Though the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and staff did not formally participate in this year’s National Bonsai Exhibition due to federal COVID-19 guidelines, a few National Bonsai Foundation board members attended of their own accord. Museum staff sent in an enlarged photo of a Mary Madison buttonwood in the North American collection to honor Mary’s memory at the show. Please enjoy this short recap from NBF Board Chair-Elect Dan Angelucci, who was in attendance along with NBF Secretary/Treasurer-Elect Ross Campbell.
The National Bonsai Exhibition is held biannually in Rochester, New York. It is organized by former NBF Board Member Bill Valavanis and his wife Diane, who are owners of The International Bonsai Arboretum. The exhibition displays more than 200 bonsai of various species and sizes along with a sales area of vendors from all over the United States.
This year’s (the 7th) exhibition was held Sept. 11 and 12. There were more than 50 volunteers from the bonsai community, primarily from the Rochester area and the Upstate New York Bonsai Society.
To display a tree in the exhibit, one had to submit photos of their tree to the committee along with information about the species, size, age and pot. Entries had to be submitted by early May, with acceptance notification coming in June. This means that if your tree was accepted, you had to maintain its health and appearance all summer until the exhibition!
Needless to say, I was very excited to receive an acceptance for my Cotaneaster! I’ve named him “Jack” after his original owner, my friend and teacher Jack Wikle. I had the task of keeping my tree safe, healthy and styled through the summer until September.
My wife Rose and I drove more than four hours from our home in Pittsburgh to deliver Jack to the show. To say we were awestruck when we arrived is an understatement! People were everywhere setting up displays, bringing trees in and making sure trees were being placed and displayed properly. And the trees – WOW! The quality of the trees exhibited was amazing. The artistry and talent displayed were truly exceptional. Additionally, it was a great honor that Bill Valavanis asked me to join him for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the event to the public.
I met many people while manning the NBF booth along with my colleague and fellow NBF member Ross Campbell who attended the show with his wife Maureen. It was an added pleasure to see my friends from the Ann Arbor Michigan Bonsai Society: Cyril Grum, Jay Sinclair and, especially, Jack Wikle.
For more information and photos, check out Bill Valavanis’ blog.
