A premiere art exhibit of origami sculptures in bronze, steel and aluminum sculptures is making its Southern California debut at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont on October 20th 2018 and continuing through April 14th, 2019. T he Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden officially welcomes Origami in the Garden², a series of large-scale metal sculptures inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding. Created by Santa Fe-based artists Jennifer and Kevin Box, the exhibition will feature garden installations and gallery works featuring the Boxs’ own compositions as well as collaborative works with some of the world’s top origami artists.

Sixteen original displays will be showcased throughout the Garden including the following:  Flying Peace, Crane Unfolding, Nesting Pair, Conversation Peace, White Bison, Star Unfolding, Paper Navigator, Rising Peace, Botanical Peace, Duo, Painted Ponies, Who Saw Who, Seed Sower/Seed, Hero’s Horse, Emerging Peace and Folding Planes.

Each of the sculptures in the Origami in the Garden² collection originated with a single piece of folded paper created by some of the world’s most noted origami artists, including Tim Armijo, Michael G. LaFosse, Beth Johnson, Robert J. Lang,  and Te Jui Fu. To recreate each piece for Origami in the Garden², Kevin Box pioneered a unique process of lost wax casting and fabrication to capture the delicate details of folded paper in museum-quality metals.

“Origami presents a simple metaphor; we all start with a blank page and what we do with it is up to us,” said Kevin Box, creator of Origami in the Garden. “We created Origami in the Garden to inspire people with the possibilities of what can be created from one simple piece of paper.”

“We are excited to showcase Origami in the Garden², an outdoor sculpture exhibition of larger-than-life origami creations by Jennifer and Kevin Box,”  said David Bryant, Manager of Communications, Design and Exhibitions. “These incredible sculptures, many created in collaboration with world famous Origami artists, will transform our Garden’s landscapes and invite audiences to experience the evocative connections between art and nature. Originating in Japan and celebrated around the world, Origami synthesizes elements of art, science and natural themes in creating expressive works from single sheets of paper. The exhibition brings these concepts to life in the transportive beauty of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.” 

Origami in the Garden² is free with general admission. Related family activities, lectures and workshops will accompany the exhibition, including an opening weekend celebration on October 20th and 21st. For more information including the latest schedule of events please visit www.rsabg.org.

Official Event Schedule:

Friday, October 19: Exhibition Opening at the annual Majestic Oak Dinner. Our major donors will join us for a walking cocktail reception through the pieces of the collection and a seated dessert with a guest speaker to officially open the exhibit. 

Saturday, October 20: Public Opening of Origami in the Garden² with audio and docent led tours available. Public Opening of indoor gallery exhibition, Unfolded, and screening of the movie The Origami Revolution. 

October 2018 – March 2019: K-12 curriculum-consistent field trips led by RSABG’s highly trained Nature Interpreters include education about the Origami in the Garden exhibition. 

Sunday, November 11: First in the series of Second Sundays, sponsored by the City of Claremont’s Community-Based Organization Grant Program. RSABG is collaborating with Scripps College to present a public lecture to the Claremont community and a hands-on workshop with world-renowned origami artist Dr. Robert Lang. http://www.langorigami.com/ 

Friday, November 23: “Green Friday” offers free garden admission to all, encouraging families spending the Thanksgiving holiday together to explore the Origami in the Garden exhibition. 

Sundays, December 9, January 13, February 10 and March 10: Second Sundays series continues with free admission for Claremont residents. In collaboration with First Street Art Gallery, the Claremont Museum of Art and the Origami Folding Society of Los Angeles, RSABG will offer family programming appropriate for all ages. Behind the scenes tours of RSABG’s Seed House, Research areas, Library, Herbarium and Gardens will share RSABG’s rich resources with Garden guests. 

Sunday, March 10: Finale: Visit and public talk by Origami in the Garden² artists Kevin and Jennifer Box. 

Sunday, April 14: Exhibition Closes. 

Origami in the Garden² is a monumental sculpture exhibition created by American artists Jennifer and Kevin Box. Each sculpture is inspired by a blank piece of paper and has been transformed into museum quality metals by Kevin Box at his studio in Santa Fe, N.M. Individually, these enchanting sculptures inspire wonder and create broader connections to life and the world around us. Collectively, the exhibition tells the story of creativity and the art of making something out of nothing. The exhibition comes to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden after successful runs at Tucson Botanical Gardens and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. For more information on artist Kevin Box, visit outsidetheboxstudio.com/about/bio.