Kathy Hattori is a textile artist and founder
of Botanical Colors (botanicalcolors.com), a
natural-dye company that provides materials
and training to artisans who want to work
with sustainable methods. “Natural colors are
a beautiful antidote to the specter of climate
change. Each piece I make questions issues of
air, water and soil use: How does this textile
affect these fundamental requirements for life?”
Michelle Kumata is a graphic artist who works
in a variety of media (michellekumata.com). For
this exhibit she has created paintings that focus
on stories of Nikkei—people of Japanese descent
living outside of Japan. Specifically, her work will
celebrate the Seattle Japanese Garden and our
local Nikkei community of 1960.
Elijah Pasco is an urban sketcher (elijahnpasco.com)
whose illustrations are featured in
his regular column, “The Campus Sketcher,” in
the University of Washington’s student newspaper,
“The Daily.”
Markel Uriu is an interdisciplinary artist
(markeluriu.com). Her work explores impermanence,
maintenance and the unseen. Drawing
from her Japanese and Irish-American heritage,
she is particularly interested in liminal (transitional)
spaces and explores these concepts
through research, ephemeral botanical narratives,
installations, and two-dimensional work.
SCHEDULE AND BACK-UP PLANS
As of publication, the exhibit is scheduled
to take place on-site in both locations:
SEATTLE JAPANESE GARDEN
August 6 to 28, 2020, during regular
open hours
Opening reception: Thursday, August 6,
5–7 p.m.
Artists: Kathleen Ashby Atkins,
Elijah Pasco, Markel Uriu
ELISABETH C. MILLER LIBRARY
August 4 to 28, 2020, during regular
library hours
Opening reception: Friday, August 7,
5–7 p.m.
Artists: Kathy Hattori, Michelle Kumata
Also featuring: Seattle Japanese Garden
Historical Archive
Given the uncertainty surrounding
COVID-19, there is a chance that the physical,
on-site event could be postponed until
a later date. If it is, there will likely be a
digital exhibit with highlights of the artists’
work. Keep an eye on the Miller Library
(millerlibrary.org) and Japanese Garden
(seattlejapanesegarden.org) websites for
updates. m
"Bamboo Fence Tie" by Kathleen Ashby Atkins.
Rebecca Alexander is the manager of Reference
and Technical Services at the Miller Library.
Chie Iida is the events coordinator at the Seattle
Japanese Garden.
Summer 2020 v 19