2018 6th US NATIONAL BONSAI EXHIBITION Coming soon!

IMG_5294

IMG_3631

IMG_5342

The 2018 6thUS National Bonsai Exhibition will be held on September 8-9, 2018 at the Total Sports Experience in East Rochester, New York.

IMG_5654

Our first US National Bonsai Exhibition was held in October 2008 against warnings that the event would never succeed because of the vast area of our country and lack of support. I did not listen to them, but rather depended upon the support of others who wanted to see a national exhibition representing bonsai from all areas of the country. Additionally an Invitational Suiseki Exhibit has been quite popular and will again be repeated.

IMG_5650

Past Exhibitions:

1st  October 2008, Monroe Community Hospital

2nd  June 2010, Monroe Community Hospital

3rd  June 2012, The Fair & Expo Center

4th  September 2014, Total Sports Experience

5th  September 2016, Total Sports Experience

TREE 178 4

68

TREE 129 3

IMG_5370

In total for the first five exhibitions 679 potential exhibitors submitted photos of 1,634 bonsai for the selection process. To date 517 exhibitors from 40 states and two provinces of Canada have displayed 1,336 bonsai in the first five US National Bonsai Exhibitions. There have been 470 individual shohin bonsai displayed. Less than a dozen bonsai have been repeated even though a bonsai can be again displayed after four years. During that four year period bonsai improved and are more refined. Additionally many of the bonsai displayed have also been previously displayed in the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition sponsored by the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan.

TREE 86 3

It is difficult to state how many different species and cultivars have been displayed in total because so many have been repeated. However, in the last 2016 5th US National Bonsai Exhibition alone there were 120 different species and cultivars, which is significantly more than any other bonsai exhibition, anywhere. This year at least 13 new species and cultivars will be displayed, plus many unusual shohin bonsai species.

IMG_0100

Special Displays

The following organizations have displayed some of their finest specimens during the first five exhibitions:

US National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Montreal Botanic Garden

Kennett Collection

Arnold Arboretum

Arnold Arboretum Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection

Chicago Botanic Garden

Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection

North Carolina Arboretum

Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

University of Michigan Matthaei Botanic Gardens Bonsai & Penjing Collection

Karamatsu Bonsai Study Group, Canada

Royal Botanic Garden Bonsai Study Group, Canada

CHRIS

Significant and costly efforts were made by many people for safe transport and importing. Our generous sponsors and donors help to defray costs from long distances as California, Oregon, Texas and Florida.

6P4A8397 (1) 

Benefit Auction

On Saturday afternoon at 4pm, after the last demonstration we will host a Benefit Auction to help defray expenses for the US National Bonsai Exhibition. The donated auction trees and items will be on display all day on Saturday before the auction, which will be held in the demonstration area of the exhibition.

FICUS

Auction tree

 

LARGE TRIDENT

Auction tree

ALBERTA SPRUCE 2012 

Up for auction, tree only

IMG_7305

Award Banquet

At the Saturday evening Award Banquet cash prizes in excess of $8,000 will be presented to the winners as selected by our three international judges, Lindsay Bebb, Australia, Taiga Urushibata, Japan and Mauro Stemberger, Italy. Limited Award Banquet tickets are available until September 1stat a $50 cost.

 

2018 EXHIBITION

The National Award

Finest Bonsai Masterpiece

$1,000

 

Evergreen Bonsai Award

Finest Evergreen Bonsai

$500

 

Deciduous Bonsai Award

Finest Deciduous Bonsai

$500

 

Medium Size Bonsai Award

Finest Medium Size Award

$500

 

Custom Oriental Woodcraft Award

Finest Shohin Bonsai Display

$1,000 Shohin Bonsai Display Table

 

Mame Bonsai Award

Finest Mame Bonsai

$1,000 Handmade Kawada Bonsai Container

 

Yoshimura Award

Finest Classical Bonsai

$500

 

Bonsai Travel Award

Finest Bonsai & Companion Plant Combination

$300

 

Nippon Bonsai Association Award

Finest Japanese Style Bonsai

Exhibition Album

 

All American Bonsai Award

Finest American Species Bonsai in an American Container on an American Display Table

$1,000

 

ABS North American Bonsai Award

Finest North American Native Species Bonsai

$1,000

 

Puerto Rico Bonsai Federation Award

Finest Tropical Bonsai

$300

 

Maggio Associated Suiseki Award

Finest Suiseki- In memory of Felix Rivera

$300

 

Gondo Satsuki Azalea Award

Finest Satsuki Azalea Bonsai

$400

 

Invitational Bonsai Exhibit Award

Finest Bonsai from Special Exhibits

$300

 

Canadian Bonsai Award

Finest Bonsai from Canada

$300

 6P4A8505

Demonstrations & Critiques

On Saturday and Sunday mornings Sean Smith will be talking on suiseki and Michael Ryan Bell will talk about containers. Mauro Stemberger (Italy), Taiga Urushibata (Japan) and Lindsay & Glennis Bebb will demonstrate on evergreen bonsai. The bonsai will be auctioned on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

IMG_4412

MAURO DEMO WESTERN JUNIPER

Mauro Stemberger demo tree

 

BEBB DEMO SARGENT JUNIPER

Lindsay & Glennis Bebb demo tree

 

TAIGA DEMO SIERRA JUNIPER

Taiga Urushibata demo tree

Each day critiques of the bonsai and suiseki will be presented by Bjorn Bjorholm, Kora Dalager, David DeGroot, David Easterbrook, Boon Manakitivipart, Larry & Nina Ragle, Kathy Shaner, Sean Smith and Suthin Sukosolvisit.

All demonstrations and critiques are FREE with the paid daily admission of $20.

 VENDORS 1

Sales Area

Over 40 vendors from across the United States and Canada will be brining their finest bonsai, pre-bonsai, containers, tools, supplies, suiseki, scrolls and more for sale. Everything you need to create, maintain and appreciate your bonsai.

2018 VENOR MAP

VENDOR LIST.JPG

IMG_7358

_MG_4106

TREE 148 2

 

Come join us on September 8-9, 2018 as the United States proudly displays well over 200 beautiful and distinctive bonsai for the world to show what kind of bonsai are being grown and trained in our country. Enjoy bonsai fellowship with visitors traveling from Japan, China, India, Australia, Europe, South America, Africa, Mexico and Canada. It is not too late to join us and join us celebrating bonsai in the United States!

Additional information:

www.usnationalbonsai.com

or

WNV@internationalbonsai.com

_RPK0040

Visit with your long time friends and make new friends enjoying bonsai fellowship

2018 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS