Page 64 - BSAM 2018 Q4

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Bonsai & Stone News
6th US National Bonsai Exhibition 8-9 September 2018
By Glenis Bebb, Australia
For many years I have wanted to attend the US National Bonsai Exhibition. Unfortunately, an important family event on the same weekend always seems to prevent this from happening. Last time in 2016 was a son’s wedding! Well, this year we finally made it.
Bill Valavanis hosts this event in Rochester, Upstate New York. The exhibition is held at Total Sports Experience, a vast area with fabulous lighting. Exhibitors travelled several days, transporting their trees from all parts of the USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico. There is a preselection process where the standard is very high. We arrived at the venue on Thursday to witness the setting up which had been underway for several days. Bill and his forty volunteers work like a very well-oiled team. Each bonsai was professionally photographed in a purpose-dedicated room, and those that could not be photographed before the exhibition opened were removed temporally from the exhibit and photographed during the event. Bill produces a Commemorative Exhibition Album* from each exhibition which contains all trees.
The standard of bonsai in the USA has improved dramatically since the inception of this exhibition and to have a tree exhibited is an honor. Cash awards were given in several categories which were judged by Lindsay Bebb, Mauro Stemberger and Taiga Urushibata. The exhibit also featured an invitational Suiseki exhibition.An award was also given for the best Suiseki judged by Lindsay.
During the two day event, several prominent Bonsai and Suiseki experts gave critiques on the exhibited trees and stones. Demonstrations and lecturers were held on both days. Mauro Stemberger and Taiga Urushibata styled Western junipers, and Lindsay and I, a Shimpaku juniper. Sean Smith gave presentations both days on Suiseki, and Michael Ryan Bell gave very informative presentations on bonsai pots.
The sales area boasted everything the bonsai and stone lover could want. It was the height of activity all weekend. Several of the traders had also driven for several days to participate. I don’t think I have ever seen so many well-known bonsai and stone experts at an event all working together to share their knowledge. The friendship and comradeship were wonderful. The standard of the exhibit was world-class and the social activities great fun. Over four hundred people attended the awards and banquet night.
If you ever get the opportunity to attend the US National Exhibition, I can strongly recommend it. The US National Exhibition is held biannually, and the next one will be on September 7th and 8th, 2020.
*Pre-publication special for the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Limited Edition Commemorative Album at www.usnationalbonsai.com/commemorative-items/
Above: Views of the exhibit venue (photos courtesy William E. Valavanis) and excerpts from a Bonsai Empire video on one of
the demonstrations. Visit BonsaiEmpire.com for more videos of the exhibit and demonstrations.
62 | BCI | October/November/December 2018