Juliane Shibata
2026 Mid-Career Project Grantee | $10,000
Taking Shape: Malleable Public Art Installation in Collaboration with the Japanese American Society of Minnesota
“Taking Shape” is a collaborative large-scale ceramic public art installation planned in conjunction with the Japan America Society of Minnesota (JASM) for the 2026 Obon Festival at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. Juliane hosted ceramic workshops for JASM members and friends to create hundreds of floral-shaped pieces to display in the Ordway Gardens. The project represents multiple voices and will encourage viewers to participate by touching and moving the installation components.
Taking Shape includes over a thousand floral-shaped pieces made by over 45 individuals, most of whom did not have any prior art or ceramics experience.
Creating Installation Pieces through Community Workshops
Since February, Juliane has led three pairs of workshops for community participants. The first workshop centered on people designing a stamp out of clay that visually communicates an element of their heritage. Once these stamps were bisque fired, participants returned for the second workshop in which they used the stamps to transfer their designs onto slabs of clay. They then used cookie cutters shaped like cherry blossoms to create the installation components.
Experiencing the Installation
On August 16, participants’ ceramic pieces will be represented in an architectural installation where viewers will be invited to reflect on the nuanced and multifaceted nature of identity. Those who encounter the installation will be able to touch, manipulate, and move some of its components, thus contributing to its evolution as a work of art. Juliane hopes to encourage reflection about whom art is for, what role it can play in civic life, and what impact every individual can have on the environment around them as they design, shape, and re-shape the artwork.
Taking Shape Location: Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
Ordway Gardens (indoor bonsai area)
1225 Estabrook Dr.
Saint Paul, MN 55103
Date: Sunday August 16, 2026
Time: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Access:
- Free to the general public from 10:00 am–2:00 pm
- People who wish to view the installation from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm need to purchase a festival ticket. Information on the festival and purchasing tickets can be found on Como Park’s website.
After being displayed at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Taking Shape will be exhibited at Normandale Community College in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of their Japanese Garden. In mid-July, Juliane will work with two sections of ceramics students at Normandale; their ceramic creations will contribute to the installation in the Gallery of Fine Arts.
Related Exhibition: Taking Shape | Celebrating 50 Years of the Normandale Japanese Garden
Location: Normandale Community College
Gallery of Fine Arts
9700 France Ave S.
Bloomington, MN 55431
Exhibition dates: August 24 – October 2, 2026
Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 16, 4:30 pm–7:00 pm
50th Anniversary of the Japanese Garden Celebration: Saturday, September 19,12:00 pm–4:00 pm
Gallery Contact: Brad Daniels, Director, Normandale Gallery of Fine Arts
Email: bradley.daniels@normandale.edu
Juliane Shibata is a ceramic artist and educator based in Northfield, Minnesota. Her work is informed by the Japanese concept of mujō (mutability and impermanence) as well as the Pattern & Decoration movement. Juliane draws viewers to her work through the rhythm of repeated forms that visually energize the space around them. Her most recent installations aim to consider the nature of our existence by redirecting our awareness of and engagement with the constructed environment, the spaces we occupy, and the traces of human presence in and around the architectural structures we encounter. Juliane received her MFA from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She has been a resident artist at Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Upperville, VA; Art Omi in Ghent, NY; The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China; Starworks Center in Star, NC; and the College of Biological Sciences Conservatory at the University of Minnesota. Juliane’s installations have been commissioned by, among others, Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. julianeshibata.com
The McKnight Foundation generously enables Forecast to provide Professional Development Grants for mid-career artists seeking to expand their work in the field of public art. Forecast mid- and early-career grants are designed to support independent projects, leadership development, professional development, risk-taking, multidisciplinary approaches, and collaborative problem-solving in the field of public art.
Additional Support
Juliane Shibata is a fiscal year 2026 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
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