NABF Newsletter #4

Feature #11

The “JOSHUA ROTH NEW TALENT
BONSAI COMPETITION”

By Jack Douthitt

At the 2002 American Bonsai Society Symposium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin a major new bonsai competition was held. It was a competition aimed at discovering and promoting new talent in the art of bonsai and was the first to be held in North America. It was modeled after the New Talent Competition that has been so successful in Europe for the last few years. The participants in competitions such as this are the best of the new bonsai talent in North America.

The Competition was a two-stage event, with the first phase consisting of the submission of a portfolio of previous work of the artist. These submissions were reviewed by the first set of judges. They selected eight entries to participate in the second phase of the Competition. Each selected contestant was then required to attend the convention. Each participant in the second phase of the competition was given pre-bonsai material that has been specially selected. The participants were given eight hours, as a part of the convention program, to create the very best bonsai they can produce.

What happens next is one of the most wonderful things about bonsai people. Even though they are in competition with each other for the big prize, and many had never met before, these artists are just like old friends sharing a workshop together. They are having a good time working on their trees. The camaraderie is evident to all of the Symposium registrants who come in to watch, and to cheer on, their personal favorite. As the close of the competition draws near, the room grows quiet. Finally, at 5 PM, the competition is closed.

As the trees are being photographed, the guest artists at the Symposium - John Biel, David DeGroot, Cheryl Manning, Gary Marchal, Larry Ragle and Harold Sasaki - prepare to do their job as judges. They have to select two bonsai; one for the Grand Prize and one for Runner-Up. The original tree number is the only identification on the bonsai.

After the Judges have finished their work, the trees are moved out so that the registrants at the convention will have the opportunity to vote for the “Peoples Choice.”

At the traditional Saturday night Banquet Jack Douthitt, Chairman of the event, prepares to announce the winner. First he introduces all of the Competitors. There is Harold Johnson from Durham North Carolina, and the only woman in the group, Mary Ellestad from Madison, Wisconsin. Then comes Rob Kempinski from Melbourne Florida, Andy Smith from Deadwood South Dakota and Dahn Lindstrom from Joliet Illinois. Next is Paul D. Baresi from Pleasant Ridge Michigan, Thomas Longfellow from Mundelein, Illinois and Dana Quattlebaum from Olive Branch Mississippi.

Then the moment they have all waited on. The Runner-Up is announced as tree #8 as designed by Harold Johnson from Durham North Carolina. The prize for the Runner-Up is a bonsai workstand donated by Mechanical Coordinators. Then comes the big moment. The winner of the Grand Prize is tree #1 as designed by Rob Kempinski of Melbourne, Florida!

Rob’s prize is a round trip airline ticket to Japan. But he is also the “Best New Bonsai Talent of 2002!”

The Competition was recently produced at the PNBCA/ABS 2003 Convention in Bellevue Washington with the Joshua Roth Company as the Sponsor. Peter Wilson from Port Alice British Columbia was the Grand Prizewinner. It will be produced again in St. Louis at the 2004 ABS/BCI Convention and at the World Convention in Washington in 2005.