December 10 , 2012
Contact:
Nancy Johnson, Metro Parks communications & public relations manager,
nancyj@tacomparks.com; 253-226-4530
Tacoma
Children Rally to Prepare a Special Cultural Blessing for the
Community’s Grand Celebration, as the Point Defiance Pagoda Reopening
Draws Near
Tacoma, WA - Asia
Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) members are teaming up with Metro Arts
and Tacoma Public Schools to create a 1,000 crane blessing for the Grand
Reopening of the Point Defiance Pagoda in January.
Lua
Pritchard, APCC’s Executive Director, said the Japanese tradition
carries a special meaning for this historic building. “The crane is a
symbol of long life,” she said. “A thousand paper cranes is something
you do when you want someone’s wish to come true—like at a wedding.”
It
also has a special meaning for Lua and her family. On the morning of
April 15, 2011, the day her niece was to be married, she watched her TV
in disbelief as flames and smoke billowed from nearly 100-year-old venue
where the couple was set to exchange their vows. The fire set by a teen
arsonist had severely damaged the building, so Metro Parks worked
feverishly to help the couple relocate the wedding ceremony to the Point
Defiance Zoo. “It’s funny Metro Parks is inviting us to open the
Pagoda. I don’t think they realized it was my niece,” Pritchard said.
To
help prepare the blessing origami experts from the Asia Pacific
Cultural Center (APCC), dressed in traditional kimono attire, will host
workshops to teach the Stafford students the history of the blessing and
the ancient art of folding the tiny paper cranes.
A select group of students, from a cross section of all grades, will participate in the workshops on December 12
and 13 from 2:30-3:25. The Stafford students all belong to the school’s
English Language Learning program, run by teacher Lisa Almonte. She
believes her school was a natural choice for the project because of its
strong arts background. The school was awarded Washington State’s
Innovative School Award in 2011.
Following
the workshops, the new origami masters will share their craft with
classmates. Stafford will supply 365 cranes—one for every student—for
the Pagoda’s grand reopening on Jan. 12. With
the help of other participants, the goal is to create 1000 origami
cranes for a reopening blessing for the building. Several community
programs have pitched in on the project, said Mary Tuttle, Senior Arts
Coordinator for Metro Arts who is heading the effort. Metro Parks’ SPARX
program has already made 400 cranes, and Baker Middle School’s Late
Night program has supplied some as well.
Almonte
also remembers the Pagoda arson that same year. She was particularly
impacted by the fact that the arsonist was still just a teenager.“As a teacher, I was particularly saddened by that,” she said.By
letting students help prepare the new grand opening, she hopes they
will take pride in their school and feel a greater connection with the
community. She plans to bring newspaper clippings of the ceremony to
class.Her
students come from 12 different language backgrounds, and she admits it
sometimes makes it extra challenging to learn and interact at school.
With art project like these, however, those barriers fade away. “You
don’t need a common language to do art,” Almonte said.
A
12-mile drive away from Point Defiance, Stafford might seem like an
inconvenient location to involve students in the project. But Tuttle
said Metro Parks in part chose the school precisely because it was
located so far away, in order to reach out to a broader community. Like
Almonte, she hopes the students will feel a connection to the community
by contributing to a building with so much history. “These are the
people who are going to live, work and play in our city,” she said.
Only
900 of the thousand cranes will be prepared in advance of the grand
opening.
Attendants will get the chance to craft the remaining 100 at
the ceremony itself, with help from the APCC, Tuttle said. Participants
will be able to sign up for this as well as other activities such as a
formal Japanese tea ceremony which also be hosted by the APCC. The
Grand Reopening will also feature a mixed media arts exhibit based on
Point Defiance Park’s rich history. Using a set of black-and-white
historical photographs as a guide, a group of intermediate art studio
seniors, who range in age from 65-80, have recreated the photos as full
color artistic renderings. The photos, taken at various points along
Point Defiance, will be on display alongside accompanying artworks at
the grand opening.
“Mastering
the art of origami is a difficult task. It’s admirable that so many
children throughout Tacoma are committed to doing this for the Blessing.
And, the original works created by our STAR Center Studio Artists are a
testament to the talent of our active older adult population. I’m very
proud of Tacoma’s citizens for dedicating their time to contribute
toward creating a special celebration for this great Tacoma landmark,”
said Metro Parks Commissioner Tim Reid, who serves as the Board liaison
to the Metro Parks Culture and Heritage Advisory Council.
###
Nancy Johnson
Communications & Public Relations Manager
Business and Operational Support
Phone (253) 305-1092/ Fax: (253) 305-1098 /Cell: (253) 226-4530
Metro Parks Tacoma 4702 S. 19th St, Tacoma, WA, 98405
“This
is a chronic problem that endangers wildlife and results in costly
consequences for our community. We are placing an emphasis on public
education about why the law prohibits feeding,” said park superintendent
Marina Becker. “We are optimistic that once educated about the issue,
those who care about wildlife and the well-being of our community will
quit feeding birds and animals.” 
Metro Parks has announced the addition of several new features to enhance visitor's enjoyment of our local jewel, Point Defiance Park. Beginning Memorial Day, a new visitor center and shuttle will operate during the summer weekends. The shuttle will have 8 stops that loop to the waterfront, Fort Nisqually, the zoo, 5-mile drive and the rose garden.
_______________
