Kika Shibata, one of the most well-known Ikebana artists in the U.S., will have a demonstration Sunday at the Clark Center as part of the chrysanthemum festival.
In Japan, the blossoming of the chrysanthemum flower, or kiku in Japanese, is celebrated with a fall festival, commonly known as Kiku Matsuri.
From Wednesday to Sunday, the UT Dallas Asia Center will host its own festival on campus in honor of the tradition.
“Hosting the 2014 Kiku Matsuri further expands the Asia Center’s mission of increasing understanding and connection to the cultures of Asia,” said Monique Wedderburn, director of the center. “Astonishing examples of chrysanthemums designed as living sculptures will be on display throughout campus. Plan to visit the beautiful living exhibition and experience this uplifting display.”
A map of all the outdoor sculpture locations is available. Some sculptures will be presented alongside Ikebana arrangements, a certain type of Japanese floral design, in the Founders Building.
Workshops for both beginning and experienced Ikebana students will be offered Saturday. On Sunday in the Alexander Clark Center, a grand finale demonstration by Kika Shibata, one of the most well-known Ikebana artists in the U.S., will be at 2 p.m.
To bring the festival to campus, the Asia Center has partnered with the Dallas and Fort Worth chapters of Ikebana International, and the Dallas branch of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana.
A full schedule of the festival events and instructions on how to register for the workshops can be found on the Dallas chapter of Ikebana International website.
Other events this week include a guest lecture from Dr. David Porter, professor of English and comparative literature at the University of Michigan, where he also works with the Center for Chinese Studies. He is the author of The Chinese Taste in Eighteenth-Century England.
At 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Jonsson Performance Hall, Porter will discuss “Early Modern China and England: Connections and Comparisons in Literature and the Arts.”
Presented by the Confucius Institute at UT Dallas, the talk is free and open to the public.
At 8 p.m. Saturday in the Jonsson Performance Hall, jazz pianist and UT Dallas faculty member Kelly Durbin will play alongside local musicians in this annual performance. This year’s guests include jazz bassist, composer, producer and lecturer James Gilyard.
Tickets are free for UT Dallas students and staff with a Comet Card, $15 for general admission, and $10 for non-UT Dallas students. The ticket office is open from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before show time. Tickets may also be purchased online.