National Bonsai Foundation – Bonsai Container – Purchase Award Competition

National Bonsai Foundation
Bonsai Container – Purchase Award Competition

PROSPECTUS
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Dates and Deadlines
August 1, 2011 Design submissions due
August 5, 2011 Winner notified of purchase award
January 15, 2012 Museum receives container
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Announcement
The purpose of this competition is to commission an American‐made container for a Blue Atlas Cedar
cascade‐style bonsai in the North American Collection of the U.S. National Arboretum’s National Bonsai
& Penjing Museum. The competition furthers the National Bonsai Foundation’s goal of promoting the
art of bonsai in the United States.

Sponsor
National Bonsai Foundation (NBF)

Eligibility
Open to bonsai potters living in the United States. Potters must demonstrate proficiency in fabricating
large‐scale ceramics by submitting photographic examples of finished works. No entry fee.

Details of the Tree
Blue Atlas Cedar
Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’
This tree was donated to the North American bonsai collection in 1990 and was created from a nursery
whip around 1960. Yuji Yoshimura assisted with the initial styling. John Naka advised on subsequent
styling.
Soil level to apex = 24”
Apex to cascade tip = 57”
Current pot height = 14”
Current pot diameter inside rim = 17”

Specifications for New Container
The proposed container for the cascade cedar will need to satisfy certain parameters determined by the
curator for the health of the tree:
• Inside planting depth – no less than 12”
• Inside width/diameter at top – no less than 16”

Proposal Submission
The container design proposals will be in the form of drawings. These should include detailed drawings
of any features, such as foot or lip design. The drawings may be scanned and submitted digitally or sent
as originals. Each design should include photographic examples of proposed glaze or surface options.
Each artist may submit up to 3 entries.

Digital specifications
Any digital images should comply with the following:
640 pixels (8.889in.) by 480 pixels (6.667 in.) @ 72ppi. RGB color mode.
Larger files may be requested at a later time.

Purchase Award
Applicants will specify the purchase price of their container on the entry form. This price will not be
revealed to the judge until after he has ranked his selections. The artist with the winning proposal will
be commissioned to make the container. Payment is contingent on receipt of a usable container. There
is a chance that no selection will be made if there are not suitable submissions.

Judge
Jack Sustic, Curator of Bonsai at the U.S. National Arboretum’s National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, will
choose the winning design from suitable submissions.

Delivery Costs
Shipping or hand‐delivery expenses will be covered by the sponsor.

Rights
The National Bonsai Foundation reserves the right to display contest submissions in a variety of media
and venues, including in the museum, on the websites of USNA and NBF, and in the NBF Bulletin. NBF
reserves the right to reproduce entry materials, including drawings and photographs, for publicity and
exhibition display purposes. By submitting an application to the Purchase Award Competition, the artist
gives permission for these uses. Drawings and photographs of the selected container become the
property of NBF. All remaining submission materials will be returned to the artist if a self‐addressed
stamped envelope accompanies the application.

Submission checklist:
1. Completed entry form for each entry (up to 3 different design entries per artist)
2. Drawings for container design
3. 3 photographic examples of artist’s large‐scale ceramic containers (include measurements)
4. Photographic examples of glaze or surface options proposed for entry

Send or email proposal materials to:
Johann Klodzen, Executive Director
National Bonsai Foundation
3501 New York Ave., NE
Washington, DC 20002
jklodzen@bonsai‐nbf.org