Page 56 - BSAM 2018 Q4

Top: Over 70 trees and 20 viewing stones were displayed in the exhibit tent.
Middle left: Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea Pungens)
– Charlie Sisk.
Middle right: Viewing Stone “Snowy, Snowy Night”
– Darrell Whitley
On the weekend of September 15th and 16th, the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society staged its 49th annual show at the Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG). As in the past two years, the exhibition took place in
a large tent adjacent to the DBG central grass amphi- theater, directly accessible from a main pedestrian axis through the gardens. Over 70 trees and 20 viewing stones were displayed.
The tent is a wonderful venue for the show; but, at 40 feet wide by 180 feet long, its long, narrow proportions present a challenge. Two years ago we decided that we would present bonsai somewhat akin to the spatial flow
By Tom Anglewicz, President, Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society, USA.
Photos by Stephen Lee and Adam Johnson
of an art gallery, as opposed to the traditional format of continuous rows of tables. For 2018 we took that approach one step further. We used T-shaped modules, made up with three eight-foot tables, to define a series of square outdoor rooms within the exhibit. This enabled visitors to circulate from one such space to another and to take in discreet portions of the show without being overwhelmed. It also served to mitigate the significant length of the tent.
In the past, we have staged viewing stones in a separate area from the bonsai. This year we elected to integrate the viewing stones. They were displayed on tables with black cloth backdrops, and two such exhibit groupings
54 | BCI | October/November/December 2018
Bonsai and Viewing Stones
UNDER THE BIG TENT