Celebrating the new exhibit, from Geisha to Diva: The Kimono of Ichimaru.
1:30PM, at the Fernie Heritage Library
"There is much mystery and misunderstanding about what it means to be a geisha. I hope this story will help explain what it is really like and also serve as a record of this unique component of Japan's cultural history," writes Mineko Iwasaki in Geisha: A Life
Over a cup of green tea, the book Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki will be the base for a discussion with guest Gideon Fujiwara from the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Lethbridge on the role of the geisha in Japanese culture, past and present.
7:00PM, at the Fernie Museum
Over a cup of green tea, the book and the movie Memoirs of A Geisha, which is partially based on the life story of Mineko Iwasaki, will be discussed within the context of the Museum’s exhibit, From Geisha To Diva: The Kimono of Ichimaru.
RESOURCES:
Copies of both Geisha: A Life and Memoirs Of A Geisha are available from the Fernie Heritage Library. A copy of the movie Memoirs Of A Geisha is available at the Fernie Heritage Library or can be viewed on Netflix at: https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/70021662
Hosted by Gideon Fujiwara. Gideon grew up in Southern Alberta and Vancouver, BC. He studies the social and intellectual history of Japan, focusing on the Tokugawa (1600-1868) to Meiji periods (1868-1912). He holds a PhD in Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia (2013), an MA in Japanese Intellectual History from Tohoku University (2004), and a BA in a History and English Literature Double Major also from UBC (1999).
The Art Of The Geisha Book Club is a free program offered jointly by the Fernie Heritage Library and the Fernie Museum.
The exhibit: From Geisha to Diva: The Kimono of Ichimaru is on loan from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and has been shown previously at such museums and galleries as the National Geographic Museum (Washington, DC), the Royal Alberta Museum (Edmonton), the Audain Gallery (Whistler), and the Textile Museum of Canada (Toronto).
COMPLIMENTARY PROGRAMMING:
Saturday, June 8th | 1:30PM: Curator's Talk - In the Gallery, entrance free with museum admission
Saturday, June 15th | Art of the Geisha: Calligraphy - In the Gallery, entrance free with museum admission
Tuesday, June 25th | Art of the Geisha Book Club
1:30PM: Discussing Geisha, A life by Mineko Iwasaki. With Gideon Fujiwara, PhD, Asian Studies. At Fernie Heritage Library, admission free
7:00PM: Discussing Memoirs of a Geisha - In the Museum Gallery, admission free
Saturday, July 13th | 1:30PM: Art of the Geisha: Music - In the Gallery, entrance free with museum admission
Saturday, August 17th | 1:30PM: Art of the Geisha: Dance - In the Gallery, entrance free with museum admission
Also in the Gallery, dates TBC: Lantern making, sushi rolling, silk dyeing and more! Contact the museum for details.
Exhibit on display until September 22nd, 2019. Open 7 days, 10 am - 5:30 pm.
Presented by: Fernie Museum | Art Gallery of Greater Victoria | Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Columbia Basin Trust | Kootenay Columbia Cultural Alliance | Park Place Lodge | Yamagoya