Applications Open: National Bonsai Apprenticeship

Description

The U.S National Arboretum is offering a unique opportunity for an individual to receive advanced bonsai training at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum located in Washington DC. The purpose of this national apprenticeship program is to prepare aspiring horticulturists with the knowledge needed for a career in bonsai collection management. The successful applicant will be involved in the day-to-day care of a storied collection of historic bonsai, some of them in training for hundreds of years; and will receive one-on-one instruction from bonsai museum staff to develop skill in the styling and maintenance of bonsai.

This training opportunity is typically from March through mid-November each year. The position has a 40-hour work week of five days per week and does require weekend work. This apprenticeship is funded with a stipend by the National Bonsai Foundation*. Stipend amount can vary depending on the training period and funding.

This apprenticeship provides the applicant access to one of the largest bonsai collections in the United States, bonsai literature and scholarship, as well as access to a network of professional bonsai practitioners from around the world. Many of our past apprentices are now curating bonsai collections in private and public gardens.

Qualifications
Applicants should have an active interest in the art of bonsai and a basic understanding of plant care. While coursework is not required, candidates that demonstrate commitment to the art of bonsai are desired. Background in horticulture, life sciences, or visual art is a plus.

Duties
The bonsai apprenticeship will prepare individuals for bonsai collection management. As the applicant’s knowledge and abilities develop, and skills are learned and demonstrated, supervised work on the bonsai will be offered. These responsibilities will include seasonal bonsai care such as, repotting, pruning, wiring, de-wiring, and other maintenance as needed throughout the year. The apprentice will assist with educational programs offered to the public by helping to teach classes and bonsai demonstrations.
As an integral part of the U.S. National Arboretum, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum serves over 700,000 visitors each year. Courteous and helpful interaction with visitors is essential. Daily tasks related to museum operations include keeping gardens and bonsai displays clean, opening and closing the museum, weeding, and watering. The applicant will frequently be requested to safely lift and move heavy, but fragile, trees around the museum. Much of the work is performed outdoors in all weather conditions,
including hot, cold, and wet.

The selected apprentice will join other U.S. National Arboretum staff and interns on field trips to public gardens in the Washington, D.C. area. The apprentice will be assigned an independent study project related to bonsai design, developed in collaboration with the Museum Curator. The results of the study project will be presented to staff of the U.S. National Arboretum and the National Bonsai Foundation.

Applications

Applications will be accepted August 12 through September 16 each year. Interviews will be scheduled thereafter with the final candidate selected by the end of October. Please email a cover letter including your personal background in bonsai and your long-term career plan to USNA.Internships@usda.gov. Describe pertinent talents and life experiences that you bring to this position. Also include your resume, references, and transcripts (unofficial are acceptable). If you have any questions, please call the National
Arboretum’s Coordinator at 202-245-4529.

In Memoriam: Larry Ragle

We recognize and celebrate the life of Lawrence “Larry” Ragle, a beloved figure in the bonsai and suiseki communities, who recently left us peacefully at home in Laguna Beach, CA at the age of 91, with his loving wife Nina by his side.

Larry joined the National Bonsai Foundation (NBF) to contribute to the mission of elevating and expanding the value of bonsai on a global scale. As one of the original board members when the organization was founded, Larry was deeply involved in the bonsai community, with constant partnership and support from Nina. His directorship was an important step to honor his teachers, bonsai legends John Naka and Harry Hirao.

While founding NBF and helping grow the organization, Larry also supported the early development and expansion of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington, DC. He played a pivotal role in planning events that honored bonsai masters like Naka, Hirao, and George Yamaguchi.

“It has been a delight to see the Museum become a reality and watch all the improvements with so many dedicated volunteers,” Larry once said. “It was an honor to have played a small part, along with the rest of the bonsai community and beyond, to help make NBF the quality organization it has become.”

Nina and Larry Ragle.
Photo credit: usnationalbonsai.com

In June 2023, the Ragle family generously donated a commemorative bench in Larry’s honor, which now sits in the courtyard of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

Felix Laughlin, Chair Emeritus of the National Bonsai Foundation, shared: "I have so many memories of Larry, and Nina as well who was always by his side. We usually chatted via email given their location in California, but they were very active members of the NBF board of directors and came to Washington frequently for meetings at the US National Arboretum. I fondly recall having breakfast meetings with Larry and Nina during their DC visits, in which they filled me in on everything going on in the West Coast bonsai world, and told me about their adventures collecting viewing stones. They were close to bonsai luminary and founding NBF board member Marybel Balendonck, and the three of them were strong and effective advocates for the creation of the John Y. Naka North American Pavilion. The bonsai and viewing stone communities will certainly miss Larry, and he left a lasting legacy in both art forms."

Larry at the 2018 Japan Suiseki Exhibition with his Buffalo stone.
Photo credit: samedge.wordpress.com

Born in Springfield, Missouri in 1932, Larry's family moved to Albany, CA in 1940. He graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in chemistry and served as a Patrol/Investigator for the City of Berkeley. In 1956, he married Carole Watchers, and they relocated to Costa Mesa, California in 1960, where Larry pursued a career at the Orange County Crime Lab.

It was during this time that he developed a passion for the art of bonsai. He started training his first three bonsai in 1962 – trees that are still alive today and represent vibrant examples of the art form.

Larry married Nina Shire in 1981, and in 1989, he retired as the Director of Forensic Sciences, Orange County Sheriff-Coroner, later writing the book "Crime Scene" in 1995. It was his first book, but not his last. Later, he authored two additional texts on bonsai and suiseki (viewing stones).

Larry deepened his study of bonsai under his sensei and the father of American bonsai, John Naka, in 1966, and later with bonsai master Harry Hirao in 1974. With Harry, he co-founded Kofu Bonsai Kai in 1977. Larry served as president of the Golden State Bonsai Federation, California Bonsai Society, and Kofu Bonsai Kai. Larry, along with others, established the California Shohin Society in 1989. He held memberships in several bonsai organizations, including Nan Pu Bonsai Kai, John Naka’s select club. Along the way, Larry took iconic photographs of many major bonsai figures, especially of Naka and Hirao.

Harry Hirao and Larry Ragle, longtime friends and co-founders of Kofu Kai.
Photo credit: bonsaial.wordpress.com

Larry was an original board member of the National Bonsai Foundation when it was founded in Washington, D.C., and served on its Board of Directors from 1982 until 2020. Jim Hughes, a Chair Emeritus of NBF and former Museum Curator, reflected, "Larry helped establish and maintain a West Coast connection to the National Bonsai Museum and National Bonsai Foundation, ensuring the national scope of both entities."

Larry dedicated himself to promoting the art of bonsai and suiseki on a local, national, and global scale. Together, Larry and Nina founded California Aiseki Kai in 1983, a club focused on suiseki and the traditional values and techniques of Japanese viewing stones. They organized and led many collecting trips for the club in California and surrounding desert areas. Larry and Nina also studied bonsai display with Susumu Sudo in Japan and have displayed some of their masterpiece stones in the Nippon Suiseki Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Larry was also chairman of the Golden State Bonsai Federation, which established the collection at the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena.

One of Larry’s suiseki.
Photo credit: bonsainut.com

In 2002, Larry authored text for Awakening the Soul, a book about the national viewing stone collection at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. In a review, Dr. Thomas Elias of the Viewing Stone Association of North America rates the book as “excellent,” and says, “This volume is as pertinent today as it was twenty years ago when it was first published. This book beautifully illustrates and identifies the best examples from this modest but important collection. This is a book to study and learn how to appreciate a great viewing stone.”

Jack Sustic, Chair Emeritus of NBF and former Curator of the museum, reflected, "I've been thinking a lot about Larry, and so much has been said about him and his work for NBF and the art of bonsai. We know his contributions well, such as being a driving force in establishing the viewing stone collection and the Harry Hirao reception room. Personally, he was always kind and friendly, a true gentleman who truly possessed the spirit of bonsai, bonsai-no-kokoro."

Larry was clever, creative, charismatic, and humble. He will be remembered for his charm and wit, perfect timing, and keen skill for public speaking. His legacy in the bonsai community and beyond will be cherished and remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

In Memoriam: Warren Hill

Warren Hill at his one-man show at East Tennessee State University in the late 1990s. Trees (from left to right): American Hornbeam, Bald Cypress and Ginkgo Biloba, also known as Chi Chi Ginkgo.

Warren Hill, a renowned figure in the art of bonsai, recently passed away at his home in Tennessee at the age of 85. His life story is one of passion for bonsai, dedication to his family, and a love for nature.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1938, Warren was industrious from a young age. At six, he would shine shoes for soldiers and sailors at the U.S. Navy Yard, and at 16, he painted Walt Disney’s apartment at Disneyland prior to the park’s opening. While Warren was painting, Mr. Disney walked in and surprised him. They started a conversation, and Mr. Disney thanked him for doing a good job.

Following high school, Warren served as a radar technician in the U.S. Air Force. After military service, he pursued a career as an electrical engineer with Westinghouse and later Edison International. Meanwhile, he developed a passion for photography, and throughout his life he would often capture landscapes with family and friends.

Warren served as the curator of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum from 1996 to 2001. He had a deep interest in Japanese culture that developed from an early fascination with the natural world, which he inherited from his parents. His Finnish father and Swedish mother, who had a talent for gardening, instilled in him a love for flora and fauna. This background, along with his college studies in engineering and horticulture, laid the foundation for lifelong bonsai endeavors.

Left: Warren works on a black pine of Jack Fried, a former president of the Midwest Bonsai Society. Right: Warren helps a student at a bonsai workshop work on their Shimpaku Juniper. He traveled around the world to style trees at student workshops. 

A transformative moment happened in his twenties, when Warren walked into an exhibition hosted by the California Bonsai Society in 1960. Although bonsai was not part of his upbringing or education, the exhibition immediately captivated him. “I didn’t know what I was looking at, but I knew it was magnificent,” he said. “I had to learn more about these little trees.” This chance encounter marked the beginning of a lifelong journey that would intertwine his personal and professional paths with the art of bonsai.

His passion quickly evolved from an interest to a vocation. By 1974, he was teaching bonsai, offering lectures, demonstrations, and workshops. He immersed himself in the art and philosophy, studying with masters like Saburo Kato, John Naka, and Frank Nagata. Warren later returned to Moorpark College to study agriculture, and by 1974, he was teaching bonsai through lectures, demonstrations, and workshops. He found striking similarities between his Scandinavian heritage and Japanese culture, especially in their reverence for art and nature.

Left: One of Warren Hill’s Satsuki Azalea in Informal upright-bunjin, propagated by cutting.

Right: One of his trident maples in the yose-ue style, propagated by seed.

In 1996, Warren was appointed Curator for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. “It was an honor to even be asked to be interviewed for the job,” Warren said. “It was a rich position, and I really enjoyed it.” His tenure was marked by fostering relationships with volunteers and nurturing the Museum’s bonsai collections.

Jack Sustic, another former Curator, served as Warren’s assistant. “He was always a teacher and a wealth of knowledge, and I still carry his teachings with me,” he said. “Those teachings helped improve my own bonsai artistry, for which I will always be grateful.”

Warren used his own drawings of different bonsai styles to show students an idea of what the style looks like. This is Chokkan, which has a formal upright trunk. The majestic appearance represents a large, tall tree standing in the mountains or on a vast low-land plain. Usually the tree's outline is in a pyramidal form.

In his position as curator, Warren most appreciated the opportunity to meet and work with the Museum volunteers who help care for the masterpiece collections of bonsai.

“All those nice people loved the art as I did,” he said. “You meet so many talented people like them, and masters like Kato and Naka, who were all special and of exceptional quality. When you know the background of people like them and know how gifted they are, you’re kind of in awe when you’re around them.”

Warren at the California State Convention, holding a workshop for students in Anaheim, California. They are working with olive trees. 

Warren’s personal life also flourished during this time. In 1998, he met Sharon Jeffers Hackett at a Rotary Club meeting in Greeneville, Tennessee. They married in 2000, and after his retirement in 2001, they moved back to Tennessee and established Tree-Haven, a bonsai school that attracted students worldwide. Warren loved teaching, saying, “I like watching the students’ eyes light up when you tell them the answer to a question.”

In recognition of his contributions, the Golden State Bonsai Federation awarded Warren the Circle of Sensei Award in 2013. Throughout his life, he believed that a deep love and passion for nature were essential for success in bonsai. Beyond his teaching, Warren authored numerous articles on bonsai and horticulture, ensuring that his legacy would inspire future generations. He leaves behind a rich heritage of bonsai artistry and a community of students and admirers who continue to honor his work.

Warren is survived by his wife Sharon, daughters Dawn and Lisa, grandchildren, step-children, and other family members. His life and work remain a testament to the spirit and philosophy of bonsai, continuing to inspire students and practitioners of the art form.

More on Warren:

Obituary, June 10, 2024

NBF Museum Curators Blog, March 30, 2021

Welcome Isiah White, 2024 National Bonsai Apprentice!

Isiah White, 2024 National Bonsai Apprentice

We are pleased to introduce the 2024 National Bonsai Apprentice, Isiah White! He joins us as we send our best wishes to the 2023 Apprentice, Angelica Ramirez, who is now serving as the Bonsai Assistant at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Isiah comes to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum after four years of learning at Superfly Bonsai, a local bonsai supplier in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the business had to close, but there was a silver lining: Isiah had the opportunity to apply for the nation’s premiere bonsai apprenticeship, which is funded by the National Bonsai Foundation.

The purpose of the National Bonsai Apprenticeship is to train a new generation of American bonsai artists to ensure the future of the art of bonsai. Each Apprentice in the renowned program receives immersive education with expert curators and caretakers, hands-on experience with America’s national bonsai and penjing collections, and daily opportunities to hone horticultural and artistic talents.

Isiah brings five years of experience to the role. He has grown and maintained a wide variety of live tree stock, managed collections and nurseries, and nurtured hundreds of specimens professionally and personally. “The feeling of seeing plants successfully grow brings me a lot of excitement and joy,” he said.

Studying with renowned bonsai artists has helped to further hone his craft. He has learned from experts such as Chuck Harris, Chase Rosade, and Hugo Zamora. Every artist has a unique approach to this fascinating medium, and which has influenced his philosophy and deepened his understanding of the art form.

Isiah’s bonsai journey began in earnest in 2017, but his interest in art started much earlier.

“I grew up as an artist,” he said. “I was drawing flowers before I knew how to speak properly.” He struggled with learning early in life, but found a creative outlet at the age of 5 when his father gave him his first art set. He continued to draw throughout his school years and attended the Capital Area School of the Arts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He went on to study biology at Harrisburg Area Community College. His artistic and natural pursuits continue to this day, and they also influence his approach to bonsai.

He discovered his love for plant cultivation after serving in the Army National Guard. During ten years in the military, he dabbled in horticulture as a way to combat depression. When he was discharged, he began to dedicate increasingly more time to his new hobby. He started small, buying a few plants from a home improvement store – and was immediately hooked. After tending to them for several days, he doubled the size of his budding collection, eager to learn how to care for as many new varieties as possible.

“I would sit and study each and every plant.
I would take notes, and spend hours reading and watching videos on the anatomy of plants.”

Over the next two years, he taught himself how to nurture them and keep them thriving. “I would sit and study each and every plant,” he said. “I would take notes, and spend hours reading and watching videos on the anatomy of plants to find out what they like and don’t like, what different colorations meant, and how to treat and prevent ailments.”

Isiah, like many people who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, was first introduced to bonsai through the character Mr. Miyagi in the popular film The Karate Kid. Although he was at first intimidated by the art form, he was intrigued by the challenge of learning it. Realizing that he wanted to be around plant life at all times, Isiah began to pursue a professional career as a nursery manager.

At Superfly Bonsai, he started from the ground up, literally: He began in the soil section of the warehouse, learning about different types of fertilizers, nutrients, and the specific benefits to bonsai trees. Over the next few years, Isiah immersed himself in every aspect of the art, increasing his understanding of tools, pots, and soil, and learning to grow trees from seedlings to live stock to cultivated specimens. He helped to tray thousands of seeds and developed the fledgling nursery into a full-grown bonsai farm.

When the business closed, Isiah was thirsty for more knowledge. He was led to the National Bonsai Apprenticeship by his passion for bonsai and his dedication to digging ever deeper into the art form. Serving alongside the expert curators at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum is the ideal way to continue to develop his skills and expertise. It also gives him a meaningful way to overcome depression, find clarity and balance, and focus on his lifelong ambition.

“Bonsai reminds me
of who I am.”

“Bonsai reminds me of who I am,” he said. “It has done so much for me over the last five years, and I am starting to devote my life to the art of bonsai. I am so thankful to the National Bonsai Foundation for making this role possible, and I’m excited to learn from the incredible curators at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum.”

As the National Bonsai Apprentice, Isiah will continue his journey of self-discovery and will hone his vision for a life of bonsai caretaking. Aside from tending to his personal collection of hundreds of trees, he wants to start a bonsai farm, build a school for bonsai, and create space for people to pause and find themselves through the art form.

Welcome, Isiah! We are thrilled to have you on the team and look forward to all that you will do for the Museum, the art of bonsai, and our community.

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​​NBF is pleased to provide complete financial support for this Apprenticeship, thanks to our generous donors. Without your help, this premiere national apprenticeship that helps to usher in the next generation of horticulturists wouldn’t be possible. Make a tax-deductible gift today to support the future of bonsai artistry. 

Ringing in the New Year, Literally

On New Year’s Day, the National Bonsai Foundation joined more than 150 visitors at the U.S. National Arboretum to hear the resonant tolls of a sacred Japanese temple bell. The bell, a gift from the National Bell Festival, was cast in 1798 at a monastery outside present-day Tokyo – which makes it 226 years old!

The bell was installed in the central courtyard of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, above the entrance to the Japanese Pavilion. The dedication included remarks from Arboretum Director Dr. Richard Olsen and National Bell Festival Director Paul Ashe, a traditional Buddhist blessing and sacred chants from All Beings Zen Sangha, and a ceremonial ringing of the bell. The ceremony also included four varieties of Japanese tea courtesy of local DC teahouse Teaism, including GenMaiCha (green tea with toasted rice), Hojicha (toasted green tea), Sencha, (very high grade green tea), and Soba Cha (Japanese buckwheat herbal infusion).

The event was covered by several outlets. You can read more at the links below:

ABC 7 (WJLA): Centuries-old Japanese temple bell installed at National Arboretum on New Year's Day »

WTOP News: How a nonprofit plans to preserve the sound of an ancient Japanese bell in DC »

The National Bell Festival: Japanese Bell Dedication Ceremony »

The National Bell Festival rings on New Year's Day across all seven continents, including eight handbells that are being played by two women on the ice shelf in Antarctica.

The bell is inscribed in classical Japanese across three ikenomachi, or panels, which detail the particulars of its casting. It includes the phrase: “One strike permeates all things. How could it be said the strike is slight, when it is heard without fail?”

Visit the Museum to see this beautiful bell in person!

an old bell finds a new home

Courtesy of the National Bell Festival:

The hanshō, or Buddhist temple bell, was cast in the ninth month of Kansei 10 (1798) by Katō Jinemon from Yokokawa, who came from a family of bell makers in the area of present-day Hachiōji, west of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Their foundry was near the Zen monastery and temple Daisen (also called Daisenji in respect), for which the bell was cast. A monk named Myōdō led a fundraising campaign for the bell's casting. It stands 27 inches tall and weighs 80 lbs.

The Daisen monastery no longer exists. It was located in the Amema village in the Tama district of the province of Musashi. As is true of many Edo-period villages, the names of locations have changed, but the location corresponds to Amema, Akiruno City, Tokyo 197-0825. In 1868, the monastery was incorporated with another temple complex named Jōfukuji, which also no longer exists.

The bell is inscribed in classical Japanese across three ikenomachi, or panels, which detail the particulars of its casting. It includes the phrase:

One strike permeates all things. How could it be said the strike is slight, when it is heard without fail?

What is a Hanshō?

Courtesy of the National Bell Festival:

Hanshō are stationary clapper-less signaling bells hung in Buddhist temples throughout Japan. Like the larger bonshō, hanshō are hung mouth-down and remain motionless. A wooden beam or handheld mallet is swung to sound the bell, which indicates the time and calls monks to prayer. In earlier days, hanshō also gave service as fire alarms in village watch towers.

It is said the sloping shoulders and flat base of a hanshō emulate the seated posture of Buddha. As such, the bells are accorded utmost reverence. Casting the temple bell is also a sacred event, with sprigs of hallowed mulberry, gold offerings, and papers containing Buddhist prayers tossed into the molten bronze.

During World War II, an ordinance to collect metals was decreed throughout Japan. To feed its war machine and keep its armies outfitted, Japan needed vast quantities of industrial materials – and like plucking fruit from a tree, they turned to peaceable, defenseless bell towers. An estimated 70,000 bells (approximately 90% of the temple bells then in existence) were destroyed and smelted into armament.

Today, bonshō and hanshō maintain their sacred place in Japanese society and have become internationally-recognized symbols of peace and diplomacy.

Event Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to see a larger version. You can then scroll through the gallery by clicking on the left-right icons or using your arrow keys.

All photos courtesy of The National Bell Festival / bells.org.

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Thanks for Voting Us The Best (Again)!

We are so grateful to all of you who voted for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in this year's Washington City Paper Best of DC Reader's Poll! Thanks to you, we are proud to announce that the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum placed in 4 categories.

Best Place to Meditate
WINNER

Best Place to Take an Out of Towner
WINNER

Best Tour for Out of Towners
FINALIST

Best City Escape in the City
FINALIST

Thank you for helping us be recognized as “The Best of DC” since 2018! Because of these public honors, more people discover the beauty and serenity of the art of bonsai.

And, a big congrats to The U.S. National Arboretum who placed in 3 categories as well!

Commemorative Benches - A New Opportunity

If you love the beauty and brilliance of bonsai, you will appreciate this new opportunity to support the legacy of this great art form.

We invite you to recognize a special occasion or memorialize a loved one by dedicating a commemorative bench on the grounds of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum. Every generous donation helps ensure that the legacy of bonsai will be protected, preserved, and passed on for future generations.

Each commemorative bench helps us care for the incredible collection of trees at the nation's first and finest bonsai museum. Your gift will be part of a historic tradition that spans continents and cultures, and it will support the art of bonsai for generations to come.

To learn more, visit bonsai-nbf.org/benches.

Welcome Angelica Ramirez, 2023 National Bonsai Apprentice!

Angelica Ramirez, 2023 National Bonsai Apprentice

The National Bonsai Foundation (NBF) is pleased to introduce this year’s National Bonsai Apprentice, Angelica Ramirez – a multi-talented artist. Ramirez steps in as we thank and wish Henry Basile, the 2022 Apprentice, much luck in his next step at the Denver Botanic Gardens as Assistant Curator of the Japanese Garden. Read his thank you note at this link.

The purpose of the National Bonsai Apprenticeship is to educate and train a new generation of American bonsai artists. You can learn more about the Apprenticeship at this link.

Originally from Florida, Angelica Ramirez came to bonsai after years of pursuing and excelling in many interests. She attended the University of Florida for Music Performance and has been a cellist for over fifteen years. She is an accomplished archer, having won multiple championships and breaking multiple state and international records. Angelica started painting as a form of expression, and has a Helicopter Private Pilot license.

These various pursuits in life have led her to the art of bonsai, as she began practicing the art form in 2019 as a way to relax from flight school. She has studied under several teachers including Feng Gu of Penjing Bonsai Garden, Peter Chan of Herons Bonsai, and David Cutchin of D&L Bonsai. She was the first bonsai intern at the Chicago Botanic Garden, where she worked under the Garden’s bonsai curator (and former National Bonsai & Penjing Museum national bonsai apprentice), Chris Baker.

Angelica is the creator of Discover Potters, the global online database of bonsai potters which includes direct links to over 400 active potters in over 45 countries; and includes resources for finding and learning about bonsai pottery. Several of her accomplishments include earning second place at the Bonsai Societies of Florida’s styling competition, which earned her a scholarship to continue her bonsai studies and awarded the opportunity to be a guest artist for the 2022 48th Annual Bonsai Societies of Florida Convention. During that year, Angelica showcased her bonsai at the 2022 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and later, at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Welcome, Angelica! We are thrilled to have you on the team and look forward to all that you will do for the Museum, trees and community!

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​​NBF is pleased to provide complete financial support for this apprenticeship, thanks to the Foundation’s generous donors. Without your help, this one-of-a-kind apprenticeship that helps to usher in the next generation of horticulturists wouldn’t be possible. Make a tax-deductible gift today to support the future of bonsai artistry. 

In Memoriam: Marybel Balendonck

The National Bonsai Foundation and greater bonsai community celebrates the life of brilliant bonsai artist Marybel Balendonck, who passed away at age 97 in California in February 2023. 

Balendonck was born and raised in Texas, working an assortment of odd jobs (even obtaining a pilot’s license!) before moving to California in the 1960s. Asian arts captivated her, and she began to teach herself bonsai through books, starting her formal training in 1965. She was one of John Naka’s principal students and dear friends but also studied under prominent artists like Melba Tucker and Harry Hirao.

Since her introduction to bonsai, her passion for the art only grew, and she became thoroughly involved in the bonsai community, once saying that "bonsai combines many of the best aspects of art and nature.”

Balendonck was one of the founding members of the NBF Board of Directors (serving until 2020) and an original member of Kofu Bonsai Kai, a Southern California-based bonsai club. She served in several bonsai club leadership positions, including the Santa Anita Bonsai Society, California Bonsai Society, Golden State Bonsai Federation and a founding member of California Aiseki Kai. She was also the first non-Japanese member of Nampu Kai Bonsai – John Naka’s exclusive bonsai club.

Naka (in overalls) and Nampu Kai members gather including Marybel (in yellow) around a tree during a 2003 meeting in California

“There was hardly any separation between John and Marybel, they were that close,” Former NBF President and Chair Emeritus Felix Laughlin said. “Her legacy will be the Museum’s John Y. Naka Pavilion and the iterations of it in future renovations. Marybel was the real deal and a great and tenacious fighter and promoter of NBF and the Museum.”

Left: John Naka and wife Alice Naka with Marybel

Right: Marybel (orange), John Naka, Nay Komai, Barbara Hall Marshall, Cheryl Manning and Alice Naka

Besides her support for the Naka Pavilion, which houses the North American collection, Balendonck was a key player in the fundraising efforts for several Museum structures and was known for her generous heart. The California Bonsai Society and other friends of Marybel helped to fund the Research Center of the Museum’s exhibits gallery, recognizing her contributions toward the Museum’s completion. 

“Legend has it that during a banquet at a bonsai convention in California she locked all the doors except one, where she put a table and chair in front of and no one could leave unless they gave to the North American Pavilion construction project,” former NBF Co-President Jack Sustic said. “Not sure if that's the exact truth, but knowing Marybel I wouldn't put it past her!”

Her trees were displayed in venues like the Huntington Library and Gardens, Los Angeles County Arboretum, the Japanese American Cultural Center Los Angeles and the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California. Her Chinese Elm, shown left and donated to the Museum in 1990, was once on display at the White House. She was awarded the 1994 Ben Oki Award by the American Bonsai Society.

Marybel also has several stones, including a dobutsu-seki, or animal-shaped stone, in collections all over the world. 

“I have so much respect and admiration for Marybel and consider myself fortunate to be able to call her friend,” Sustic said. “Never one to hide her opinions or waver in her views, one knew exactly where they stood in her eyes. We came to be close friends and her support of me, as a friend and as curator has meant the world to me and I'm eternally grateful for both.”  

Marybel, middle, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Naka Pavilion in November 1988.