In commemoration of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden will be hosting a celebration of Chinese culture and diversity.
The garden’s annual Origami Festival on Sunday, July 13, will feature more than 40 renowned origami instructors of all ages and cultures who will teach visitors the basics of origami, the art of folding paper, and kirigami, the art of folding and cutting paper.
According to Alison Redfoot, the education coordinator for the garden, the numerous benefits of origami make the festival a success for visitors. “Not only is origami a hobby, but it is math strengthening and logic based activity,” Redfoot said. “Studies have proven that memorization of the folds can help strengthen memory skills.”
Origami is considered a universal art that can be learned by anyone. “Origami brings different generations, ages, and cultures together. You don’t even need to speak the same language to learn origami,” Redfoot said.
The festival is one of the longest running events at the Japanese Garden, however, in the past the festival concentrated on Japanese origami techniques, whereas this year’s festival will focus on China, according to Kristin Voss, the assistant education coordinator of the garden. China’s most recognizable origami folds, such as the crane and the turtle, will be taught to visitors. Traditional Chinese patterns found in jade jewelry and Chinese architecture will also be incorporated.
Guests are also taught how to make the dragon, which symbolizes good fortune, long life and prosperity. “It is such a pure, minimalist art form,” Redfoot said. “The joy of creating art out of paper makes origami a very rewarding hobby.”
Patrons of the festival also have the opportunity to make an origami box and can decorate it using Chinese stencil art. Origami Festival guests will be provided free paper and are allowed to take their origami and kirigami artworks home with them.
The festival is open to students and the public and is $5 for members, $7 for non-members and $6 for seniors. Admission for children under 12 is free. The festival will begin at noon and end at 4 p.m.