Descanso Events
After-hours and daytime events with programs designed to connect garden visitors of all ages to nature. Join us for festivals, immersive installations, music, workshops, tours, and more.
Sound of Water
August 23 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Water has long shaped life in Japan. As an island nation surrounded by the sea and nourished by abundant rainfall, Japan depends on water for its fertile landscapes and rich food sources.
In contemporary Japanese art, water continues to be a powerful theme.
Sound of Water: Feminine Expressions of Fluidity features paintings, prints, and sculptures by six Japanese women artists: Emiko Aida, Miya Ando, Yumiko Glover, Mineko Grimmer, Margaret Yuko Kimura, and Ayomi Yoshida.
Their works explore water’s many moods and manifestations —serene and soft, yet also powerful and unpredictable—inviting us to consider our own relationship with this essential element as we face climatic extremes throughout the world.
The exhibition celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Garden at Descanso Gardens and is curated by Japanese art historian Meher McArthur.
Sound of Water and its programs are generously funded, in part, by Perenchio Foundation, Pasadena Art Alliance, and an endowment from Heather Sturt Haaga and Paul G. Haaga, Jr.
The exhibition is open at the Sturt Haaga Gallery from June 20, 2026–January 3, 20276, 10am–4pm daily. Entry to the Sturt Haaga Gallery is included in the price of admission or membership.
