Cherry Blossoms Origami Workshop

Join us Friday, April 9, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. as we host an origami workshop & art supply drive to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival and support D.C. children in need, in collaboration with Harvard Alumni for Black Advancement (HABA) and Horton's Kids.



 

The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 cherry tree gift of friendship from Tokyo to Washington, D.C., and celebrates nature's beauty, enduring friendship, and arts and culture. Cherry blossoms, known as "Sakura" in Japanese, symbolize spring, renewal, and the transience of life. Japanese origami is a medium of storytelling with rich symbolism behind designs. Rooted in history, the art form has influenced technology and design and is known to be therapeutic.

 

Distinguished Tokyo-based origami master Marcio Noguchi and Origami and You CEO Kathleen Sheridan will guide participants step-by-step in crafting unique origami models. As you’re trying your hand at paper folding, you'll learn the rich history and culture of Japanese origami. The class is one hour in length and appropriate for all skill levels. Children are encouraged to attend.

 

Additionally, in response to the coronavirus pandemic's impact on children, please consider collecting art supplies with your fellow Harvard Club and HABA members to support Horton's Kids participants' mental health through the creative process. Art supplies from Horton's Kids Wish List can be delivered to the Horton's Kids office via Amazon Prime until Friday, April 2, 2020, and will be used to create mindfulness activity packages. Please note your Harvard affiliation in the gift receipt message so we can measure our collective engagement.

 

To celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the first 30 registrants will receive 15 complimentary sheets of high-quality, double-sided origami paper.

 

Questions? Contact communityservice@harvard-dc.org

 

Register Here!

BIOS:

Marcio Noguchi was an active volunteer of OrigamiUSA and served as board member as well as chair from 2010 to 2016 when living in New York. Currently living in Japan, he now serves as board member of  the Japan Origami Academic Society (JOAS).  In addition to  many public exhibitions, Marcio's Origami works and diagrams have been published in a number of Origami instruction books: Origami Master Class Flowers, Origami Masters: Bugs, Extreme Origami, Star Wars Dollar Origami, Origami Chess: Cats vs. Dogs, Harry Potter Origami Chess, Manga Origami, among several others. 

 

Kathleen Sheridan is a Spanish teacher turned origami instructor living in St Paul, Minnesota.  She is a member of the Board of Directors for Origami USA, Co-Chair and Host of Origami Connect, a program offering online classes through Origami USA open to anyone around the world. As director of the local Minnesota chapter and founder of her own business, Origami and You, she works full time to share her passion for origami through workshops, classes and events all currently online in the US and abroad. Kathleen livestreams once a week and can be found at origamiandyou.com, FB: Origami and You, and @origamiandyou.

 

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS:

Harvard Alumni for Black Advancement (HABA) endeavors for Black people's educational, sociocultural, professional, and economic progress. It is designed to be a driving force of widespread social change to improve lives, promote culture, and advance generations of successful leaders and innovators across industries.

 

Horton's Kids empowers children growing up in one of Washington, D.C.’s most under-resourced communities so that they graduate from high

school ready for success in college, career, and life.