NABF Newsletter #2

Feature #4

About the North Carolina Arboretum
(gallery below)

Established in 1986 by the General Assembly as an inter-institutional facility of the University of North Carolina, The North Carolina Arboretum is a 426-acre public garden surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest and the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Initially, a bonsai collection was not part of the Arboretum's vision, however, in 1992 the institution received a donation of a large number of plants and containers from Mr. and Mrs. George Staples of Butner, NC. Since then plants have also been donated by longtime bonsai enthusiasts and internationally recognized bonsai artists.

Arthur Joura has served since 1992 as curator of the bonsai collection which currently numbers in excess of one hundred trees and is recognized as one of the finest public collections in the country. Combining an artistic background with extensive horticultural expertise, Arthur has studied with bonsai experts from around the world. His focus on native species and landscapes reflects the mission of the Arboretum to cultivate appreciation of the diversity of the Southern Appalachian region. While acknowledging the origins of the art of bonsai in Asian cultures, the forward looking emphasis is on bonsai as a 'culture-transcending vehicle for expressing a personal experience of nature'.

The Carolina Bonsai Expo is held at the Arboretum each October and brings bonsai clubs, enthusiasts and vendors from around the Eastern United States. Internationally recognized guest artists from around the world further underscore the broad appeal of the art form.

Currently housed in the greenhouse and nursery facilities, the treasures in the Arboretum's collection are relatively inaccessible. A multidisciplinary development team has recently completed design plans for a permanent Bonsai Pavilion and three season display garden. A similarly well designed effort to provide needed funds is well underway. Pleased with the designs and looking forward to implementation, Joura reflects "Often, the most exciting places in human experience occur where edges - of different styles, traditions and perspectives - meet. At those intersections, we make discoveries that propel art in fresh directions...". Enhanced exhibition options and educational facilities will bring the bonsai collection to the fore of the Arboretum experience.

- John Quinn

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Observation About the North Carolina Arboretum

Bonsai in America had tended to adhere to the traditional plants and methods of the Japanese and Chinese. Recently at the North Carolina Arboretum described above, Curator Arthur Joura has developed a new venue -- the study of the native flora for bonsai subjects and their requirements.

Based on the relationship of the floras of Japan and the Appalachian Mountains, Joura has already selected some 30 native species for training that are counterparts to the Japanese species. With access to the 6,000 acre National Forest for materials, he is in a unique position to develop this new frontier of bonsai as a result of his horticultural and artistic talents.

In this manner, Joura has related the art of bonsai to the natural environment of the mountains that will advance the art of bonsai in America in new and exciting dimensions.

Dr. John Creech, Former Director of the U.S. National Arboretum