August 2007 Newsletter

Archive Item:

The Drachen Foundation often receives generous archival donations from unexpected places. Seldom is any donation turned down, as one can never determine the worth of an object before it is seen. Recently, Robert Searfoss of Atlanta, Georgia, contacted the Foundation in order to donate a much-loved Japanese kite that had become too delicate for display and was beyond his scope of restoration. Searfoss sent a picture to the Foundation and shared with us a kite design that neither director Ali Fujino or board president Scott Skinner had seen before; the Drachen Foundation was delighted to receive this offer.

Mega Moon Flies Over Okinawa, Japan

Flying large kites is a difficult endeavor, and takes much planning even for those who are experienced. The Japan Kite Association and Masaaki Modegi recently asked DF board president to oversee the flying of Mega Moon, one of the world’s largest kites. Read More.

World Kite Museum Signage Project

On Wednesday, June, 15 th, Drachen Board member Keith Yoshida and DF staff Kiyomi Okawa visited the World Kite Museum in Long Beach, Washington, to install the first phase of a DF 2007 grant for interpretive and directional signage.

Masaaki Modegi’s The Making of Japanese Kites

The Drachen Foundation would like to invite all attendees of the 2007 American Kitefliers Association’s annual convention in Ocean Shores, Washington to celebrate Masaaki Modegi’s new book The Making of Japanese Kites: Tradition, Beauty, Creation. Read More.

 

Umbowers Chinese Kite Collection

Bob and Charmayne Umbowers of Gig Harbor, Washington, generously gave the Drachen Foundation an opportunity to photograph their Chinese kite collection for viewing on our website as an example of an important kite culture.
Read More.

 

Wildwoods Kite Festival

The Drachen Foundation receives many invitations to participate in kite festivals; sadly, we are able to particepate in only a handful of these events. This year, the organizers of Wildwoods International Kite Festival in Wildwood, New Jersey, proposed an educational format to work with both spectators of the festival and with teachers and students in neighboring schools. Read More.