Flower lady brings beauty, pleasure to work

Alice Yang often does flower arrangements for the IT building.

11:19 a.m., Dec. 14, 2004--Alice Yang and flowers are soulmates. One can tell by the way she looks at them, handles them and turns them into works of art, and flowers seem to become more magical and special under her gentle touch and guidance.

A Taiwanese American, Yang came to the University in 1975. A systems programmer IV in Information Technologies-Network and Systems Services, Yang decided to bring some of her creations to work, where others could enjoy them. Programmers’ offices are often pleasant but utilitarian, and in this setting, Yang’s arrangements were a bright focal point of color and design.

Susan Foster, vice president for information technologies, saw the arrangements and said she was captivated by Yang’s artistry and encouraged her to do flower arrangements for the IT building. Foster has asked Yang to do the flower arrangements when IT holds its holiday party at the Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware hotel, the first such event to be held there.

Yang began her avocation about five years ago after the sudden and unexpected death of her husband. To fill her evenings, she began arranging flowers. “It gave me something to concentrate on and to think about,” she said. “For me, arranging flowers was therapy and medicine.”

Her hobby became a more serious activity as she became interested in Ikebana, which originated in Japan some 600 years ago, arranging contrasting natural materials in an individualist way to reflect nature. “I bring nature from the outside to the inside,” Yang said.

With her son’s encouragement, she contacted Midori Tanimune at Longwood Gardens for private lessons in her home. Tanimune was impressed with Yang’s serious approach to learning this ancient art, and now Yang is at the third Ikebana level out of four. She said she loves what she is doing but has no interest in competing because she does her arrangements for the joy of creating them.

Recently, Yang demonstrated her art before a small group of coworkers. Conscious of form, accents of color, contrast, the juxtaposition of textures and line, Yang has an artistic eye, but the basis of her arrangements, she said, is simplicity. In a tall container, she combined bittersweet branches with a few full yellow roses, and, in a low container, created an asymmetrical arrangement of calla lilies and yellow roses, accented by broad green leaves.

Yang said that not only does she gain personal satisfaction from doing what she loves, but she also has made new friends in the process.

One of her favorite quotes is from Luther Burbank, “Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.”

Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Kathy Atkinson

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