SPRING NEWSLETTER #49
March 2022
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear Members,
For those of you who don’t know me, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kimberly Cooke of Sangetsu School, and I have been practicing ikebana under my mother, Joan Fairs’ guidance for well over a decade. In 2017 I earned my teacher’s certification in Los Angeles, and have since taught a beginner’s series, several workshops, and enjoyed displaying at many cultural events that the VIA participates in each year.
This past January, I was honored to commence my first term as VIA president. I am humbled by your trust in me to lead our organization, and I welcome any feedback that you might have. I would also like to welcome Tazuko Tsai (Sogetsu) as VP, and Margaret Ng (Ikenobo) as 2nd VP. We will look to our predecessors as inspiration to bring success and excitement to the VIA over the next several years.
Speaking of excitement, after many many months of cancelled and virtual events, it seems as though Vancouver has finally started to reawaken. We already have several events lined up this season, starting with a grade school teaching opportunity in partnership with the Consulate General of Japan, which is currently underway. On April 9-10, we will have an ikebana display at VanDusen for Sakura Days Japan Fair; thank you to those who have volunteered to participate. May is our busiest month with the Burnaby Blooms Festival (formerly the Rhododendron Festival), with a display and ikebana workshops, and of course, our annual Spring Show! We are pleased to be invited to hold our event at The Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, in the heart of Yaletown. This is a beautiful historic venue where I hope many of you will choose to display on May 14-15. On a warm spring day, I expect that we will have much foot traffic as passersby visit the boardwalk, and we hope to inspire a more diverse demographic to attend our show and learn about ikebana. The VIA’s full schedule continues with workshops at the Nikkei home, thank you to Karen Mizushima for organizing, as well as explorASIAN’s opening ceremony at the Harbour Center, and the Powell Street Festival in late July. I encourage you all to participate in these events, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any interest!
Again, I would like to thank you all for your kindness and support. I look forward to a memorable and prosperous year ahead.
With my very best,
Kimberly Cooke
VIA President
Spring Show Details
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After our first on-site Fall Show in 2021, during two long years of lockdown due to the pandemic, the VIA is excited to announce the activities of 2022.
Our annual Spring Show is back and scheduled in May, at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre this year in Yaletown. Special thanks to Jean Zhou of Ikenobo for designing the poster.
Kimberly leads a group of Spring Show Committee members to organize all relevant issues. The groups consist of Kimberly Cooke (Sangetsu), Tazuko Tsai (Sogetsu), Judith Glick (Sogetsu), Karen Mizushima (Kado Sumi) and Cecily Chang (Ikenobo). Please make sure to register before April 15, 2022 with anyone of the committee members, to enable the planning of the final floor plan and table settings.
Date: May14 (Sat.): 11am-4pm open to the public (10:30- 11:00 Opening Ceremonies)
May15 (Sun.): 10am-3pm open to the public
Demonstrations: May 14: 12pm & 2pm
May 15: 12pm (no Kado Sumi or Ohara)
Workshops: May 14: 1pm & 3pm
May 15: 11am & 1pm (no Ohara)
Set-up: May 13 (Friday) 3:30 – 7pm
Refresh: 9am – 10am on both days.
Take down: May 15: 3-4pm (we must be out by 4:45)
This is the first time that the VIA is exhibiting at the Roundhouse Community Centre, in Vancouver. Please make your best effort to show your floral expertise!
Cecily
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Nikkei Survivors Health and Wellness Grant
In the fall, the VIA applied to the provincial government for a grant that they were offering to honour seniors who lived through the trauma they were subjected to during the Second World War. Headed by Karen Mizushima, we offered Ikebana classes to those affected at the Nikkei Home. We were accepted as grant recipients, so have come up with a teaching schedule. See the jcwellness.org website for more details.
1. We await the green light from the Robert Nimi Nikkei Home that in-person classes can start. Their seniors are part of the most vulnerable group, so we need to be patient as far as receiving a start date for our classes.
2. The teaching schedule is as follows: Kado Sumi will teach the first 3 classes; hopefully we can start in April but that is yet to be confirmed by the Nikkei Home. Ikenobo will teach 3 classes (May 30- July 8 ; Sangetsu will teach 3 classes (July 11- Aug 19) and Sogetsu will teach 3 classes ( Aug 22- Sept 30). Each school has a 6 week period to complete their 3 classes.
3. Once your 3 classes are completed, each teacher needs to send an email to me, with a copy to Rose Scott with the costs of all materials, name of teacher and assistant, a photo of each arrangement and the students. It is important to note that the photos will be used by the Japanese Cdn Survivors Health and Wellness Fund for promotional purposes and no photo credits will be given and you need to get the consent of those being photographed to have their picture(s) displayed and published by the JCSHWF. If a person objects to their photo being taken and/or used, we will not take their photo.
4. One payment of $750.00 to each school will be made after completion of the 3 classes and after receipt of the info outlined in #3 above. I need to complete a final summary report as per the Terms and Conditions of our Small Group Grant application and submit it to the JCSHWF within 2 months of our project’s completion (ie. Nov 30,2022) and that is why I need the info outlined in #3 above.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. knmizu@telus.net
Thank you very much for your anticipated co-operation.
Best regards,
Karen Mizushima
Treasurer’s Report and Membership
Bank Balance January 1, 2022
We have 89 paid members plus 3 honorary members for a total of 92.
Rose Scott
Silk robe presented to Cecily, as a thank you from VIA for her two years of leadership as President.
Library Report
Ikebana Inspired by Emotions by Katrien Van Moerbeke is now in circulation.
Library books are available at all of our in person meetings.They are due at the following meeting, or may be renewed one time. In the past two years we have acquired many books, by donation. Should anyone like to renew, or borrow books at another time, please contact me for a list of books, and for instructions on how to get them!
Thanks,
Romy sewmom@hotmail.com
