Our Chapter's purpose is the cultivate and perpetuate the art of Japanese flower arranging known as Ikebana and Japanese culture through meetings, demonstrations, workshops and public exhibitions. Our motto is "Friendship through Flowers," and so we also seek to strengthen relationships among all people.

Ikebana International is a non-profit organization founded in 1956 by Mrs. Ellen Gordon Allen that is dedicated to promoting and appreciating the art form that is Ikebana. It does not focus on any single type of Ikebana, rather it is an interest group made up of people of many nationalities who enjoy Ikebana and other arts of Japan. Some schools of ikebana stress classic styles, others focus on contemporary forms, some are naturalistic, and some are blends. Each of the hundreds of schools of ikebana takes its own approach to arranging flowers. The Charlotte Chapter has active members within the Ohara School, the Sogetsu School and the Koryu School.

Ikebana can be simply put as the Japanese art of flower arrangement. However, it is more than simply putting flowers in a container. It is a disciplined art form, where one chooses various plant material like living branches, leaves, grasses and seasonal blossoms, applies certain rules of construction and creates an beautiful arrangement that has a sense of harmony within the container and the setting. Within the Japanese culture, these flower arrangements are used as decorations on a level with paintings and other art objects within one’s environment.

We invite you to attend to a meeting for free to share in our interest in Ikebana!