Ikebana, also known as “the Way of the Flowers”, is the meditative art of Japanese floral arrangements, and its ideals embody the essence of taste, beauty and oneness with nature. Ikebana uniquely emphasizes shape, line and form by giving equal weight to the branches, stems and leaves of a plant, rather than merely arranging its blooms. Classical Ikebana dates to the 15th century and successor schools have emerged since. In all of them, deep-rooted design rules and a Zen-like discipline subtly harmonize nature and the hand of the arranger.

   

During the annual Spring Ikebana Festival, traditional to contemporary artworks will be presented by local artists and will show the interesting variation in techniques and styles of five major Ikebana schools.

   

Yume Japanese Gardens and Museum of Tucson is a nonprofit organization that features eight examples of classical Japanese landscape design, a replica traditional Japanese cottage, a museum of Japanese art and handicrafts, an art gallery and gift shop. It also holds seasonal Japanese festivals and classes in Japanese popular arts.