NABF Newsletter #5

Feature #13

The World Bonsai Convention is coming...

By Chris Yeapanis and Glenn Reusch

It is hard to imagine, May 28 – 31, 2005, is only 18 months away. Few events in the bonsai world are being anticipated with more excitement than the 5th World Bonsai Convention, to be held on these dates, at the Washington Hilton, in Washington, D.C. The North American Bonsai Federation is the host, while the American Bonsai Society, Bonsai Clubs International, the National Bonsai Foundation, the Potomac Bonsai Association, and the U.S. National Arboretum are the five sponsors.

The World Bonsai Friendship Federation, of which NABF is one of the regional organizations, was founded by former Nippon Bonsai Association Chairman, Saburo Kato, along with John Naka and Ted Tsukiyama and other visionary bonsai artists in 1989, to help promote world peace and friendship through bonsai and allied arts. World Bonsai Conventions have been held every four years since then.

We had hoped to publish the full list of speakers by now, but negotiations continue with a few so we will keep that as a teaser for a bit longer. Additional plans for an exhibit of priceless antique Chinese bonsai pots are underway. I. C. Su, the famous collector from Taiwan, has agreed to share his world-renowned collection with us. This will be one more unique feature of the 5th WBC and another reason why we fully expect this to be the largest bonsai event ever held outside Japan.

We also plan an optional dinner at the U.S. National Arboretum, as we know most attendees will want to see the American National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. The Arboretum and NB&P Museum have been ardent supporters of this convention; and we are happy to support them in turn by encouraging all 5th WBC attendees to visit the Museum before, during, or after the convention. It will be one of the highlights of their Washington visit and should not be missed by any bonsai aficionado.

Workshop materials are being gathered. Vendor invitations will soon go out. So please make sure that the dates of May 28 through 31, 2005, are firmly marked in your memory, and plan to attend one of the finest bonsai experiences of your life.