Page 35 - BSAM 2018 Q1

The 6th US National Bonsai Exhibition is now just months away, scheduled for Sep- tember 8-9, 2018, in Rochester, New York.
Time goes by so quickly. It seems like yesterday when the 1st US National Bonsai Exhibition was planned and announced around this time in 2007. I still remember the lively discussions on bonsai websites debating whether it was even possible and the probability of its of failure. Fortunately, the organizer, William N. Valavanis has never stopped to listen to naysayers; he has just worked hard with his friends to accomplish his goals! e 1st US National Exhibition was held in October 2008 and was an over- whelming success, even described by some as magical.
Held every two years, the event has continued to grow and improve each and every time. Participating artists and attendees are both amazed at the quality of the bonsai. e common saying is “I just can't believe it keeps getting better!”
Since its inception, the US National Bonsai Exhibition has been the premier bonsai event in the United States, attracting artists from coast to coast, as well as Puerto Rico and Canada, to display their nest bonsai. It has also attracted visitors from around the globe, including Japan, China, Australia, Europe, and Mexico, as well as from across the United States and
Bald Cypress,
Taxodium distichum
Height: 39 inches
Container: Japanese, Hotoku-ware
Ed Lauer,
Zebulon, North Carolina
January/February/March 2018 | BCI | 33