About

Welcome - We, at the Origami Place Museum Community (OPMC), FOLD mountains and valleys for you!  Learn little of our introduction about us.  Hear is our take on what origami is, view a basic introduction to origami history and see our mission, slogan and values.  Below you can learn about who's who at this museum.

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Visit at the museum: Exhibitions | Events | Gift Shop | Contact

Introduction to Our Museum's History

The Origami Place Museum Community (OPMC) was first built in December 2017 as a virtual origami museum. The museum strives to provide content that allows you to discover the origami museum’s About information, see our Galleries featuring creators of original origami designs, traditional models, tributes to those established folders no longer here and board recognition.  Also, you may discover our Classroom, Gift Shop and Contact section.  OPMC is the first origami museum in the USA, third in the world.  The goal is to inspire folding and provide historical information and understanding of the art form.

Origami Definition and Description

Origami is folding to make a creation called a model.  Ori means folding and kami is a type of folding paper. Purists do not allow cutting, gluing, coloring or other ways to add or subtract from the design, just changing the design by folding.  Impure folding may be called kirikomi origami (with cutting and folding) or another type of art, if more than folding occurs.

Origami's History

Origami (paperfolding) is an ancient practice and a modern art.  Papyrus was possibly folded, the first origami, before the invention of paper.  Paper was invented just before the start of the common era in China and was brought over within 100 years later to Japan.  There are some records of quality napkin folding origami in palaces, documented in the 1400's.   Modern day origami came to be with from origami master Akira Yoshizawa who created thousands upon thousands of origami folds, then with Samuel Randlett in the 1950-1960's  they built the current day origami universal folding system using symbols understood world-wide.  Paper folding was popularized in America starting in the 1960's who founded the Friends of the Origami Center of America, now our national non-profit, OrigamiUSA.   Today, there are hundreds of origami clubs worldwide, shops with origami products, origami societies, and origami museums are beginning to open.  The modern world is folding beautifully!  Learn more at our Origami History & Timeline Gallery.

Mission

The Origami Place Museum Community (OPMC) is the base that brings together the general public and origamists with the museum, classroom and gift shop. The museum introduces origami as art to the public to educate viewers towards improved educational and recreational understanding. The classroom provides teachers with both a place to teach and a space to enable patrons to be able to fold and keep their own origami.  The gift shop offers origami items for sale to origami enthusiasts and other patrons alike.  Our goal is to fold with the community!

Slogan

Fold!

Values

The acronym for our values is a Fun CARR, and it drives us!

  • Fun: Family friendly and enjoyable for all ages.

CARR

  • Creativity: About ideas, welcoming change and innovation.
  • Artistic Rendering: About good aesthetics with beautifully done products, setup and general presentation.
  • Reliability: Time-sensitive, keeping promises involving all parties.
  • Respect: Feeling for the needs of others including privacy and dignity.

In traveling in our Fun CARR, we act Professional, Positive, and Respectful.

Who’s Who

  • Founder, President and Exhibitor – Lisa B. Corfman: Oversees and manages museum operations.
  • Photography Director – Susan Dugan: Captures photos of museum models & teach the skill.
  • Volunteers – Anonymous: Meeting participants with committee responsibilities.
  • Creators Various... enjoy in our Creators Galleries: Our creators are featured origami artists.