SUNDAY, August 24, 2025
9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Painting as Meditation at Kohan Reflection Garden - with Donna Hicks
Part of the series “Nikkei Art Excursions” offered by Slocan Lake Arts Council. Supported by the Village of New Denver and the Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre.
The Painting as Meditation workshop will take place at Kohan Reflection Garden as well as Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre (NIMC)—two Japanese Historic Sites in New Denver.
In this watercolor art excursion, participants will first spend time in the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, wandering the paths through the gardens and considering the importance of the Centre's focus on remembering the tragedy, while also honoring the resilience of the Japanese-Canadian community during WWII. We will experience this special garden and the Japanese way of calming the mind and connecting to spirit through the thoughtful composition of natural elements, and then take these ideas to the Kohan Reflection Garden and spend time with the garden elements there, in meditative play with the paints on paper.
No prior experience with watercolor necessary, the basics will be demonstrated by Donna Hicks. The Kohan Reflection Garden and Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre are a few blocks apart from each other, in New Denver.
Location: Kohan Reflection Garden and NIMC, New Denver.
Cost: $40-75 sliding scale for members | $50-75 sliding scale for non-members*
Included: All materials, your entry ticket to the Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre, some light snacks and cool water.
Participants: Open to all levels, 12 years and older. Mixed abilities are welcome. Max. 14 participants.
Bring: water, snacks, a hat (sun protection), and a sitting pad or comfortable lawn chair.
*Become a SLAC member / renew your membership here for only $10!
Kohan Reflection Garden, New Denver
Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre, New Denver
About Donna Hicks
Donna Hicks has lived in the Kootenays for the past 20 years and has been
teaching watercolour classes for the past 30 years. Between teaching at
Lucerne School in New Denver and managing a small hobby farm with her
husband, she loves to steal moments for drawing, painting and playing
around with wool. Watercolour painting has always been a source of
pleasure, inspiration and relaxation for her and she's happy to share that
with others.
Kohan Reflection Garden in fall, New Denver
Kohan Reflection Garden in Spring, New Denver
