Page 70 - BSAM 2015 Q1

Bottom left; Paul Vasina, Foemina Juniper
Bottom right; Takuo Nakamura, Princes Persimmon
Facing page, top row; Carol Upston, Prostrate Juniper; June Nguy, Shimpaku; Dave Miles, Prostrate Juniper
Middle row; Harley Newman, Black Pine; John Nielson, Pomegranate Forest, Bob White, California Juniper;
Bottom row; David Nguy, California Juniper; Doug McGavin, California Juniper
Kofu Bonsai Kai at the Bowers Museum sparks renewed interest among club members.
By Manuel Martinez, USA
IPhotography – Eric Stoner, Ericstonerphotography.com
n September, Kofu Kai had its 4th show at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. This has become an annual event and is now on their calen-
dar as the “Bonsai Fest”. This year the museum staff decided to use our Bonsai display as the centerpiece
for programs and events involving Japanese culture and arts.
The Bonsai Display was in the John Lee Court, a large space with a north wall entirely made of glass. This allows for a great deal of natural light and with the additional interior lighting, the trees looked great. The hall is also decorated with artifacts from other cultures of the Pacific Rim, as that is the museum’s main em- phasis. The Bonsai were displayed in a manner which allowed plenty of room for visitors to view them and to move about freely, giving the exhibit a pleasant, open feeling.
The programs, the setting and the educational goals of the museum fit perfectly with our goal of educating people and promoting the art of Bonsai.
There were several events that were scheduled during the week-long display.
Dr. Thomas Elias did a presentation on viewing stones of North America which coincided with the release of his new book on the same subject. This was followed with a book signing and reception. Dr. Elias also participated in the exhibit and displayed several of the stones featured in his book.
Dr. Kendall Brown, Professor of Asian arts at California State University at Long Beach, did a talk and video presentation on Japanese art deco. This dealt with how art deco influenced Japanese culture and reflected changes in their society from 1920 to 1940.
The late night event was a screening of a film about a Japanese artist Okakura Tenshin, credited as the father of Japanese modern art and also told about the remarkable American art patron who played a crucial role in preserving and continuing Japanese art and culture after the opening of Japan to the west. The film was introduced by the producer and direc- tor. Afterward, the director spoke about the film and
68 | BCI | April/May/June 2015