Sogetsu Pittsburgh

Sogetsu Pittsburgh is a collective of ikebana practitioners dedicated to studying and sharing the modern art of Sogetsu ikebana through workshops, special projects and exhibitions.  The group, founded in 1990 by Reiko Nakajima and Joan Walter, introduces the practice to the public and community through collaborations with various organizations and artists. Past events and partners have included the Carnegie Museum of Art, Phipps Conservatory, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Ohio University Eastern and more.

Sogetsu Pittsburgh was a 2023 Fallingwater Institute Artist-in-Residence, with members presenting Elements of Balance, a curated installation throughout the historic house, terraces and grounds. The collective continues to be led by Nakajima and Atsumi Sewell as principal instructors and is active with Ikebana International Pittsburgh Chapter #25, established in 1959 by Kay McKenna of Greensburg, cultivating the appreciation of ikebana in the region.  Sogetsu is a school of ikebana founded in Japan in 1927 by artist Sofu Teshigahara on the premise that traditional ikebana – originally intended for altars, the tokonoma and tea ceremonies – could be expanded and be created “anytime, anywhere, by anyone.” Sogetsu incorporates influences including modern sculpture, abstract art, architecture, and design while honoring custom and particular techniques.

 

About Fallingwater Institute

When Edgar Kaufmann jr. entrusted Fallingwater to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963, he envisioned Fallingwater not only as a place where visitors would come to experience great architecture, but also where a deeper experience of art, design and nature might occur.

Kaufmann imagined that Fallingwater could become a place where artists, scholars, designers and learners might come to find inspiration from the building and its landscape while pursuing individual or group study. Today, the Fallingwater Institute, formally established in 2015, honors that vision by providing a stimulating location for creative collaboration and inspired thinking through immersive classes, workshops and residencies. By serving an international community through its innovative programming, the Fallingwater Institute works to create and disseminate new ideas that promote harmony between people and nature.