Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Natural Bamboo Artwork at the Denver Botanic Gardens



The Denver Botanic Gardens is always a great weekend destination to escape to and surround yourself with natural beauty. This Garden’s signature exhibition for the summer is Kizuna: West Meets East, which highlights two prominent installation artists working in bamboo: Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. Using different working methods, both artists employed this versatile natural material to create large site-specific works for the Gardens.

Related to this exhibition, the Denver Botanic Gardens will unveil the newly expanded Japanese Garden, Shofu-en, with the additions of the new Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion and Tea Garden in June. These expanded areas will feature living displays that illustrate the diversity of bamboo species.

If you’re planning a visit to see the bamboo exhibition, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Kizuna Exhibition Tours: Join docents on an interpretative walk to explore and appreciate the works of Kawana and Talasnik. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact tours@botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3539.
Japanese Tea Ceremony for Families: Saturday, July 21, 2012 - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Come experience the centuries-old Japanese tradition of chanoyu - the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Discover the four principals that guide a ceremony, learn about the purposeful design of the Ella Mullen Weckbaugh Tea House and observe a real tea ceremony. Cost is Member Adult/Child $30 or Non-Member Adult/Child $35.
Bonsai Workshop for Families: Saturday, August 4, 2012 - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Bonsai is an ancient Japanese art form where miniature trees are grown in containers. Come explore a variety of bonsai in the new Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion, discover the techniques used to form bonsai and start your own jade plant bonsai to take home. Cost is Member Adult/Child $30 and Non-Member Adult/Child $35.