CANTON, OH.- In the fall of 2008 and winter of 2009, an exhibition of 40 giant landscape kimono of Japanese Master Itchiku Kubota is coming to the United States for only the second time.

Kimono as Art: The Landscapes of Itchiku Kubota will travel to Canton, Ohio, February 8-April 26, 2009, after a stop at the Timken Museum of Art and San Diego Art Museum in San Diego, California. Featured in the kimono exhibit will be the panoramic tapestry Symphony of Light made up of 30 kimono, plus 10 other kimono celebrating Kubota's reverence for nature.

Sponsored by the Timken Foundation of Canton and presented by the Canton Museum of Art, in cooperation with ArtsinStark- the County Art Council, the 12-week celebration will include the kimono exhibit as well as many cultural events open to the community.

"The Kimono exhibit is a rare and special opportunity for our community to be able to view some of the greatest textile works of the 20th century," said M.J. Albacete, Executive Director of the Canton Museum of Art. "We are incredibly grateful to the Kubota family and the Timken Foundation for making this event possible."

Kimono is more than a Japanese kimono display of the works of an internationally acclaimed artist and creative genius. It is the dramatic story of one man's life-long passion, overcoming war and poverty, in search of the secret behind the lost textile process called Tsujigahana (Tsu-jee-ga-ha-na). Kubota has won international acclaim for his creativity and dedication to this extraordinarily laborious craft that requires a full year for each kimono to come into being.

In addition to the museum exhibit, the Kimono celebration includes the following events which are open to the public:

Essence of Japan Kick-off Event: Thursday, November 6, 2008, Canton

Museum of Art
This is the first official special event to welcome the Japanese experience to Canton. It is set to include sake tasting, sushi tasting and a peek at some fabulous Mikimoto pearls. Sake sommelier Beau Timken of San Francisco will be on hand to enlighten & entertain attendees about Sake.

Grand Opening Gala: Saturday, February 7, 2009, Canton Museum of Art
Enjoy authentic food & drinks and spectacular entertainment highlighting the culture of Japan as the Great Court of the Cultural Center is transformed into a vision of the orient during this black-tie dinner and exhibit preview event.

Japanese Film Festival: January - April, 2009, Palace Theatre, Canton, Ohio
The Palace Theatre will run a series of films from Japan, introduced by Linda Erhlich, associate professor of Japanese and Comparative Literature at Case Western Reserve University. Participating downtown restaurants will offer early bird Japanese inspired dinner specials prior to the films.

Japanese Cooking Classes: February-April 2009, Loretta Paganini Cooking School, Fishers Foods, North Canton, Ohio
Cooking classes will explore Japanese cooking, methods, traditions and specialty dishes.

Closing Event: Sunday, April 26, 2009, Canton Country Day School
The Closing Event, Come Fly a Kite!, will be held at Canton Country Day School on Sunday, April 26, 2009, 1:00-3:30PM. This kid-centered, free festival will feature performances and make-and-take activities such as origami, cooking, kite building, and kimono painting.

For complete details on the Kimono celebration, including specific dates and times, please visit the Kimono Exhibit website ( http://www.kimonoexhibit.com ). For information about the museum exhibit or educational opportunities, contact the Canton Museum of Art at 330-453-7666. For questions about volunteering or the events surrounding Kimono, please contact ArtsinStark at 330-453-1075.