Sogetsu Ikebana: Freestyle & Form with Sogetsu Pittsburgh

3-Hour Workshop

Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024

Time: 10am-1pm

Description: Led by Sogetsu Pittsburgh's founder and principal teachers Reiko Nakajima and Atsumi Sewell, this session will include an introduction to the modern Sogetsu school of Ikebana, a demonstration of the range of possibilities of the Sogetsu style, followed by participants creating their own freestyle ikebana arrangement with a container they bring from home and concluding with a casual critique and group discussion.

Tuition: $55 + $30 materials fee

Materials: Students should bring a unique medium sized vessel that can hold water. Ceramic, metal, colored glass (not clear) and acrylic are acceptable. All other materials will be provided.

Location: Contemporary Craft - 5645 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded through Eventbrite, or you may leave your workshop fee in your Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.

About the Artist

Sogetsu Pittsburgh is a collective of ikebana practitioners dedicated to studying and sharing the modern art of Sogetsu ikebana through workshops, special projects and exhibitions. The group, founded in 1990 by Reiko Nakajima and Joan Walter, introduces the practice to the public and community through collaborations with various organizations and artists. Past partners have included the Carnegie Museum of Art, Phipps Conservatory, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Ohio University Eastern and more. Sogetsu Pittsburgh was a 2023 Fallingwater Institute Artist-in-Residence, with members preseting Elements of Balance, a curated installation throughout the historic house, terraces and grounds. The collective continues to be led by Nakajima and Atsumi Sewell as principal instructors and is active with Ikebana International Pittsburgh Chapter #25, established in 1959 by Kay McKenna of Greensburg, cultivating the appreciation of ikebana in the region. Sogetsu is a school of ikebana founded in Japan in 1927 by artist Sofu Teshigahara on the premise that traditional ikebana - originally intended for alters, the tokonoma and tea ceremonies - could be expanded and be created "anytime, anywhere, by anyone." Sogetsu incorporates influences including modern sculpture, abstract art, architecture, and design while honoring custom and particular techniques.

Host or Publisher Contemporary Craft