Portland, OR. The Portland Japanese Garden held its first in-person event in well over a year on July 10th. Steve Bloom, CEO of Portland Japanese Garden visited with Lani McGregor and Dan Schwoerer at the reception for special donors. The Golden Crane Recognition Society members were honored for their, “support, passion, and dedication to the Garden.” (Photo credit, Jonathan Ley)
Organizers explain that the event was an open house-style evening with guided architectural tours, music, quiet strolls through the garden, and the opportunity to safely reconnect with friends surrounded by nature’s peace and beauty. At the reception, Steve Bloom, CEO of Portland Japanese Garden told guests about the Garden’s future programming.
Janeese Jackson and Ross Lienhart at the reception which took place in the Atsuhiko & Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Cultural Village.
Tiffany and Eric Rosenfeld stroll through the Ellie M. Hill Bonsai Terrace.
Guests taking in the latest art exhibition, Painting Paradise: Art of Daisuke Nakano, at the Pavilion Gallery.
Guests of the Golden Crane Annual Reception admiring the koi through the Zig-Zag Bridge.
From Portland Japanese Garden:
The Garden sits nestled in the hills of Portland, Oregon’s iconic Washington Park, overlooking the city and providing a tranquil, urban oasis for locals and travelers alike. Designed in 1963, it encompasses 12 acres with eight separate garden styles and includes an authentic Japanese Tea House, meandering streams, intimate walkways, and a spectacular view of Mt. Hood. This is a place to discard worldly thoughts and concerns and see oneself as a small but integral part of the universe.
Born out of a hope that the experience of peace can contribute to long-lasting peace. Born out of a belief in the power of cultural exchange. Born out of a belief in the excellence of craft, evidence in the Garden itself, and the activities that come from it. Born out of a realization that all of these things are made more real and possible if we honor our connection to nature.
Portland, OR. Officials at the Portland Japanese Garden are getting a lot of questions about the state of the Garden’s famous cherry blossoms. They say, “The rains and recent sun are urging the blooms along.” The Flat Garden’s Weeping Cherry is showing more pink every day.
The Yoshino Cherry trees tend to bloom in the week or two after the Weeping Cherry.
In Portland, the blooming cycle is typically in March and April, although each year, weather patterns can result in a delay by 2–3 weeks, resulting in a March end to May cycle.
The exact timing of blossoms in the Portland Japanese Garden continues to depend on the weather, but you can follow the Garden on Facebook and Instagram for the most updated images of what’s in bloom. To learn more about the varieties of flowering plants you can expect to see blooming throughout the garden, check out Glimpse of Spring to read more about the flowers anticipated.
This video shows from, sunrise to sunset, a day at the Portland Japanese Garden:
From Portland Japanese Garden:
Summer Public Garden Hours (March 11 – September 30) Monday: Noon-7pm Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-7pm Last General Admission is at 6:30pm
Winter Public Garden Hours (October 1 – March 10) Monday: Noon-4pm Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4pm
Member-Only Hours Tuesday–Sunday: 8am-10am
Extended Member Hours
From March-October there are special hours for Members and Photographer members only.
The Garden is closed to the public Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Portland, OR. The iconic Portland Japanese Garden is planning a 55th Anniversary Gala. It’s the first-ever outdoor dining experience in the Garden’s beautiful new Cultural Village. Seating is limited so get your tickets now to be a part of this one-of-kind event. With the 2017 opening of the Cultural Village, the Portland Japanese Garden became one of the world’s most important Japanese cultural centers. This year, you can enjoy the most comprehensive arts, culture, and educational programs in the Garden’s history. Supporters invite you to attend their summer highlight: the celebratory Portland Japanese Garden gala evening under the stars on August 4th. Click HERE for more gala information.
The new Cultural Village, designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, will be all decked out for the 55th Anniversary Gala. (Photo Credit, Jeremy Bittermann)
From Portland Japanese Garden:
The proceeds from the Anniversary Gala will support the Garden’s artistic, cultural, and educational programming, which in 2018 explores the unique traditions and arts of Kyoto. We cannot think of a better tribute to Kyoto than to hold an elegant evening of dining and entertainment in the beautiful surroundings of the Portland Japanese Garden. Dining under the stars surrounded by the award-winning buildings of preeminent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma is an occasion not to be missed. We hope you will join us for this special night as one of our guests or table hosts. Proceeds will be raised through sponsorships and ticket sales alone, with no auction or special appeal component at the dinner. Please visit HERE to learn more about this much anticipated evening at the Garden.
To request an invitation or plan a table please contact Matthew Maas, Donor Relations Officer at [email protected]
55th Anniversary Gala Committee
Julie & Wayne Drinkward, Co-chairs
Deborah & Robert Zagunis, Co-chairs
Committee members: Gwyneth Gamble Booth, Sandy Chandler, Dede DeJager, Dean Dordevic, Katherine Frandsen, Gail Jubitz, Piper A. Park, Lucy Reynolds, Cathy Rudd, Rebecca Teasdale, Dorie Vollum
The Portland Japanese Garden is located in the west hills of Portland, Oregon, directly above the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205.
Year-round, the Garden is served by TriMet bus #63 which connects to the MAX stations at the Oregon Zoo and Providence Park.
For those who don’t mind a walk, the frequent-service buses #15-NW 23rd and #20-Burnside both stop at NW 23rd & Burnside, which is about a one-mile walk up through Washington Park.
Or you can take the Red or Blue line MAX train to the Washington Park stop (aka, the Zoo) and then take a free Explore Washington Park shuttle to the Garden.
Portland, February 21st, 2016. Craftsmen are putting the finishing touches on Portland Japanese Garden‘s 33.5-million dollar Cultural Crossings expansion project which will open to the public on March 1st. The Garden has been closed for six months to accommodate the heaviest construction on the project. Construction will continue immediately outside the Garden’s gates until officials reveal the new Cultural Village at a Grand Reopening in Spring 2017.
A key part of the expansion’s design is a 20-foot-high stone wall being built outside the Garden’s gates. Suminori Awata, a 15th-generation Japanese stonemason, is building the wall using traditional techniques and stone harvested from Central Oregon.
It will be the only castle wall of its kind in the United States. As visitors approach the Garden, this wall will rise up to meet them, transporting the imagination to another place and time.
The overall expansion project includes three new LEED certified buildings and seven new garden spaces. Architects have taken into consideration efficiency and design; the Garden’s new buildings and landscaping were developed primarily in the current footprint. A new entrance and ticketing office will be located adjacent to the existing parking lot on Kingston Avenue. New garden landscaping styles will accompany visitors up the hillside along the existing path to the new Cultural Village.
With much of the design work provided pro-bono, the majority of the budget has gone toward construction, trees, plants and material costs.
Kengo Kuma and Associates developed the design for the expansion, providing a modern style that blends the traditions of Japanese design with the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. Sadafumi Uchiyama, the current Garden Curator, designed the new gardens and landscaping that will surround the new buildings.
Contributions for the project have come from donors in Oregon, around North America, and Japan. Notable gifts include: $5,000,000 from Arlene Schnitzer, $4,500,000 from Japanese Garden Trustees, $1,500,000 from the Oregon State Lottery Bonds and $1,500,000 from business leaders and philanthropists in Japan.
The plan calls for over 200 new trees and shrubs along the walking trail leading from the parking lot to the garden while removing invasive non-native species (e.g., English Ivy) from the hillside. The original five gardens will remain intact and unmodified during the expansion. A primary reason for the expansion is to protect and preserve the tranquility of the original Garden while hosting more visitors every year.
Here’s a video about the expansion project:
From The Portland Japanese Garden:The Portland Japanese Garden is proud to offer our community an amazing garden, interesting lectures and workshops, and quality exhibitions and educational programs. We rely on contributions from the entire community to help us fulfill our mission and keep the Garden affordable for a growing number of visitors. You can help sustain the Garden by making an individual contribution, becoming a corporate member or donor, or giving an in-kind gift. If you have questions or ideas about how you might support the Garden, please call (503) 542-0281 or email Allison Rangel.
Portland, August 1st. The Portland Japanese Garden announced the largest gift in its history, a $1,000,000 endowment donation from The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation to establish The Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art & Education. (Arlene is pictured in the Japanese Garden in 2010 with her late husband. Harold Schnitzer, the Portland real estate and philanthropic powerhouse, died in 2011 from complications related to cancer and diabetes. He was 87.)
“As a citizen of Oregon it is important to me to ensure the longevity of Portland’s prestigious Japanese Garden, which is considered to be one of the finest examples in the world outside of Japan,” says Arlene Schnitzer. “I am thrilled, along with the other trustees, to help maintain the Garden’s celebrated status by granting a significant gift to their upcoming expansion capital campaign.”
The gift fulfills one-third of the $3 million goal for endowment support needed toward the Garden’s planned expansion. The endowment will help fund the permanent curatorial position at the Garden that develops and oversees cultural, art, and education programs. The Portland Japanese Garden will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2013.
This series of programs was launched in 2007 under the leadership of Diane Durston, who will now be named the The Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art & Education. New and enhanced programs presented at the Garden over the past five years include annual public lectures by nationally and internationally known speakers, authentic Japanese cultural festivals, the annual Art in the Garden exhibition series, and new programs for teachers and underserved school children. The goal of these programmatic advances is to bring new audiences to the Garden, enhance the visitor experience, and raise awareness of the broader cultural context in which Japanese gardens evolved.
Speakers in the Garden’s lecture series have included world-class experts in Japanese gardens and related fields such as Hoichi Kurisu, Shiro Nakane, and Marc Peter Keane. The groundbreaking Parallel Worlds: Art of the Ainu of Hokkaido and Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest drew more than 26,000 visitors to the Garden in June 2009. Other exhibitions have included internationally recognized artists in the field of traditional and contemporary Japanese arts including sculpture, prints, bonsai, and more.
“The creation of this endowment will support the Garden’s efforts to be a world leader in the field of Japanese gardens and culture,” says Steve Bloom, CEO of the Portland Japanese Garden. “The gift is a significant endorsement for the important work of the organization and the planned expansion project. We are fortunate to be the recipient of Arlene’s inspiring generosity.”
The Portland Japanese Garden is in the process of planning for an expansion designed to preserve and enhance the tranquility of the existing Garden, respond to increased visitor numbers, and take advantage of opportunities in the areas of education, environmental sustainability, revenue generation through visitor amenities, and enhancing visitor and member services.
Arlene Schnitzer and her family have a long history with the Garden. She and her late husband, Harold Schnitzer, made a significant gift to the Garden’s renovation of the iconic Zig Zag Bridge in 2010. Arlene’s sister-in-law Mildred Schnitzer was a founding board member of the Garden, her son Jordan Schnitzer is a past president of the Board of Directors, and her nephew Alan Davis is currently on the Garden’s Board of Directors. Arlene is also an active member of the Garden’s Golden Crane Society and its International Advisory Board.
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About the Portland Japanese Garden:
The Portland Japanese Garden is the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. Situated on more than 5 acres nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland, the Garden features five traditional garden styles. The Garden is located above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Ave. in SW Portland, Oregon and is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Visit the Garden online at www.japanesegarden.com.
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