Contact

Midori Kono Thiel
Tel: 206-633-2017
midori.kono.thiel@gmail.com

Biography

Born In Berkeley, California, 1933; childhood education in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Overseas residences in Kamakura, Japan; Tokyo, Japan, Arhus, Denmark.

Please scroll down, or click on the following links for specific sections:

• Awards and Professional Milestones
• Commissions and Collections
• Education / Academic Degrees & additional special training
• Japanese Performing Arts
• Textile Arts
• Teaching, Washington State schools
• Teaching, University Level
• Exhibitions

AWARDS and PROFESSIONAL MILESTONES

1960-1961: University of California travelling fellowship. Studied woodblock printmaking with Un'ichi Hiratsuka and color woodblock with Hideo Hagiwara, Tokyo, Japan

1989: Special award in the New Year Exhibition of the Seiboku Group Tokyo, Japan.

2000: After receiving 3 prizes in juried exhibits of the Sankei International Calligraphy Association, awarded title of Kaiyu (Sankei associate) and since then exhibits in the special non-juried section.

2001: Special recognition award for furthering understanding of Japanese Culture in the USA, Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival.

2005 & 2007: Received 1st place award, Washington State Convention and Trade Center Galleria, "Brush and Ink: Moving the Chi," Puget Sound Sumi Artists.

2008: Listed in "Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970," Gordon H. Chang, Senior Editor, Stanford University Press.

2010: Recipient of a special recognition award from the Consul General of Japan for long-term contributions to fostering US-Japan relations in Seattle.

2013: First prize, Puget Sound Sumi Artists, Puyallup Community Gallery, Puyallup, WA..

2013: Received professional name (natori) as shamisen musician from Kine-ie Yashichi, Grandmaster of the Kine-ie School of naga-uta shamisen, Tokyo, Japan.

COMISSIONS and COLLECTIONS

Cambridge University, Caius College, Cambridge, UK
Achenbach Foundation, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Fran.CA
University of California library, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Oakland Public Library, Oakland, CA, USA.
Rainier Bank, Seattle (weaving)
King County Portable Works at Harborview, Washington State Arts Commission

Education

B.A. University of California, Berkeley, 1955 summa cum laude, art

M.A. University of California, Berkeley, California, 1960 in painting

Completion of fifth year and student teaching towards master of arts in education

University of California travelling fellowship 1960 - 1961. Studied woodblock printmaking with Un'ichi Hiratsuka and color woodblock with Hideo Hagiwara, Tokyo, Japan

Additional special training; Calligraphy and painting

Japanese Calligraphy at University of Washington Art department with Yamanouchi Kan, Visiting professor from Kyoto National University of Education, 1976; Hakuto Ishii, 1978, Gasei Komai, visiting professor from Waseda University 1977.

Shizuo Okawahara, UW visiting lecture, calligraphy and professional textile dyer, from Shikoku, Japan

Aoki Yukei, Archaic style of Japanese calligraphy, painting

Ikuta Kanshu and Ikuta Hiroko, Director and President of Japanese Calligraphy Institute of America, based in Los Angeles (Contemporary calligraphy, basic styles and Manyogana style) 1979 - present.

Lucy Liu, Chinese style painting.

Hakuto Ishii, Nihonga and Haiga painting

JAPANESE PERFORMING ARTS

Noh and Kyogen Dance Drama

Studied Kyogen with Nomura Kyogen Troupe, University of Washington Center for Asian Arts, 1963 (with Nomura Mannojo and Mansaku.)

Private studies, Nomura Mannojo, 1967-1968 in Tokyo, Japan, also in 1976, 1973, 1987;

University of Washington Noh Kyogen Institute, with Mansaku Nomura, 1972. Manzo Nomura VII, 1994 (former Mannojo)

Noh dance and singing with Kaneko Junko in Japan 1967-1968

Nomura Shiro, 1972, 1976, 1977 in Kanze-style Noh 1987, 1993

UCLA Japanese Performing Arts Institute 1985 with Mansaku Nomura, and Kita Nagano of Kita School of Noh

Noh Kyogen workshop. Theatre of Yugen in 1984 with Mansaku and Shiro Nomura

Japanese Classical Dance (Nihon Buyo) and Folk Dance

from 1970 with Hanayagi Yohsono

Koto and Shamisen

Yamada style koto and shamisen. University of Washington ethnomusicology dept. FUJII CHIYOGA II, 1962, Sumi Tani, 1963-64 Yamase Shizuko, 1964-65, Namino Torii V, 1966-67

Fujii Chiyoga II 1967-68 in Tokyo, Japan

Namino Torii V, 1977, 1976, 1994

Nippon Kan Heritage Association, Japanese Performing Arts Series, Director of Programs since 1985 as well as performer

JAPANESE & WESTERN TEXTILE ARTS

Basic & Advanced Weaving. University of Washington, with Doris Brockway, 1966, 1969

Scandinavian weaving with Lotte Mohl, Arhus, Denmark, 1970

Japanese paste resist workshop, Mie Ohashi, 1966

Japanse paste resist. University of Washington, Shizuo Okawahara, assisted with studio and translation 1978

Workshop in Japanese ikat (kasuri) with Junko Sato Pollock, 1978

Professional textile work

Lecturer, Seattle Weavers Guild (Japanese Kimono) and consultant for Japanese Kimono exhibit for Convergence, National Handweavers Convention In Seattle

Wall Hanging commissioned by Rainier Bank, International District, four feet by ten feet tryptych 1979

TEACHING

Washington State Schools / Washington State AIR

Lake Washington School District, Kamiakin Jr High, John Muir, Mark Twain 1991

Sunrise School, Puyallup WA 1985

Lake Dolloff School, Federal 1985, 1988

John Hay Elementary, Seattle 1985

Summit Elementary, Seattle 1987 Alternative II

Ingraham-Cleveland High Schools, Seattle, 1988

North Franklin Schools: Mesa, Connell, Basin City 1988

Bryant Elementary, Seattle, 1989

Oak Heights Elementary, Edmonds 1989

Latona School, Seattle 1989

Viewlands School, Seattle 1991 Lincoln School, Toppenish 1991

King County Children's International Festival - Pine Lake, Madrona School 1994

King County Shoreline Arts Council - 11 Shoreline Schools 1994

Seattle Art Commission grants

Montlake, John Muir 1993

Gatewood School, 1988, Broadview Elementary, North Beach 1986, 1987

Bryant Elementary School 1990, 1991

Also matching grants for John Hay Elementary, Summit, Ingraham- Cleveland, Latona School

Seattle Art Museum grants

Bryant Elementary, Seattle in Calligraphy, 1989, l990-1993

Cleveland High School, Seattle, 1991

Very Special Arts, Washington Alliance for Arts

Pullman School District, Pullman WA, teaching Japanese painting and calligraphy to developmentary disabled, and paired with regular program, three schools (elementary and junior high) 1989

King County Arts Commission, Ethnic artist-in-residence

Bryant School 1993, Sunny Hills, Issaquah 1991

North City, Shoreline School District, 1989

Redmond High School, Redmond, WA Fall 1991

School District independent residences

Sunny Hills 1994-1995, Issaquah 1992-1995, Soos Creek, Kent 1993-1995, Mercer Island 1994

Tahoma School District, Shadow lake Elementary, 1985 to present

Lake Wilderness District, Lake Wilderness School 1988, 1989

Lake Washington School District, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Kirkland

Lynnwood School District, Lockwood Elementary, alternative prog.

Lake Washington School District, Margaret Mead 1991

Seattle Schools District Arts in Education Program (since 1978)

Laurelhurst School, Briarcliff, South Shore, Greenlake, John Muir, Maple, Kimberley, Martin Luther King, Pinehurst Alt. I, short term residencies

Demonstrations and Performances at Forest Ridge, Fatima, Bush, Spruce Street, Echo Lake in Shoreline, East Gate, Bainbridge Island Schools, Bothell, Renton, Highline, Auburn and other school districts.

Teaching: University level and extension courses

Seattle University summer quarter: 1981-1991 Fine Arts Department Japanese Woodblock Printmaking
Japanese Calligraphy
Painting with the Japanese Brush
Introduction to Japanese Performing Arts

University of Washington Extension - non credit programs Traditional Arts in Japan Fall 1979, Winter 1980, Spring 1984
(Lecture-demonstration course covering visual and performing arts - Japanese calligraphy, tea ceremony, textiles, music of koto and shamisen, Noh, Kyogen, Kabuki drama, folk arts and customs.)

Japanese Calligraphy, Fall 1980 - 1986
Japanese Woodblock Printmaking, 1982, 1984
Japanese Music and Dance, Winter 1981

South Seattle Community College, Basic Painting, Winter 1979

Teaching; In-service training for teachers

Seattle School District multi-ethnic seminars
Renton School District (through Seatte Pacific University)
Washington State Seminar on Teaching About Japan
(sponsored by East Asia Resource Center at Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington; Consulate General of Japan, Washington State Council for the Social Studies Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State Alliance for the Arts seminar)
Seattle Art Museum, Japanese calligraphy seminar

International Elder Hostel Program at Seattle University

Coordinator and lecturer Japanese Elder Hostel 1988, 1989, 1990
(first program - week long lectures in Japanese for Japanese seniors from all over Japan) "Japanese Influences on America"

Lecturer, Domestic Elder Program 1989 "Japanese Calligraphy and Painting"

Community Workshops and Performances

Seattle Art Museum classes, demonstration Japanese calligraphy
Wing Luke Museum, Woodblock printmaking
Bellevue Art Museum lecture-pertormance on Noh, Kyogen

Northwest Folklife, Bumbershoot, Imagination Celebration, International District Festival, Northwest Design Center, Northwest area retirement and convalescent homes

EXHIBITIONS

Calligraphy & Sumi Exhibitions

1984 – present: Hanford Gallery, Tacoma Public Library, Puget Sound Sumi Artists group annual exhibition, Tacoma, WA

1985,1987 and 1989 - present (annual)
Sankei International juried exhibition of Japanese calligraphy, Tokyo, Japan,

1987: Inaugural Puget Sound Sumi and Calligraphy Exhibition, Seattle.

1989:
Special award, New Year Exhibition Seiboku Group, Tokyo, Japan.
Cherry Blossom Festival Exhibition, Los Angeles, CA.

1985, 1987, 1989
Sankei Newspaper International Juried Exhibition of Japanese Calligraphy,

1990 - present (every 5th year): Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, Seattle Center, Beikoku Shodo Kenkyukai, Japanese calligraphy

1991: Washington State Capital Building, heritage and exhibition of artwork by Asian Americans, sponsored by the Wing Luke Asian Museum, the Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs and the office of State Representative Art Wang, Olympia, WA.

1992: Mercer Island Arts Council, Seattle, WA

1995 - present: Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, Seattle Center, Puget Sound Sumi Artists, annual exhibition.

2000:
Seishin-sha calligraphy competition, Tokyo, Japan. Award for "Ten Jo Dai Fu"
[ exhibitions photos ]

2003: Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai, 25th Memorial Exhibition at Alford Gallery, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Exhibition Coordinator with the Education Department, Seattle Art Museum.

2004 - present (annual exhibit): Seishin Shaten annual exhibition, Asahi Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.

2005: Evergreen College, "Painted Word Exhibition," Japanese calligraphy, Seattle.

2005 and 2007: 1st place award in Washington State Convention and Trade Center Galleria, "Brush and Ink: Moving the Chi," Puget Sound Sumi Artists.

2006: Children's Museum, Olympia, WA

2008: Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai, 30th Memorial Exhibition at Alford Gallery, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Exhibition Coordinator with the Education Department, Seattle Art Museum 2009 - 2010: Columbia City Gallery, Seattle, WA. Puget Sound Sumi Artists exhibition.

2010: Tacoma Nature Center, Puget Sound Sumi Artists.

2010: "Haiga," Puget Sound Sumi Artists, exhibition of Haiga poetry and painting, poems by Basho, Buson and Issa used as inspiration, juried by Sam Hamill, poet, Seattle.

2010: Sankei International Calligraphy, annual exhibit (non-juried Kaiyu member), Tokyo, Japan.

2010: Japanese Cultural & Community Center, Los Angeles, CA, 45th anniversary of Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai, Doizaki Gallery.

2011: International Exchange exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum (calligraphy).

2011- present (annual exhibit): Seishin Shaten calligraphy, Shinshunten, New Modern Art Museum, Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan.

2012, 2013: Puget Sound Sumi Artists, Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Gallery.

2013: Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai, 35th Memorial Exhibition at Alford Gallery, Seattle Asian Art Museum.

2013: First prize, Puget Sound Sumi Artists, Puyallup Community Gallery.

2014: Puget Sound Sumi Artists, Kirsten Gallery.

2015: "Brush the Sky," collaborative project with Tamiko Thiel, Construct\s exhibit of installations by Asian American women, Wing Luke Museum, Seattle

Solo Exhibitions

1960
San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, California Yoseido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

1978 Bon Marche, Seattle, Washington

1982 Northwest Printmakers, Seattle Art Museum Pavilion, Seattle Center.

1985 & 1987: Prima Vera Gallery Cafe

2010: Northwind Arts Center, Port Townsend, WA, USA.

Group Fine Art Exhibitions

1956:
San Francisco Art Museum, San Francisco, CA.
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco Art Association, SF, CA,

1957:
California State Fair, Sacramento, CA.
Oakland Art Museum, Bay Printmakers Society, Oakland, CA.

1958:
Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, NY.
San Francisco Art Museum, San Francisco, CA.
Mills College, Oakland, CA.
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco Art Association, SF, CA.

1959: M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco Art Association, San Francisco, CA.

1961: Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, International Print Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan.

1962: Portland Art Museum, Northwest Printmakers, Portland, OR.

1963: Seattle Art Museum, International Print Exhibition, Seattle.

1970: Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle

1971: Tacoma Art Museum, Painting Biennial, Tacoma, WA

1978:
State Capitol Museum, Governor's Invitational Print Exhibit, Olympia, WA,
Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum, "Seven Printmakers," Spokane, WA.
Pacific Coast Printmakers Exhibition; Fort Steilacoom Community College, WA.

1978-1984:
Northwest Printmakers: Seattle Art Museum Pavilion, Seattle Center

1979-1985: Wing Luke Museum, Asian Artists Exhibit

1979: Kiku Gallery, Magnificent Seven.

1981: Tacoma Art Museum, Painting Biennial, Tacoma, WA

1982 - 1989: Seattle Urban League Minority Artists Exhibition

2015: "Brush the Sky," collaborative project with Tamiko Thiel, Construct\s exhibit of installations by Asian American women, Wing Luke Museum, Seattle