Annual Carolina Bonsai Expo

The North Carolina Arboretum’s 24th annual Carolina Bonsai Expo will be held on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13, 2019, in the Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden, Baker Exhibit Center and Education Center.

This nationally known event features juried displays by bonsai enthusiasts hailing from a multi-state region. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the displays, watch free demonstrations and purchase bonsai plants and supplies. Also featured are an invitational show and sale of the work of bonsai potters and a display of floral art by members of the Asheville Chapter of Ikebana International. As the premier annual bonsai event of the Southeast, the Carolina Bonsai Expo offers programs for both the bonsai community and general public.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, October 12

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Arboretum’s bonsai on display in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden; main bonsai exhibit open in the Education Center, 1st floor; ikebana exhibit open in the Education Center, 2nd floor; vendors market open in the Baker Exhibit Center, 1st and 2nd floors; food service available in the Education Center, 1st floor

11 a.m. – Noon Free ikebana educational program “Ikebana – Bonsai’s Parallel Art” lecture/demonstration by Dr. Karen Lafleur-Stewart in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1^st floor CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

1 p.m. – 3 p.m. 2019 Carolina Bonsai Expo Main Event presentation: “The Art of Bonsai Pottery,” featuring bonsai pottery artist Ron Lang, illustrated lecture program in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor. REGISTER HERE

Sunday, October 13

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Arboretum’s bonsai on display in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden; main bonsai exhibit open in the Education Center, 1st floor; ikebana exhibit open in the Education Center, 2nd floor; vendors market open in the Baker Exhibit Center, 1st and 2nd floors; food service available in the Education Center, 1st floor

11 a.m – 1 p.m. Free bonsai educational program “White Pine Re-style” lecture/demonstration by Owen Reich in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Live auction of bonsai and bonsai-related items in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor (Register on-site Expo weekend; $1 fee charged for this event.)

3:30 p.m. Raffle drawing, presentation of “People’s Choice” award, and closing remarks in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

Main Event Featured Artist: Ron Lang

This year’s guest artist is Ron Lang, internationally recognized bonsai potter from Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina. Lang’s work can be found in some of the finest private and public bonsai collections in the United States, including the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Pacific Bonsai Museum and The North Carolina Arboretum. Most recently Lang has been collaborating with Ryan Neil and woodworker Austin Heitzman in a series of programs at the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Washington state, focusing on advancing innovation in bonsai and stimulating a critical dialogue around the art of bonsai.

“In accordance with having a potter as the 2019 guest artist, some of the focus at this year’s Expo will be on American-made bonsai pottery. The Arboretum’s bonsai collection is mostly potted in containers made in this country, including many by regional and even local potters. This is one of the ways the Arboretum’s collection is unique among public bonsai collections in the U.S. So this year’s Expo will pay more attention to containers in general, with an emphasis on American bonsai pots,” said Arthur Joura, bonsai curator at The North Carolina Arboretum.