Nearly 100 ikebana floral artists will be presenting the Wafu Ikebana 50th Anniversary Flower Show on March 4-5, 2023, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the California Chapter of the Wafu School of Ikebana. The show’s theme, “Sounds of Spring” (birds singing, mild breezes, light rain falling), evokes pleasant memories along with the feelings of renewal and energy. This event was originally scheduled for March 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This two-day weekend exhibition will be held at Cupertino’s Quinlan Community Center, 10185 N. Stelling Road, Cupertino, CA 95014. Show hours are 10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. both days. The exquisite arrangements at this show will be the culmination of our chapter’s half-century of activity.

Almost every Wafu Ikebana student of the Adult Education Program at Fremont Union High School District will be participating in the show. Highly accomplished Wafu ikebana artists will also present demonstrations of this eloquent art form, discussing the materials and techniques used. Three demonstrations per day will feature different arrangers illustrating unique styles, using a variety of floral materials. Demonstration times are at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM daily.

Visitors will enjoy a wide variety of floral arrangement styles, such as those created in low shallow vases (“moribana”), in tall upright vases (“nageire”), as well as suspended and wall-hung styles, and large-scale floor arrangements.

This special event is co-sponsored by the City of Cupertino, the Fremont Union High School District, and the Wafu Ikebana Society. The exhibition and demonstrations are free to the public, but a $5 per person donation is appreciated. 

The Wafu School of Ikebana is headquartered in Tokyo and has active chapters worldwide. Mrs. Fusako “Seiga” Hoyrup of Cupertino founded the California chapter in 1970. Under her direction and training, the chapter has grown from a small group of students to nearly 200 dedicated and artistically accomplished members worldwide. Most chapter members reside in the Bay Area; however, some live outside California, with members located as far away as Japan and Europe. For her contributions to the promulgation and growth of Japanese culture worldwide through ikebana, Mrs. Hoyrup is a recipient of the Japanese 2019 Spring Conferment of Decorations and received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, from the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government.

Classes in Wafu ikebana are taught by Mrs. Hoyrup, Ms. Mayshine Hwang and Ms. Connie Chen in Cupertino and Sunnyvale.

For more information about the Wafu Ikebana 50th Anniversary Flower Show, classes, and photos of arrangements, see the Wafu Ikebana Society website at http://www.wafu-ikebana.org.