Presented by the Bonsai Society of Portland
Saturday, April 20th, 2024 / 10:00am – 5:00pm
*This show will also be open during Member Hours starting at 9:30am
Sunday, April 21st, 2024 / 10:00am – 4:00pm
*This show will also be open during Member Hours starting at 9:00am
Portland Japanese Garden is pleased to welcome back the Bonsai Society of Portland (BSOP) for a bonsai exhibition in the Yanai Classroom, located in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts
Learning Center. The Bonsai Society of Portland, the largest bonsai club in the United States,
last exhibited at the garden in 2018.
Bonsai, which literally translates to “tree-in-a-tray,” is the art and science of miniature trees.
Literal translation aside, “bonsai” has evolved to mean an artistically shaped woody plant that is intended to suggest the image of a mature tree in nature. The creation of a miniaturized
landscape fulfills the human yearning for a connection to nature in the smallest of spaces.
This exhibition will include dozens of bonsai from BSOP members’ private collections, including several world-class examples of this ancient Japanese art form. Guests will see coniferous, deciduous, fruiting, and flowering species, ranging in size from three-foot-tall specimens to tiny shohin trees small enough to hold in the palm of your hand.
The Bonsai Society of Portland Exhibition coincides with the return of bonsai displayed on
Portland Japanese Garden’s Ellie M. Hill Bonsai Terrace in our Cultural Village and the Jubitz
Oregon Terrace, on the second floor of Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. Both
displays rotate frequently, giving returning visitors a chance to see many different bonsai
species, styles and seasonally resplendent specimens.
Throughout the weekend, guests can see live demonstrations, or attend book signings at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center:
- Saturday, 4/20 at 11 am: Book signing by Michael Hagedorn, bonsai consultant for Portland Japanese Garden. Bonsai Heresy: 56 Myths Exposed Using Science and Tradition and Post-Dated: The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk will be on sale in the gift shop.
- Saturday, 4/20 at 1:15 pm: Bonsai demonstrations by Andrew Robson, President of Bonsai Society of Portland
- Saturday, 4/20 ~ 2:00 pm after Andrew Robson’s demonstration: Book signing by Michael Hagedorn
- Sunday, 4/21 at 1:15 pm: Bonsai demonstrations by Andrew Robson, President of Bonsai Society of Portland
- In addition to the above times, BSOP members will work and be available for questions during the exhibition.
About the Bonsai Society of Portland
The Bonsai Society of Portland has been an active group in the Portland area since 1966. It was founded to promote the art of bonsai through education, exhibits and social activities. The
Society welcomes everyone interested in this unique and beautiful art form to share in the
bonsai experience and develop both basic and advanced skills. Exhibits and related art forms
are used to share bonsai with the public. The trees, stands, pots, stones, accents, and
arrangements in the exhibits are the result of many years of training and dedication by
members of the Society
