Grand Rapids, Mich. (PRWEB) October 01, 2012
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the nations most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, will hold a Boulder Placement Ceremony to commemorate the foundational beginning of The Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden on Tuesday, October 9 at 2 p.m.
The ceremony is open to the public and is free for Meijer Gardens members. Regular admission rates apply to non-members. Immediately following the ceremony, special behind-the-scenes, narrated tram tours overlooking construction site will be offered until approximately 7:30 p.m.
President and CEO David Hooker, Designer Hoichi Kurisu and Consul General of Japan Kuninori Matsuda, will each make remarks. A short film showing Kurisu placing the first boulder of the Japanese Garden will be shown.
The boulder placement is more than a ceremonial beginning of the Japanese Garden- its the foundation on which the garden will thrive for generations to come, said Hooker. By blending Japanese culture into our current marriage of sculpture and horticulture, we will continue to make Meijer Gardens distinctive.
For centuries, designers of Japanese gardens have placed special emphasis on boulders for their permanency. The solid and unchanging structure of boulders form the skeleton and foundation, and their selection and placement gives a sense of maturity to a new garden.
The Japanese Garden, to be located in the northeast corner of the 132-acre property, will convey the essence of the Japanese traditiontranquility, simplicity and beauty. The design will re-imagine existing features of the land, water, elevation changes and quiet surroundingsand include a variety of elements such as scenic bridges, waterfalls, a tea house, moss and bonsai gardens, among other features.
The new garden will also feature works of contemporary sculpture by major international artists, such as Anish Kapoor and Zhang Huan, whose aesthetic forms will work in harmony with the space.
Nearly seven months ahead of schedule, visitors will be able to view the gardens progression on Meijer Gardens Facebook page until its completion in spring of 2015.
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Media timeline:
5-9 a.m. – CEO and President David Hooker and VP & Chief Curator of Horticulture and Sculpture Collections and Exhibitions, Joseph Becherer, available for interviews
1 p.m. – Media-only tram tour narrated by Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture photography and video is encouraged
2 p.m. – Boulder Placement Ceremony, film available to media per request
4-7 p.m. – CEO and President David Hooker and VP & Chief Curator of Horticulture and Sculpture Collections and Exhibitions, Joseph Becherer, available for interviews
Images available at http://bit.ly/PtwpZC. Video of 2/15/12 news conference available at http://bit.ly/IqLjQn.
About Hoichi Kurisu
President and Founder of Kurisu International, Inc., Hoichi Kurisu has been designing and building gardens for over forty years. From 1968 to 1972, Hoichi served as Landscape Director for the Japanese Garden Society in Portland, Oregon, and supervised the construction of the Portland Japanese Gardens. He founded Kurisu International, Inc. in 1972. The landscape firm has an established reputation for gardens of the highest quality including Anderson Gardens (Rockford, IL) and Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden (Delray Beach, FL). Their unique garden designs create inner space for inspiration and healing.
About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
One of the worlds most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park serves more than 550,000 visitors annually. Meijer Gardens was recently ranked in the top 100 mostvisited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 132acre grounds feature Michigans largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest childrens gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Moore, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine.
My Little Bonsai
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