This exhibition honored acclaimed local paper folder, author and teacher Florence Temko, whose extensive collection of books and articles about paper, paper folding and origami objects are in the collection of the Museum’s Frances Hamilton White Art Reference Library.
Nearly 100 examples of traditional and contemporary paper folding were on view in this exhibition from the Museum’s permanent collection and from the collection of OrigamiUSA. The exhibition included a monumental origami chess set, Robert Lang’s life-size heron and Florence Temko’s red rooster.
The exhibition was accompanied by the documentary publication _ORIGAMI MASTERWORKS_ — Innovative Forms in the Art of Paper Folding, published by Mingei International Museum (2003) and the DVD of the same name, produced by Mingei International Museum and Crown Point Media (2004) and by the DVD _On Origami,_ a Green Fuse film. The exhibition was reinstalled in the Upper Level Gallery in December 2007.
A Teachers’ Open House on February 23, sponsored by OrigamiUSA and Dramatic Results featured _InCreasing Math,_ a presentation by Anne Huyck, Lead Teaching Artist from Dramatic Results, Academic Success through Art. An Open Folding Day with members of Origami San Diego was held on March 10. On April 14 Robert Lang, origami master and pioneer in computational origami, presented a folding demonstration – folding a winged dragon from a nine-foot sheet of paper in the morning and an informal question and answer session in the afternoon. CBS News filmed these demonstrations, and presented them as part of a profile of Lang on the May 20th edition of CBS Sunday Morning. Robert Lang returned May 5 for a day long workshop that explored the connections between origami and the worlds of science, mathematics and technology. On September 8, a program entitled “Hands-on Origami and Mathematics” was given by curator V’Ann Cornelius. It was followed by a Folding Festival on October 13 and a workshop, “Traditional Japanese Gift Wrapping” by origami artist Vicky Mihara.