement- Ikenobo School (Class)
Time: Beginners – 11am – 1pm
Intermediate – 1pm – 3pm*
Cost: $60 (Morikami Members $52.50). Advance Registration Required.
*Intermediate courses are for students with prior experience or who have taken at least three sessions of Ikebana classes.
Flower arranging, ikebana, is a traditional Japanese art form spanning centuries. Ikebana has different schools of study, each with unique philosophies and aesthetics. Dating back to the 15th century, the Ikenobo School is the oldest and most traditional. Students in this course learn the basic principles and style of Ikenobo, creating fresh flower arrangements each week to take home and enjoy.
Wednesdays, Nov 2, 9, 16
Ikebana Flower Arrangement: Sogetsu School (Class)
Time: Beginners – 10:00am –12:00pm
Intermediate – 1:30pm – 3:30pm*
Cost: $60 (Morikami Members $52.50). Advance Registration Required.
Flower arranging, ikebana, is a traditional Japanese art form spanning centuries. Ikebana has different schools of study, each with unique philosophies and aesthetics. The Sogetsu School is a contemporary school that focuses on the creativity and individuality of ikebana. The idea is that ikebana can be done by anyone, anywhere, with almost anything. Students will learn the basics of Sogetsu and create pieces each week to take home and enjoy. *Intermediate courses are for students with prior experience.
Thursdays, Nov. 3, 10, 17
Sumi-e Ink Painting (Floral Beginner) (Class)
Time: Floral – 10:30am – 12:30pm
Cost: $52.50 (Morikami Members $48.75). Advance Registration Required.
Sumi-e is a form of Japanese ink painting brought from China in the 12th century. Primarily done in black ink, the name literally means “charcoal drawing” in Japanese. Students grind their own ink using an ink stick and a grinding stone and learn to hold and utilize brushes to create the primary sumi-e brush strokes. Floral and landscape classes will start with a review of the basic techniques before moving on to the main subject.
Friday, Nov 4
Washi Textile Prints: Art of Imperfection (Wabi Sabi) – Talk by Yuko Kimura
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities
Time: 1pm
Cost: Free (with paid museum admission).
Yuko Kimura is a Japanese papermaker and print artist who celebrates imperfection in her work. She prints etchings onto handmade washi paper and onto antique Japanese book pages riddled with wormholes and stitches them together to form large collages. In this presentation, Yuko will introduce the beautifully imperfect old papers and textiles that have inspired her as an artist, particularly 19th-century indigo-dyed cotton Boro textiles that are repaired with patching and stitching. Her grandmother sewed for her family recycling old remnants of kimono fabrics. She will share memories of these found and collected materials and explain how she incorporates them into her printmaking process.
Sundays, Nov 6, 13 or Thursdays, Nov 3, 17
Sado: Tea Ceremony (Beginners) (Class)
Time: 10:15am -12:15am
Cost: $60 (Morikami Members $55). Advance Registration Required.
Expand upon your knowledge of the Japanese tea ceremony in this hands-on class. Perform traditional Japanese tea ceremony, with its ever-evolving seasonal subtleties, in the authentic Seishin-an Tea House under the guidance of instructor Yoshiko Hardick. The tea ceremony changes from month to month and from season to season.
Saturday, Nov 5
Tea Ceremony (Workshop)
Time: 1pm – 3pm
Cost: $50. Advance Registration Required.
The workshop teaches the basics of sadō – The Way of Tea – necessary to understand the aesthetics of sadō and to fully enjoy the tea ceremony itself. Participants become familiar with how to be a guest, how to make a bowl of tea, and serve it.
Saturday, Nov 5
Shibori Indigo -Scarves (Workshop)
Time: 10am – 3pm
Cost: $70. Advance Registration Required.
The use of indigo dye, or aizome, has a long and cherished history in Japan. The deep blue colors for which Japanese textiles are celebrated come from the leaves of the tade ai, a plant introduced to Japan from China in the sixth century. Shibori is a Japanese technique of manual resist dyeing used to make patterns on fabrics. Learn various shibori techniques and make a shibori scarf for your wardrobe or for a special someone.
Saturday, Nov 5
Family Fun: Inu no Hi: Dog Day (Virtual Program)
Time: Virtual Program
Cost: FREE
Celebrate Dog Day by honoring man’s best friend! Learn how to make your own origami dog with just a sheet of paper and a marker.
Sundays, Nov 6, 13
Sado: Tea Ceremony (Intermediate) (Class)
Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Cost: $60 (Morikami Members $55). Advance Registration Required.
Expand upon your knowledge of the Japanese tea ceremony in this hands-on class. Perform a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, with its ever-evolving seasonal subtleties, in the authentic Seishin-an Tea House under the guidance of instructor Yoshiko Hardick. The tea ceremony changes from month to month and from season to season. The intermediate course requires approval by the instructor before registering.
Sundays, Nov 6, 13, 20, Dec 4, 18
The Art of Bonsai (Class)
Time: Beginners – 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Intermediate – 9am – 12pm
Cost: $100 (Morikami Members $90). Advance Registration Required.
Bonsai means “a tree in a tray.” The art of bonsai creates the illusion of age and maturity of a tree that has developed and sustained the effects of nature for many years. Students of bonsai learn to artfully trim and train a tree in a container.
Saturdays, Nov. 5, 12, 19, Dec 3, 17
Japanese Traditional Music: Koto (Class)
Time: Beginners – 10:15am – 12:15pm
Intermediate – 1pm-3pm
Cost: $155 (Morikami Members $150). Advance Registration Required.
The Koto is a traditional Japanese stringed instrument first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th-8th centuries. Learn about the history, culture and techniques of how to play this exquisite instrument in this 5-week course. Instruments will be provided for participants to use in the class.
Sunday, Nov. 13
The Way of Taiko – The Heartbeat of Japan (Workshop)
Time: 11am – 1pm or 2pm – 4pm
Cost: $60. Advance Registration Required.
This workshop introduces participants to the history and practice of taiko drumming. Participants are taught how to understand sounds and movements, i.e., how to connect nature and the meaning of body movement. They will become familiar with the way of taiko and its drumming techniques. Top performers from South Florida’s Fushu Daiko will conduct the workshop. The group is recognized by Seiichi Tanaka, the master of San Francisco Taiko Dojo, who brought taiko to the United States and who trained senior members of the FushuDaiko group.
Saturday, Nov 19
Family Fun: Kanji Rocks
Time: 12pm -3pm
Cost: FREE for members or with paid museum admission. No Reservation Required.
Learn how to write kanji, Chinese characters, and paint them on your very own rock.
Saturday, Nov 19
Sado: The Way of Tea (Demonstration)
Time: 12pm, 1:30pm or 3pm
Cost: $5 with paid museum admission.
Observe Japanese sadō, an ever-changing demonstration rich in seasonal subtleties. Your involvement in the true spirit of sadō — harmony (wa), reverence (kei), purity (sei), tranquility (jaku) — along with a sip of matcha green tea and a sweet will help you bring a calm perspective into your busy life.
For more information on the November demonstrations and classes at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, please call (561) 495-0233 or visit morikami.org.
