Join artist Shizu Saldamando for an interactive workshop on the history and process of paper-flower making, based on a pattern uncovered in the Manzanar archives at the Japanese American National Museum. One of 10 internment camps established in the U.S. during WWII, Manzanr War Relocation Center incarcerated over 10,000 Japanese Americans between 1942-1945.
Since prison camps for Japanese Americans were located on barren lands that did not yield flowers, prisoners came together to make their own paper flowers to commemorate important events and occasions during internment. When Manzanar and other prison camps were excavated, wire remnants that once bound paper-flower bouquets and wreaths were found at the gravesites, a reminder of how they honored those who passed on.
Using an assortment of crepe papers and floral wire, Saldamando will guide participants through each step of crafting a paper tea rose. All necessary materials are included in the cost of admission, and participants are encouraged to create several flowers which can be bound into small bouquets which can be taken home or incorporated into a collaborative memorial wreath.
Saldamando is an artist-in-residence at The Church from March 27 – April 9, 2025.