Bonsai Tonight

An educational website about bonsai development

Update on the Pacific Bonsai Expo

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Just over a year ago, I mentioned an idea for a regional bonsai show. It’s time for an update!

For starters, Eric Shrader and I have decided to move the event to next year. We’re aiming for the first or second weekend in November, 2022. The main reason for this is to give exhibitors more time to prepare their trees for the show. It also allows us to avoid conflict with the U.S. National Exhibition which will be held this fall in Rochester, New York.

We’ve also selected a name for the event: The Pacific Bonsai Expo! The idea is to identify the location of the event without providing any limits on who we expect to participate.

For those who missed the previous post, here’s a rundown of the plan:

  • The event will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area
  • The event is open to everyone; out of state submissions are welcome
  • Jurors will determine which trees are accepted for display
  • We’re aiming to display 75+ trees
  • There will be a large vendor area
  • The event will feature traditional and non-traditional displays

Over the coming months, Eric and I will refine our ideas for the event ahead of the submission period this coming fall and winter. Here are some of the things we’re working on.

Judging

We’re evaluating different approaches to judging so we can recognize outstanding entries in different categories. To ensure broad participation in the judging process, we’re considering inviting each bonsai club in Northern California to nominate a judge to participate in a panel. There are a lot of ways to fill a panel, so please let us know if you have any suggestions.

Western white pine

Western white pine displayed by Eric Schrader at the 2019 Bay Area Bonsai Associates Exhibit

Award Sponsorships

One way to encourage participation is to allow sponsors to directly support exhibit awards. Under this model, bonsai vendors, local businesses, or individuals can select awards to sponsor and determine the award levels. If someone wants to encourage non-traditional displays, they can sponsor an award for the Best Non-Traditional Bonsai Display in hopes of attracting submissions to the category.

Procumbens juniper

Juniper displayed by Sean Smith at the 2014 U.S. National Exhibition

Recognizing Bonsai Clubs

As bonsai organizations provide support to enthusiasts and professionals around the world, we’d like to create opportunities for them to participate in the event. This might include noting club affiliations on exhibit displays, encouraging clubs to sponsor exhibitor fees for accepted submissions, and allowing submissions for group displays. Clubs may also contribute by coordinating volunteer activities at the event in areas like docent tours, security, or special events.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo displayed at the 2012 Bay Island Bonsai Exhibit

If you’re curious to learn more about the event, check out the recent episode of the Bonsai Wire Podcast in which Andrew Robson interviews Eric Schrader and I about our plans, including info about the a venue we’re excited about on the San Francisco Bay. Listen at:

Bonsaiwirepodcast.com

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Comments

  2. Jonas,
    The PSBA, in their recently completed virtual show, chose one judge for the jury who was not a bonsai artist but rather a professional art critic. It made for some very interesting comparisons with our other two judges who are bonsai professionals.
    In my humble opinion, it was a wise choice in the way it brought in a segment of the art world and the public that we should be trying to reach and educate as we teach how to appreciate the art that is bonsai.

  3. Hi Jonas,
    It’s great that you’re trying to encourage broad inclusion. Is the judging of entries for inclusion or awards at these events typically done blind? You might also consider a mini-competition for a couple of “at large” jurors/panel members or some other method of identifying qualified people who might not be part of (or established at) a club.

    • Thanks, Joseph! I don’t know of many juried bonsai exhibits in the US, so I don’t know if they are more commonly masked or open. My guess is that most are open. The US National Bonsai Exhibition is juried by the exhibition sponsor and the owners’ identities are known. I think judging at shows is typically masked but that’s not always the case.

      I like the idea of at large judges who can join the panel. We may solicit nominations for at large panel members from within or from outside of the bonsai community. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

  4. Hi Jonas
    Will trees from out of country be accepted as long as they qualify, and the cost of a space might be? If I was to send a pic, would you give me an idea if the tree or trees would be accepted. I’m from Vancouver island and have no experience in showing a tree.
    Thanks so much
    Brian

    • Hi Brian! Yes, trees from out of country are welcome. We have yet to set exhibitor’s rates but they might be between 75-100 per entry. Submitting is free. I’d be happy to give you an idea about whether or not a tree might be competitive – feel free to send it to the address at the bottom of the page.

  5. i have been having a conversation about the relationship of history, craft and art for many years. several years ago i discussed this situation at some length with Kevin Willson, one of our bonsai artists at the GSBF convention. his approach is that bonsai is art and does not have to have a relationship to nature other than the ‘artwork’ arises from botany. i have always looked around and paid attention to what trees/shrubs look like, how they grow, and what shapes they take that are attractive to me. the recent $70,000,000 by Beeple of computer graphic art is a big case of why this dialogue makes sense. where resides craft, wabi-sabi, time honored tradition, the central role of knowledge passed down from ‘before’? i do not know the answer to these questions but they are worth our consideration.

    • Thanks, Scott! I think you put your finger on some of the reasons that bonsai has remained compelling to so many over the years – there are a lot of ways to look at small trees in pots!

  6. Hey Jonas! I listened to the podcast episode the other week. What an exciting thing you guys are planning. I’ve had the opportunity to assist in some large convention work in the past so I can appreciate what an undertaking it is.

    One thing from a logistical/layout standpoint that immediately came to mind was to take a queue from Disney in a sense with a modified hub and spoke layout to the displays. Interspersing the standard line of tables with a large area for a single non conventional display, then resuming the row. Perhaps sprinkling one in staggered in each row. It gives the eyes a break from walking down row after row and would highlight the non con display. It also serves to be a landmark for people to gather or to reference portions of the display area. “Oh did you see that one pine over by the Ryan Neil display?” The other option would be to put all the non conventional displays together but they would be competing with eachother at that point and maybe lose some impact. Really depends how many of those you get and the layout of the place.

    Keep us posted on the progress! You’ll have no lack of eager people ready to help when the time comes I’m sure.