The Left Lane
Academy flower show

Noted floral artist Gail Emmons of the Orinda Garden Club in California will give a demonstration at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Honolulu Academy of Arts Theater.

Emmons is known for combining traditional ikebana with modern techniques to create contemporary floral works of art. She earned her degree from the Sogetsu School in Japan and often judges and enters flower shows all over the world. Last year she traveled to Genoa, Italy, where she represented the Garden Club of America in an international flower show. This year she will enter the World Association of Flower Arrangers Show in Glasgow, Scotland. The demonstration at the academy is open to the public, with a $5 donation suggested at the door.

Mohandas K. Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi, "ambassador of peace" Wally "Famous" Amos and "peace troubadour" James Twyman will pitch in for Hawai'i's inaugural Season for Peace and Nonviolence.

The 64-day celebration is dedicated to the principles espoused by the elder Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. It kicks off Jan. 26 with the free Aloha Peace Day at Kapi'olani Park Bandstand, from noon to 6 p.m. Twyman, who sang at the United Nations and in Bosnia and Serbia, will perform, as will Hawai'i musicians..

A Season for Peace and Nonviolence officially runs Jan. 30 to April 4, bookended by the anniversaries of the deaths of Gandhi and King, respectively. For information, check the Web site: SeasonForPeace.com.