June 30, 2005
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
SCHOLARSHIP "AURORA" FOUNDATION
the AURORA CHALLENGE GRANT Winner will be introduced at the Aurora
Foundation Award Dinner & Auction
For Immediate Release
Press contact: Aurora Foundation
Tel: (323) 882-6545
Fax: (323) 969-9425
Los Angeles - June
29, 2005 - The Japanese Language Scholarship "AURORA"
Foundation (Dr. Akiko Agishi, Founder & President) is delighted
to announce that winner of the Aurora Challenge Grant for 2005-6
is
Rebecca Williams.
To welcome the recipient, the Aurora Foundation is holding the
Aurora Japanese Language Scholarship Benefit Dinner & Auction
on Friday, September 30, 2005 at 5 p.m. at the New Otani Hotel
& Garden Los Angeles. To show her support of the goals of
the Aurora Foundation, Rimi Natsukawa, Japanese singer, will
attend.
There will also be
a benefit auction (live & silent) as a fundraiser for the
Aurora Foundation. The Aurora Foundation Benefit Dinner &
Auction is open to the public. Admission is $100 per seat or
$1,000 per table of 10 seats. ($40 per seat is tax deductible)
For reservations, information, or donating auction items, please
contact the Aurora Foundation at (323) 882-6545.
The Aurora Challenge
Grant is awarded to a US citizen who resides in California and
has a unique dream, in any field of endeavor, which is related
to Japanese culture and which would never be realized without
traveling to Japan. There is no age limit and no academic requirement.
The award goes to an individual with a creative dream or challenge
that will contribute to global goodwill and intercultural appreciation.
The winner will receive a $3000 scholarship and roundtrip air
tickets from the USA to Japan. The recipient can travel anytime
(for any duration) between fall 2005 and summer 2006. By awarding
this grant, the Aurora Foundation hopes to help the winner enhance
pursuit of their truest, most heartfelt dream by providing them
with the opportunity for a once in a lifetime experience.
The
winner of the 2005-6 Aurora Challenge Grant, artist and designer
Rebecca
Williams will
travel to Japan in 2006 to study the ancient craft of indigo
dyeing. A strong believer in preserving natural dyeing
methods, Rebecca hopes to use indigo in her future work to interest
others in the history and traditions of Japanese "ai"
(indigo). Rebecca Williams has always had a deep interest
in the Japanese aesthetic, especially Japanese traditional costumes.
She first traveled to Japan in 1996 and then lived in Hokkaido
from 1997 to 2000. Since returning to the United States
in 2001, she has worked as a costume designer for several operas
and continues to study natural dyeing with a local dye master
in San Francisco, California. The grant will be formally
presented to Rebecca Williams at the Aurora Benefit Dinner &
Auction.
Ms. Laura McGlone and
Mr. Michael Dixon will be awarded the sixth annual Japanese Language
Scholarship at the benefit dinner. The primary goal of the scholarship
is to assist United States citizens who are either Japanese language
teachers or graduate students of Japanese language education
to experience living in Japan and participating in various educational
programs during their stay to further their understanding of
the Japanese language and culture. The winners receive
a $3,000 scholarship and roundtrip air tickets from the USA to
Japan.
In addition to being
recognized at the Aurora Japanese Language Scholarship Benefit
Dinner & Auction on September 30th at the New Otani Hotel
& Gardens; the grant includes attendance at the Rimi Natsukawa
"Aurora" Benefit Concert in Aratani Japan America Theatre
at 5p.m. on October 1, 2005.
More detail information can be found at the website: http://www.jlsf-aurora.org
5th Aurora Challenge
Grant Winner (for 2004-5)
4th Aurora Challenge Grant Winner (for 2003-4)
Flower
Arrangement Workshop in Los Angeles by Michiyo Okayasu
3rd Aurora Challenge
Grant Winner (for 2003)
2nd Aurora Challenge Grant Winner
(for 2002)
1st Aurora Challenge
Grant Winner (for 2001)
