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 The North Carolina Arboretum hosts an original look at autumn during the southeast’s premier annual Carolina Bonsai Expo on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12. Now in its 13th successful year, the Expo features juried exhibits by bonsai enthusiasts throughout the southeast, as well as unique workshops, demonstrations, and a popular bonsai marketplace.
The Carolina Bonsai Expo – free with parking admission – includes an expanded bonsai and ikebana exhibit and a live auction of bonsai plants and related materials. The two-day event features juried exhibits by bonsai enthusiasts from throughout the southeast including Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. In addition, workshops are available for those interested in learning bonsai and ikebana techniques from master artists. The special guest artist for the 2008 Expo is Nick Lenz of Massachusetts. “Bonsai are amazing, and there’s more to it than most folks know,” said Arthur Joura, The NC Arboretum’s Bonsai Curator. “The Carolina Bonsai Expo is the largest and finest bonsai show in the Southeast. Whether you know something about bonsai or not, it’s a fun and fascinating world to lose yourself in for awhile, and the Expo offers the best opportunity to do just that.” “For many people, the most exciting part of the weekend will be seeing the live demonstration that takes place 2 p.m. on Saturday,” said Joura. “With the help of two of my bonsai buddies from South Carolina I’ll be making a bonsai landscape, and having a lot of fun doing it. The three of us work together on a project every year, and there is always plenty of animated interaction with the audience. The bonsai we create will be auctioned off the next day.” People often ask Joura where they can purchase a bonsai, and he highly recommends the marketplace at the Expo, adding, “There are only two days each year to find such a diverse selection, and we are proud to host such a rare offering.” Joura, a nationally recognized expert who is dedicated to making the art form of bonsai accessible to all audiences, has developed one of the finest public bonsai collections in the country since the Arboretum received its first bonsai donation in 1992. The collection is particularly distinctive because it artfully blends traditional bonsai with plants native to the Southern Appalachians such as American hornbeam, red maple and eastern white pine. There is no charge for visitors to attend the Carolina Bonsai Expo although usual parking fees apply. Visitors can purchase lunch items from the Arboretum’s Savory Thyme Café, open during Expo hours. To register or for more information about the auction, workshops and presentations, call 828-665-2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org. (Images provided by the NC Arboretum.)
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