Hiring: P/T Communications & Social Media Intern (Paid)

The National Bonsai Foundation is seeking a part-time communications and social media intern to maintain and expand its online presence with the goal of recruiting donors and visitors to The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. NBF is the non-profit supporting branch of the Museum, located at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

The Museum began in 1976 when Japanese bonsai enthusiasts from the Nippon Bonsai Association donated 53 bonsai to the United States to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial. More than 150 trees are now on display in the Museum's Pavilions, Tropical Conservatory, Special Exhibitions Wing and courtyard. Under the leadership of curator Michael James, the Museum is training the next generation of bonsai experts who have gone on to lead institutions in major U.S. cities.

The intern will be responsible for managing NBF’s social media accounts, assisting in event planning and promoting NBF and the Museum. They will work with our communications and executive team on social media strategy and will be expected and encouraged to implement their own ideas. The intern will be expected to commit to 15-20 remote hours per month, plus regular visits to the Museum. Applicants must be based in the D.C. area.

This is a paid position.

Responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:

• Writing content for our website and social media pages by documenting and attending Museum events, interviewing notable figures in the bonsai world and capturing “behind-the-scenes" experiences at the Museum

• Creating and distributing a monthly/twice-monthly email newsletter, with occasional additional messages to promote special events or fundraising campaigns

• Posting on and tracking analytics for our social media pages

• Monthly marketing strategy phone calls with NBF members and communications leaders

The ideal applicant will have:

• Extensive experience using social media for personal use and on behalf of a non-profit organization, like a museum

• Strong writing skills

• Familiarity with Squarespace, MailChimp, Eventbrite, Facebook Live, YouTube and social media apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

• An interest in bonsai, horticulture, Japanese culture, public gardens and the Washington, D.C. museum scene

• Photo editing skills and graphic design skills

• Excellent time management capabilities

Application requirements:

• Resume

• Cover letter

• Links to portfolio or relevant work

• Contact information for 1-3 reference(s)

• Please send all items to aanapol@bonsai-nbf.org.

A Year in Review: The National Bonsai Foundation's 2019 Achievements

Each year NBF strives to engage the community with the world of bonsai through our programming, partnerships and feature articles. Take a look back at the highlights of 2019, which were made possible through your generous support.

---

Event Highlights

---

World Bonsai Day 

Bonsai expert Michael Hagedorn traveled from Portland, Oregon to give pruning demonstrations and lectures and sign his book, “Post-Dated: The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk.” Read more. 

Award in a Local Publication

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum was voted the "Best Place to Bring an Out-of-Towner" in Washington City Paper's Best of D.C. competition – our second, consecutive time winning this award! Read more.

National Symphony Orchestra Concert

A string quartet from NSO played a wonderful concert among our collection for the first time to kick off the summer. Read more. 

Official Sister Museum Partnership

Our Museum officially became a Sister Museum to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama, Japan. Read more. 

Local News Feature

John Kelly of The Washington Post attended one of Master Nick Gracenin's Tai Chi classes at the Museum this fall and wrote all about it in his column! Read more. 

Nick Lenz Exhibit 

Eccentric bonsai artist Nick Lenz's once-in-a-lifetime display featured ceramics and bonsai in a spooky, thought-provoking temporary collection. Read more.

National Geographic Print Feature

Photographer Rebecca Hale visited our Museum to snap shots of curator Michael James' bonsai tools for National Geographic's Tool Kit Series! The series will be in print soon. 

---

Program Spotlights

---

Tai Chi Amongst the Bonsai

Master Nick Gracenin of D.C. Tai Chi "grace-fully" led tai chi classes throughout the year. 

Forest Bathing Amongst the Bonsai

Nature therapy guide Melanie Choukas-Bradley helped participants discover the power of nature on trips through our trees.

Yoga Amongst the Bonsai

Class participants followed certified yoga instructor Alexa Tovsen's calm, relaxing voice at various yoga sessions.  

Drawing From Bonsai

A great group of budding artists learned all about capturing the different shades and shapes of bonsai under nature artist Tina Thieme Brown. 

Mindfulness Amongst the Bonsai

Mindfulness-seekers found their center at Linda Naini's meditation sessions among our collections.

Children's Workshop

Kids learned about different tree types, animal habitats and bonsai history under the instruction of Museum curator Michael James. 

Species Spotlight: Japanese Black Pines (Pinus thunbergii)

Enjoy this new blog column, Species Spotlight, from our First Curator’s Assistant, Andy Bello. Be sure to check out more from Andy on our blog with his Historical Tree Spotlights.

Japanese Black Pines growing on rocks in a coastal environment (https://www.chushikokuandtokyo.org/spot_52/)

Japanese black pines (P. thunbergii) are native to the coastal areas of Japan and South Korea, from sea level to about 3,000 feet of elevation. The trees prefer warm moist climates, where they rarely suffer frost. In Japan, the pine has been highly valued for centuries as an ornamental feature in Japanese-style gardens and for bonsai. Japanese black pines are hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture Zone 6, but the trees can be kept in colder conditions if proper winter protection is provided.

The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum is a wonderful location to experience Japanese black pines as bonsai and penjing. This species is widely used across the world as artistically-trained potted trees, and the many different shapes these trees take are influenced by cultural and personal experiences. Here we will examine and discuss three Japanese black pines that are on display in the Japanese, North American and Chinese collections.

This first Japanese black pine, displayed in the Japanese Pavilion, was part of the original Bicentennial gift to the American people in 1976.  Donated by Goro Ito and in training since 1906, this tree was collected from the wild on the Atsumi Peninsula, located in the Aichi Prefecture. The pine is a beautiful representation of the coastal environment of its origin, mixed with the traditional Japanese bonsai form. Coastal trees tend to flaunt wider upper canopies than trees growing in alpine environments where snow accumulation on branches creates a more narrow, conical form.  

This bonsai’s curved trunk suggests an aged tree that has survived strong coastal winds and typhoons. The asymmetrical triangular form of the foliage mass demonstrates the traditional Japanese bonsai style.

The next Japanese black pine is located in the North American Collection and was donated by George Yamaguchi in 1990. Yamaguchi grew this tree from a seed and has been training the pine since 1955. It is styled as a formal upright bonsai and is known by the name “Shinsei,” meaning “Voice of the Gods.” To me, this tree represents a lone pine growing in a meadow at higher elevation. The strong and numerous branches lower on the trunk indicates that the tree had little to no competition from other trees, in contrast to a pine growing in a forest where lower branches are lost due to lack of light. The overall conical shape of the branches suggests a tree subjected to snowfall at higher elevations.  

This particular tree is a great example of the influence of Japanese bonsai style in North America. The lower right branch establishes the tree’s asymmetrical form, and the foliage pads on each branch are distinctly separated. North American bonsai, very similar to North American culture, are extremely diverse. Thanks to this diversity, there is no right or wrong way to represent the form of a tree in miniature. 

Dr. Yee-sun Wu donated this Japanese black pine, now part of the Chinese Collection, in 1986. The pine has been in training since 1936, but the tree’s origin is unknown. This tree’s style differs greatly from our previously discussed trees. The dramatic movement in the trunk line guides the viewer's eyes up into the foliage mass. The long primary branch, a feature of the “Lingnan” style of penjing common in Southern China, extends dramatically to the right, presenting a strong sense of movement. Penjing, especially in the case of this tree, tend to be more whimsical in their form than Japanese bonsai. The foliage pads are still present but typically are not as “clean cut” as foliage pads on Japanese bonsai. 

Penjing can take many forms other than simply a miniature tree – the trees can be shaped into animal forms, cylygrophy, landscapes and more. For more on penjing, read our interview with bonsai master Qingquan Zhao. 

Special Message for Donors Older Than 70:

If you are age 70½ or older, please consider donating to NBF through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD).

IRS rules require you to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year from your tax-deferred retirement accounts. This additional taxable income may push you into a higher tax bracket and may also reduce your eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions.  A QCD, however, may eliminate or reduce the impact of RMD income.

A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from an IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity such as NBF. Amounts distributed as a QCD can be counted toward satisfying your RMD for the year, up to $100,000, and can also be excluded from your taxable income. This is not the case with a regular withdrawal from an IRA, even if you use the money to make a charitable contribution later on. In this scenario, the funds would be counted as taxable income even if you later offset that income with the charitable contribution deduction.

 Why is this distinction important? If you take the RMD as income, instead of as a QCD, your RMD will count as taxable income. Having higher taxable income can directly impact your eligibility for certain deductions and credits. For example, your taxable income helps determine the amount of your Social Security benefits that are subject to taxes. Keeping your taxable income level lower may also help reduce your potential exposure to the Medicare surtax.

Or, send check to:

National Bonsai Foundation
3501 New York Avenue N.E.
Washington D.C. 20002

THANK YOU!

Learn more about donating to the National Bonsai Foundation here.

Historical Tree Spotlight: The Chinese Banyan

While many bonsai are often plucked from the ground after natural growth, some trees are specially created. For example, the Chinese banyan – or Ficus microcarpa ‘Kaneshiro’ – is the incredible cross-pollination work of the tree’s donor, Haruo “Papa” Kaneshiro. 

Museum Curator Michael James said Kaneshiro, who lived in Hawaii, is known as the father of tropical bonsai for his work with tropical trees long before they were considered for bonsai material by the mainstream. Kaneshiro was honored among other notable bonsai figures, like John Naka and Ted Tsukiyama at the International Bonsai Convention in Hawaii and was one of the first members to start the World Bonsai Friendship Federation. 

“One of the reasons Kaneshiro is credited with being the father, king or papa of tropical bonsai is because he was so willing to share the secrets of bonsai with the rest of the world,” James said.

No Ordinary Tree

The Chinese banyan is Kaneshiro’s unique cross between Ficus microcarpa ‘retusa’ and Ficus microcarpa ‘crassifolia.’ While figs on a ficus generally grow to the size you might see in a grocery store, the fruit on a Ficus microcarpa usually range from ⅛ inch to ¼ inch, James said. 

The flowers of Ficus microcarpa reside inside of the fruit and never open, so small wasps have to crawl inside of the fruit to pollinate the flowers. Kaneshiro’s process created the Ficus microcarpa ‘Kaneshiro’ bonsai that remains at the Museum today. 

Root Over (Lava) Rock

James said this Chinese banyan has been in training since 1975, but Kaneshiro planted the tree in the ground over a slab of lava rock in 1982. This unconventional planting method restricted the tree from growing directly into the ground – the roots had to hit the lava slab first and then grow around the rock.

“These ficus trees grow so quickly that if you put one straight in the ground in Hawaii it becomes a 100-foot tree in no time,” he said. 

By the time Kaneshiro pulled the banyan from the ground and potted it in 1987, the tree’s roots had wrapped around the lava rock so tight that the rock became part of the composition, James said.

“Now it’s a root over rock, or root over slab, as if it were growing on a volcanic hillside in Hawaii,” James said. “You can see the volcanic rock jutting out like a volcanic ledge.”

A Resting Place

The Chinese banyan came to The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in 1990, finding a home in a pavilion named for its donor: The Haruo Kaneshiro Tropical Conservatory. Kaneshiro has also donated a black pine held in the North American Collection.

James said the banyan grows fast, all year round, meaning volunteers have to prune back the banyan’s shoots and leaves about once a week. 

“On a Japanese white pine, pruning might be done once a year, but banyans grow out of bonsai shape and their leaves become too large very quickly,” he said. 

As a tropical tree, the banyan thrives in warm climates like Florida, Southern China or Vietnam and boasts a soft wood, so it cannot freeze. 

Nick Lenz’s Once-in-a-Lifetime Whimsical Bonsai and Ceramics Display at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Photo Credit: Olivia Anderson

Traditional bonsai are beautiful and captivating on their own, but have you ever wondered what might happen if you introduced an air of eccentricity to the classic presentation? Enter: Nick Lenz.

Lenz is an American bonsai artist well known for his provocative styling of trees collected from forests and landscapes in Northern United States and Canada. Lenz has retired from bonsai and ceramics and no longer owns any of his own trees, but is still revered throughout the bonsai world.

Photo Credit: Pacific Bonsai Museum

After securing permission from Lenz and encouragement from those who own Lenz’s bonsai and ceramics, Museum Specialist Kathleen Emerson-Dell curated an exhibit of Lenz’s work hinging on three themes: On Collecting From the Wild, On Being Unconventional and On the Drama of Nature. Dell said she selected works that would highlight Lenz’s typical themes, like whimsy, drama and wilderness for the unprecedented exhibit. 

“We organized the exhibition to celebrate, honor, and introduce a new generation to Nick Lenz’s singular take on American bonsai,” she said. “We had a visitor fly in from Germany just to see the exhibit! He was in town for a week and came back several times to visit.”

Photo Credit: Olivia Anderson

“Twisted Genius: The Eccentric Bonsai Artistry of Nick Lenz” ran from Oct. 26 to Nov. 17. 

The exhibit was comprised of 34 bonsai from eight private collections in New England and Minnesota and three botanical institutions – The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, The Pacific Bonsai Museum and The Montreal Botanic Garden. Fifty-one ceramics from nine different collections were also on display.  

The iconic “Penelope,” from a private collection in Toronto, and “Demon Cedar,” from the Pacific Bonsai Museum are two of Lenz’s most notable works included in the exhibit, Emerson-Dell said. 

“This is the first time we have had an international loan on view at the museum,” she said. 

Photo Credit: Mike McCallion

David Crust, who lent 10 bonsai and some ceramics to the Museum for the exhibit, like the trumpet bonsai or root over skull displays, said he is enthused that the Museum formally honored Lenz.

“His impact on American bonsai was very special, never much of a pro or a promoter, never much of man of doctrine or dogma, he came and left as an artist striding forward with a causal heart in his hand whispering playful things while acting out a high drama play,” he said. 

Photographing Bonsai with Stephen Voss: A How To

As a photographer who now makes a living snapping pictures of some of the world’s most influential figures, Stephen Voss didn’t always know that photography could be more than a hobby.  Once a bonsai novice, he certainly didn’t think he would publish a photography book of bonsai.

Now that he’s an accomplished photographer, Voss wants to share his “tricks of the bonsai photography trade.” He will be writing a regular blog covering everything from lighting, angles and mindset needed when photographing the trees. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to never miss one of his entries! Read his last entry here.

---

When I began photographing the trees at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, I knew little of bonsai and had even less of an idea of how to take pictures of the miniature wonders. What I did know was that, if I wanted to have any success at this, it would be by creating something new, apart from the tree itself. 

Making a photograph to record what something looks like is a perfectly reasonable goal, but it only scratches the surface of the expressive possibilities of photography. But where do you start? Here is an exercise to partake in if you’re just getting your feet wet in the realm of bonsai photography:

Walk around the museum, being sure to look at all of the trees until one catches your eye. It’s not a bad thing if that tree happens to be in good light (open shade for instance, not bright sunshine).

Stand in front of that tree, set a timer on your phone for ten minutes, and do nothing. By nothing, I mean just look at the tree. Bend down, look from the side, just don’t stop looking at it. Notice the way light hits different parts of it, think of the generations of people who have worked on this tree and try to find something new about the tree that you’ve never seen before.

After 10 minutes, take 15 shots of the tree, each one different than the last, like so:

At some point during this exercise, you may find yourself questioning the whole enterprise, feeling foolish or that you've simply run out of things to see. This feeling is part of the process. Without this doubt and uncertainty, without exhausting your sense of what’s there, you can’t really make progress. As someone who’s felt these unsettling, frustrating feelings many times in my photographic life, I urge you to just keep at it, keep looking, keep seeing.

Learning to see is a strangely undeveloped skill for many photographers and developing it requires time and patience. But why bother? If you’re like me, with no discernible skill in working with bonsai, but a deep appreciation and love for the trees, looking closely is a form of appreciation, a way to connect. With a keen eye and a bit of luck, it can also be a way to turn that experience into a meaningful photograph. 

Read his last entry here.

Inside the Museum: The Japanese Pavilion and Stroll Garden

From the calming garden to the intriguing bonsai display, few places in the United States are as beautifully serene as the Japanese Pavilion at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. But as stunning as the nearly 45-year-old pavilion looks now, the structure has seen a lot of change over the last few decades. 

Esteemed architect Masao Kinoshita of Sasaki Associates – who also designed the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. – built the original pavilion from 1975-1976 after the Nippon Bonsai Association presented 53 Japanese bonsai to America on its bicentennial.

The pavilion’s construction marked the first segment of The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

But in 2011, the pavilion’s features showed signs of deterioration from decades of constant exposure to various weather conditions. The National Bonsai Foundation hired Rhodeside & Harwell, a landscape firm headquartered in Alexandria, Va., to work with American landscape designer Hoichi Kurisu on a restoration plan to restore the pavilion to its former glory. 

Designer Hoichi Kurisu’s preliminary sketches of the new pavilion.

NBF co-president Felix Laughlin said stucco was peeling from the pavilion’s walls, and the benches were falling apart. 

“We initially thought this was all superficial, that a complete rebuild wasn’t really necessary,” he said. “But once we realized that the underlying concrete blocks were disintegrating, we knew we literally had to tear the whole thing down and start over using the footprint that was there.” 

The construction process began in 2013, and the new pavilion finally opened in October 2017.

While the new walls are in the same place, the contractors tore the whole pavilion down and used the old foundation as a blueprint for the new structure. The pavilion’s interior also underwent a full renovation, Laughlin said. 

Kurisu designed the pavilion to align with the Japanese concept of transitioning from a formal design – where bonsai are displayed on cut pedestals – to a more relaxed, informal display area and ending at the naturalistic section, Laughlin said. 

“Kurisu really does understand bonsai and display of bonsai so we thought he would be perfect for this job,” he said. “Everybody’s been very pleased with it. 

The Japanese Stroll Garden, courtesy of Stephen Voss.

The Japanese Stroll Garden, which leads visitors into the first section of the pavilion, was included in the original design concept in 1976. The garden is meant to foster mindful relaxation to help visitors focus on nature before entering the pavilion, Laughlin said. Not much has changed from the original garden, as Kurisu merely updated the space and added a water feature at the beginning of the stroll. 

Laughlin said the bonsai looked like “toy soldiers” when they were displayed in one line on the old-fashioned wooden benches, but the new design encourages visitors to stop and appreciate each tree. He said the pavilion’s new world-class design sets a high bar for bonsai displays across the globe. 

“These are such masterpieces of bonsai,” Laughlin said. “Each one is so important and so precious and should be appreciated for itself.”

HISTORICAL TREE SPOTLIGHT: A Buttonwood From The CIA

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has just declassified its latest tree: a buttonwood, or Conocarpus erectus.

Chelsea Robinson, a spokeswoman for the Central Intelligence Agency, alerted National Bonsai Foundation Executive Director Johann Klodzen that the CIA had obtained a bonsai tree and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. The tree in the agency’s possession was the buttonwood, which is approximately 150 years old.

But how did such a historic tree end up in the hands of one of the nation’s top security departments?  

The buttonwood was first collected from the Florida Everglades about 30 years ago, changed owners multiple times and ended up in the hands of Bjorn Bjorholm, a bonsai professional. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) had asked Bjorholm to purchase trees for them to give as gifts to various recipients, including the buttonwood for the CIA. The UAE presented the tree to the CIA in August, in "recognition of our countries' strong and historic partnership."   

Dr. Richard Olsen, the U.S. National Arboretum's director, immediately accepted the buttonwood from the CIA on behalf of the Museum. Museum curator Michael James and gardener Erin Holden drove to the CIA under strict security to pick up the Museum’s newest addition. 

The buttonwood currently sits in the “growout” area, a place for trees that are not currently on display, until the tree recovers from its travels.

Museum curator Michael James said volunteers placed the tree into partial shade to help the tree adjust from living in a dark office at the CIA for nearly two weeks. James said they regularly watered the buttonwood for about a week and evaluated how quickly the soil dried before the next watering. 

“At that point the foliage condition was good, so we moved the tree into full sun and fertilized it,” he said. “Now the buttonwood is pushing out new growth, but not uniformly over the entire foliage canopy.”

James said volunteers are taking note of the tree’s weak and strong areas and cut off longer shoots to redirect energy to weaker branches. 

“When the strength of the growth is balanced over the canopy, the tree will be wired to shape the canopy in a way that is complementary to the twisted trunk that has lived through a hurricane or two,” he said. 

Gina Haspel, the director of the CIA, sent a letter thanking the Museum for ensuring the tree remained healthy and cared for before its transfer to the Museum.

“While the CIA has many talented officers, we are not skilled in the art of bonsai maintenance, and so we are incredibly grateful that the tree will be preserved in the Museum’s celebrated collection and that it is in such expert hands,” Haspel said.

---

Read more about this unique acquisition of this tree in this article by Washington Post columnist, John Kelly.

Penjing Defined by Master Zhao Qingquan

If you’re not familiar with the nuances differentiating bonsai – which originated in China and has been popularized by the Japanese – from the Chinese art of penjing, the two forms probably seem very similar or even identical. But with a little background, you’ll see there are important differences that distinguish most penjing from bonsai. We spoke with renowned penjing master, Zhao Qingquan, to bring you this blog.

---

Zhao was born in Yangzhou City, China, where his father – a penjing enthusiast – first introduced him to the art of penjing. Other than his father, the most influential figure in Zhao’s life was his professor Xiaobai Xu, who bolstered his penjing knowledge.

“I am always proud of my final choice of the penjing as a career,” he says.

As Zhao explained in Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment: “In the Chinese language, we distinguish between three kinds of penjing, shumu penjing (tree penjing), shanshui penjing (which literally translates to “mountain and water penjing” but is usually called “landscape penjing” or “rock penjing”) and shuihan penjing (water-and-land penjing).

Zhao says that artists in China constantly innovate and develop penjing forms, so the style and content of the art form is becoming increasingly varied, but all have the “same essence of applying natural materials to express natural landscapes.”

Zhao explains that bonsai is actually the same as shumu penjing (tree penjing), one of the three categories of penjing. Tree penjing (bonsai) uses containers to display natural trees and plants, and artists will use wiring, pruning and chiseling techniques to create the composition’s dominant elements, he says.

In contrast, the second category of mountain and water penjing take the form of landscape scenes: artists will cut and reshape rocks to embody islands or mountains and often add small live plants to flesh out the scene, Zhao says. In the third category of water-and-land penjing, artists depict more “complete” scene, using materials like soil and water, as well as miniature figurines, he adds.

Zhao points out that “as an art aiming at ‘seeing the big from the tiny,’ penjing is often created as a method of self-expression to convey personal emotions.”

He reflects that humans naturally desire a tranquil life that immerses us in nature, but we often alienate ourselves from our natural environment to focus on work and family. Zhao says the pressure to survive in a modern and increasingly industrialized world facilitates humans’ tendencies to not prioritize connections with nature.

 “Penjing art allows us to pursue peacefulness and tranquility in our inner hearts and fulfill our desires of being part of nature,” he said. “Therefore, penjing as an old traditional art has been renewed.”

Penjing is a traditional Chinese art that can be traced back to as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). Bonsai (tree penjing) was brought to Japan during the Southern Song Dynasty of China (1127–1279) or the late Heian Period in Japan (794–1192), Zhao says. 

Three nationwide penjing communities have been established successively in China: the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture Flower Penjing Suiseki Association, the Chinese Penjing Artists Association, and the Penjing Branch of China Flower Association. 

“As an art form expressing the human desire to love nature and peace in the world, penjing has gained increasing popularity around the globe,” Zhao says. “Penjing is used to decorate our homes and to cultivate self-expression, helping us achieve a healthier and happier life.”