Twelve months from today, the doors will open for the Pacific Bonsai Expo. This makes today a great day to look at your garden and see what your trees look like at this time of year.
Preparing bonsai for exhibits often starts one or more years ahead of the event. By checking your trees twelve months out, you can get a good idea of what a tree will look like at the time of the event.
Today is also a good day to see what venue will look like. This morning event co-sponsor Eric Schrader and I visited the Bridge Yard, an East Bay Regional Park District Facility in the Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline Park where we’re hosting the event. We wanted to get a better idea of how the light coming into the space can inform the exhibition design.
Shimpaku juniper by Eric Schrader in front of the Bridge Yard
Yaupon holly inside the venue
We made notes on the light and took a few photos that we’ll refer to as the design takes shape.
Apart from preparations relating to the venue, Eric and I reached out to several potential exhibitors to see what questions might come up related to submitting a tree for the exhibit. Although we have basic information on the event website, we identified a number of items that need more attention. Our plan is to update the website as new information becomes available and we’ll be sure to have all information in place ahead of the submission period which opens next February and runs through April, 2022.
In the meantime, we recorded a conversational primer about the event and the basics of the jurying process which is available on the Bonsai Wire Podcast and on the Bonsaify YouTube Channel. We hope you’ll check these out and let us know if any questions come up!
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Pete Shirk says
Very much looking forward to this event. The Bay Area has such an impressive quantity and variety of worthy bonsai the display should be remarkable.
And the venue looks excellent. Classic, interesting historic building with an abundance of windows promises abundant light, something that most other venues often fail to offer.
Best of luck on this terrific undertaking. -pds
Jonas Dupuich says
Thanks, Pete – I appreciate it!
Michael Hagedorn says
Yes! Bring it! Thrilled to see this west coast show happening. Kudos to you and Eric for the vision and energy to see and meet the need.
Charlie Mosse says
Looks like a really good venue in general. The natural lighting really lights up the trees nicely. This event will be terrific. Best of luck and hope all goes well.
Mike Pistello says
This will be amazing! I just hope one of my submissions makes it in. 🙂