SASHA PAULSEN
Cherry blossoms, hopeful symbols of springâs return, will fill the Meuse Gallery in St. Helena with the opening of âSimon Bull: Sakura: The Cherry Blossom Tree,â on March 20.
The show will be at the gallery through April 25. An opening reception, on Saturday, March 20, is from 4 to 7 p.m. with an artistâs talk at 5 p.m. COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed.
Hanami, cherry blossom viewing, has been a Japanese tradition since the eighth century, and other countries have adopted celebrations of cherry trees in bloom, optimistic symbols of a new beginning.
In the U.S., the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. commemorates Japanâs March 27, 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees to Americans.