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It’s been a long, hard winter, but one of the first signs of spring is almost here: by the end of the month, those striking pink trees that pepper the city should be in full bloom. And to celebrate, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia are hosting loads of events as part of the 2009 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. The annual festival, which commemorates the gift of 1,600 flowering trees donated to the city by Japanese government in 1926, is now in full swing. Over the course of the next month you’ll have the chance to — among many other things — practice your sushi-making skills, witness Japanese archery, and attend a traditional tea ceremony.

This Saturday you can get join the festivities in a more academic way by attending a lecture by Shirley Luber, an expert in Japanese woodblock prints, at Moore College of Art & Design. Luber and her late husband visited Japan in the early ’70s to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and were so entranced with the country and its artwork that they spent the next 20 years making yearly trips to learn about and collect woodblock prints. The gallery they founded after their first few trips was the first gallery in the city to show the work of Japanese artists and eventually amassed hundreds of prints. At Saturday’s talk, Luber will share some of her collection of ukiyo-e, the well-known form of prints that rose to popularity during the Edo period…

Find lots of information about the Festival (including a map of where you can bask in Philly’s cherry trees) at the official website, and check in for posts about more Japan-centric events throughout the celebration.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Japanese Woodblock Print Making
Saturday, March 14, 10:30 AM

Moore College of Art & Design
1916 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 568-4515
www.moore.edu