Schedule of Events

Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection - 2013 Calendar of Events

Guided Tours

Year-Round, Sundays at 1:00 pm Inquire at the Rhododendron Garden Shop. No minimum number, reservations not required. No charge.

Year-Round, during open hours, by reservation, minimum 10 people. No charge.

Events

April 6, 13, 20, 27 — "Meet the Stone Guy" 11 AM - 3 PM
Saturdays during our exhibit of "Stone Images IV", a member of the Suiseki Interest Group will be on hand to answer questions about viewing stones and give demonstrations of carving the elegant wood display bases.

May 11 — World Bonsai Day
Two free lecture/demonstrations by visiting artists:
Robert Cho — "Chinese Style Penjing" — 10:30 AM - Noon
Joe Harris — "Japanese Style Bonsai" — 1:30 - 3:00 PM

May 12 — Mother's Day
Guided Tours each hour on the hour, starting at 10:00 AM; final tour 3:00 PM
Free Bonsai Demonstration by Curator David De Groot at 1:30 PM

October 19 - 26 — Rhododendron Garden Fall Foliage Festival
Guided Tours of the Bonsai Collection each day at 1:00 PM
Free Bonsai Demonstration at 2:00 PM

Bonsai Exhibits

Date		Event
June 4 – June 30		HIDDEN GEMS — Bonsai from the Lake Washington Collection The private Lake Washington Collection was begun in 1999 by a professional couple, each of whom is a biologist by training, but a bonsai artist by avocation. The collection is comprised of collected trees originally sculpted by nature, and others that have been cultivated to portray the magnificence of natural trees.
July 2 – July 28		HIDDEN GEMS — Bonsai from the Vojtilla Collection Dennis Vojtilla has been growing bonsai for more than 35 years. Inspired by the great hardwood forests and parks of western Pennsylvania, he favors broadleaf trees with wide, twiggy crowns, particularly those that flower and fruit. His latest endeavor is creating high-quality pinot noir bonsai from vines in his vineyard.
July 30 – September 1		HIDDEN GEMS — Bonsai from the Laws Collection Doctor Robert Laws is a retired dentist whose professional focus on detail and perfection has transferred with wonderful results to his large collection of beautiful bonsai. His 30 years of experience benefit not only his trees, but the bonsai community at large, in which he is very active.
September 3 – 22		HIDDEN GEMS — Bonsai from the Wassum Collection Ken has been a serious student of bonsai for nearly two decades, working with professional artist/teacher Boon Manikitivipart since 2004. His belief that quality bonsai are the result of not just inspiration but good technique drives his constant practice in developing his skills and refining his bonsai.

Art Exhibits

Date		Event
April 6 – May 1		STONE IMAGES IV — Viewing Stones from the PSBA Suiseki Interest Group Viewing stones are formed by both geologic and environmental forces that create images of worlds within by virtue of their shapes, textures, and colors. Patterns of mineral inclusions can also suggest images that skilled artists project to viewers through creative methods of display.
May 4 – June 12		TREES IN ART — Images of Nature by Four Northwest Artists Trees in Art is a consortium of four talented Northwest artists – Jacqui Beck, Donna Leavitt, Cheryl Richey and Elizabeth Reed Smith - who aim to stimulate contemplation of both the artistic merits of trees and the power of tree symbolism to advance our understanding of the broad, sweeping interconnectedness between people and the environment.
June 15 – July 17		THE ART OF BAMBOO — Japanese Baskets from the Fitzgerald Collection During a several year assignment in Tokyo as President of Weyerhaeuser Asia, Jim Fitzgerald and wife Pat became students of, and collectors of “hana kago” – the bamboo flower baskets used in Ikebana display. Simply shaped but intricately detailed, these baskets are amazing and strikingly beautiful examples of what the human mind and hand can create.
June 15 – July 17		THE ART OF INK — Japanese style ink paintings by the Sumi Painting Group Begun in 1992 under the guidance of sumi artist and teacher Hiroko Seki Keller, the Sumi Painting Group includes Connie Golon, Mathilda Pang, Ginger Reeves, and Victoria Smolen. Painting with ink in the Japanese style is, in the words of Ms. Keller, “refuge and nutrition for the sprit” – a feeling that is sure to be shared by viewers.
July 20 – August 21		NORTHWEST VISIONS — Works by Members of the Rainier League of Arts Established in 1968 as the Rainier Arts and Crafts League, the Rainier League of Arts includes both professionals and non-professionals. Its purpose is to benefit both its members and the greater art community by promoting quality work through frequent educational programs and juried exhibits.
August 24 – September 29		FANTASY AND FROLIC — Incredible Creatures from Gourmet Paper Mâché Dan Reeder is the preeminent paper mâché artist in the United States, having changed the face of this art form with his non-traditional methods, unique style, and his penchant for the wild and whimsical. Dan’s majestic dragons and other fanciful creatures attest to the unlimited potential of this seemingly simple material.
October 5 – 27		THE ART OF PETER ADAMS — Landscapes and Figurative Works Peter Adams is a multi-talented artist, and an art graduate of the Royal Academy in London. Although internationally known as a bonsai artist and author, his exhibit here will focus on his two dimensional works landscape and figurative drawings and paintings in a variety of mediums.
October 5 – 27		INSPIRED BY NATURE — Chinese Gongbi Style Paintings by Patsy Surh O'Connell Patsy Surh O’Connell is an exceptional artist who has worked in many art mediums, but now focuses on working with ink and color on rice paper. Her life experience in various Asian countries and cultures are reflected in the patterns, metaphors, and symbolism in her work, which succeeds in being both meaningful and beautiful.