by H. Johnson

The following article was submitted by Pauline Muth - President of ABS. I know we have several new members who could qualify for this competition. If you would like more information, you can contact me or Harold Johnson (see contact info below) - ED

The New Talent Bonsai Competition that was featured, for the first time, at the 2002 American Bonsai Society Symposium in Milwaukee, has become an annual event. The Joshua Roth Company of Albany, Oregon now sponsors the Competition.

The 2010 Competition will take place at the "Mid Atlantic Bonsai Societies 2010 Spring Festival", which will be held at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa, Kerhonkson, New York on April 16, 2010. The competition is aimed at discovering and promoting new talent in the art of bonsai and is the first of its kind to be held in North America. The concept of the Competition is very simple. Phase one, judging of previous work, is used to select the contestants for the second phase. In the second phase, each participant will be given eight hours to create the very best bonsai they can produce from specially selected material.

After the entrants have completed their work, four of the Festival headliners will judge the bonsai that have been created. All full registrants at the Festival will also have the opportunity to vote for their choice. The winner will be announced Saturday night at the banquet. The Grand Prize for the Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition is an exclusive course of study with an approved bonsai teacher and hotel accommodations if the teacher is not in the winner’s home town. The winning artist will also be profiled in the Journal of the American Bonsai Society under the title of "Best New Bonsai Talent of 2010."

If you have someone in your club that has the talent and the drive to become one of North America’s top new bonsai talents, please encourage him or her to enter the competition. Your club could be the "home club" of the best new bonsai talent of North America in 2010. If you feel very strongly that your club member has the talent to win the Competition, your club may even wish to sponsor his or her participation.

We are very excited about this competition, and hope that it is exciting to you as well. We look forward to seeing the work of your club members in the competition. Information and registration forms are posted on the ABS web site at: www.absbonsai.org.