Sep 26
Japanese Garden 50th Anniversary Symposium and Celebration
Sat, September 26, 2026
• 9:00am
- 2:00pm (5h) • Symposium in Weitz Cinema | Reception at Japanese Garden
Carleton College is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Carleton’s Jōryō-en, “The Garden of Quiet Listening.” This half-day event features a morning symposium examining the educational potential and artistic history of Japanese gardens, at Carleton and beyond. A celebratory tented reception with food and refreshments will follow in the yard adjacent to the garden. The event is free and open to the public. We hope you will join us to commemorate this special occasion!
Program Schedule:
9:00-9:15 AM – Welcome Remarks
9:15-9:45 AM - Keynote speaker: Professor Kendall Brown, Professor of Art History, California State University, Long Beach, and author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America, “Higher Education: The Potential of Japanese Gardens for American Colleges”
9:45-10:15 AM - John Powell, Zōen, LLC, Japanese Garden Designer and consultant to Jōryō-en, “Tending the Vision: The Gardener's Role in the High Quality Japanese Garden"
10:15 – 10:30 AM – Q and A with the speakers
10:30-10:45 AM – Coffee break
10:45 – 11:15 AM - Anne Godfrey ’97, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, “Authenticity Lessons”. Godfrey's work in Jōryō-en from 1997-1999, under the tutelage of Mary Bigelow, David Slawson and Bardwell Smith, led her to a career in landscape architecture and photography.
11:15 -11:30 AM - Joanne Paul, Northfield volunteer at Jōryō-en, “Living, Loving, Working: The Garden from a Volunteer’s Perspective”
11:30-11:45 AM – Q and A with the speakers
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM - Kathleen Ryor, Tanaka Memorial Professor of International Understanding and Art History, Carleton College, “Jōryō-en and Carleton: Recent Activities, Future Directions”
12:30 – 2:00 PM – Reception at Jōryō-en. There will be staff to guide attendees to the garden area and assist with parking directions.
Location & Parking:
- Symposium: Weitz Cinema Theater, Weitz Center for Creativity
- Reception: Jōryō-en, "The Garden of Quiet Listening"
- Directions & Parking: Guest parking is available in adjacent campus lots and along nearby public streets. Find directions and accessible parking areas on the Carleton Campus Map.
Read more on Carleton's Japanese Garden here.
from Asian Studies