Sun. Jul 18, 2021 at 2 pm

Video with NCAR Sensei Valerie Eccleston, Ichiyo School

Valerie Eccleston was introduced to Ikebana in 1975 while living in Yokohama, Japan with her husband and children. After receiving her Ichiyo School Instructor’s certificate she returned to her native England, then moved to the USA in 1984, while continuing her study of Ichiyo shiki Ikebana. She received her Master’s Certificate in 1992, and in 2006 was appointed President of the Washington DC Chapter of the Ichiyo School by the late Iemoto (Headmaster) Akihiro Kasuya. In 2009 she was appointed to the rank of Executive Master, which is the Ichiyo School’s highest rank held outside of Japan. As well as exhibiting in Japan, she has demonstrated, taught and exhibited extensively in the USA and Canada, having lived in Connecticut, Texas, Arizona, Virginia and Toronto. This includes demonstrating and exhibiting at the Metropolitan Museum Asian Galleries in NY and participating in an Ichiyo School Exhibition in Soho with the late Iemoto Akihiro Kasuya and other visiting teachers from Japan and the USA. She has had the honor of assisting and narrating for the late Iemoto Akihiro Kasuya and our new Iemoto, Naohiro Kasuya on many occasions, including the last I.I. World Convention in Okinawa and narrating for Iemoto Naohiro’s demonstration for Philadelphia I.I. in 2010. One highlight for her, was composing the 45th Anniversary Commemorative song for the I.I. World Convention in 2001, held in Yokohama, Japan, and performing at the opening ceremony in the presence of HIH Princess Mikasa.