Small Trees Make Big Show at Japanese Embassy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Small Trees Make Big Show at Japanese Embassy

OTTAWA, Ont. - August 31, 2007 - The Japanese Embassy is hosting the Ottawa Bonsai Society's (OBS) Annual Show on September 8 and 9, 2007 in the auditorium of the Japanese Embassy, 255 Sussex Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Around 45 trees of different species, sizes and styles will be on display. Admission is free.

This year's show will feature a tree styled by Bonsai Master Susumu Nakamura of Yokohama, Japan. He will be giving a demonstration and lecture to the public at the Embassy on Thursday September 6th at 7pm. when he will create this bonsai. "Mr. Nakamura is renowned for promoting the culture of bonsai in North America as well as in Japan and south-east Asia. It will be a rare treat for bonsai enthusiasts in the Ottawa area to hear him speak and to watch Mr. Nakamura create a bonsai," says Duart Crabtree, OBS Secretary and Director of Public Relations.

A new feature to this year's show will be an educational area where OBS members will be working on their trees. "One of the goals of the Society is to show the public about what bonsai is all about," says Vianney Leduc, Show Director. "Visitors will be able to see first-hand some of the techniques that we use to shape and style the trees to bring out their elegance, grace, serenity and modesty." This area will be open each day from 1 to 3 pm.

OBS members will be on hand to provide insight into the horticultural and artistic aspects of growing these beautiful miniature trees in pots. This exhibition will interest the curious through to the experienced bonsai practitioner. Attendance has grown each year as more people come from across eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

Anyone with interest, time and a little space, can become a bonsai enthusiast and collector. Bonsai generally requires a bit more care and attention than houseplants. However, with the proper care and nurturing they can last for many years. Some bonsai are passed on from one generation to the next, admired for their age and beauty and serve as a reminder of the people who have cared for them previously.

Translated literally from Japanese, bonsai means "tray or pot" (bon) and "plant or tree" (sai). But this ancient art form, whose origins and early development are traced back to both China and Japan, is much more than that. Bonsai (pronounced "bone-sigh") is the name that is given to a beautiful tree grown in a complementary container. Unlike other art forms, the uniqueness and challenge of bonsai results from the fact that the medium used to create these "three dimensional sculptures" is both alive and growing. This means that the work of the bonsai artist is constantly evolving to maintain the tree's health and aesthetic quality.

The Ottawa Bonsai Society, established in 1984, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the interest and understanding of the bonsai art form. The focal point of the OBS is our monthly meeting held at Building 72 - Central Experimental Farm (Arboretum), the 3rd Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. This monthly meeting provides OBS members with an excellent forum to exchange ideas, techniques, and experiences relating to bonsai. Further information can be found at ottawabonsai.org.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: Bonsai pictures are available for your publication at the OBS website in the "Gallery" section. Tree previews and interviews can also be arranged during the show set-up.

Media Contacts:

Ottawa Bonsai Society, Vianney Leduc, 819-827-3384, vianney.leduc@lac-bac.gc.ca

Embassy of Japan, Information and Culture Section, 613-241-8541, infocul@embjapan.ca

Web Pages:

Ottawa Bonsai Society, http://www.ottawabonsai.org

Embassy of Japan, http://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/canada_e/CultureEducation/culturalevents.html

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