The Artisans Cup – Bonsai Past Present & Future 2/1/16

Look familiar? As an encouragement for you to visit the Artisans Cup website and see for yourself, we'll break with our tradition and not identify the trees or their owners in this post.

We just received a press release from Ryan Neil. It’s about the Artisans Cup, one of the most exciting and innovative bonsai events yet. Anywhere. But Ryan’s press release is not just about what has already happened, it’s also about the future of the Cup and of bonsai.

But rather than me telling you about it, we’ll let Ryan speak for himself…

“The Artisans Cup, the premier showcase of American bonsai that took place at the Portland Art Museum September 25-27, 2015, today launches a new site experience offering a comprehensive look back at the event. The site will feature facts, photos, and audio & video content highlighting the concept and creation of the show, as well as details and audio critiques of every tree exhibited.
Continued below…

The second place tree. I cropped this one and the two just below for closer looks.

Ryan Neil continued from above:
“Visitors of the new website will get a detailed look behind the scenes at the immense community effort that brought the exhibition to life. The countless hours of planning and hard work by the show’s dozens of collaborators and participants will be displayed through photos, videos, and notes from the organizers. In addition, for a one-time fee of $65, users will be able to purchase access to special in-depth content with insights into the competition and how it was run. This content includes audio from all three panel discussions held during the event: “The Future of Bonsai,” a forecast of the art of Bonsai with founders Ryan & Chelsea Neil; “Ask The Judges,” a chance to get inside the minds of the professionals who judged the exhibition; and the “Collaborators Panel,” a look at how the principles of Bonsai translate into art, design, and culture, featuring key creative collaborators that helped to bring The Artisans Cup to life. Subscription content will also include studio portraits of all 71 trees, along with detailed audio critiques of each tree from all five of the event’s judges.
Continued below…

One of two third place trees.

“As an organization, The Artisans Cup is dedicated to celebrating the beauty of time and the balance of nature, showing American Bonsai for the art form it truly is. A steadily growing subset of the millenia-old tradition, American Bonsai honors the past while pushing the artistic boundaries of what is possible. The Artisans Cup seeks to highlight the artists who are leading the way, while simultaneously inspiring a new generation of Bonsai enthusiasts to join the movement. On the heels of an overwhelmingly positive reception to its inaugural event, The Artisans Cup is looking ahead to its next event in 2020, and laying the groundwork for a show in one of New York’s finest art museums in 2025.
More from Ryan below…

The other third place tree.

“About The Artisans Cup: The Artisans Cup is the premier exhibition of American Bonsai, located in the heart of Portland, Oregon. The Artisans Cup is led by Ryan and Chelsea Neil, founders of the groundbreaking Bonsai incubator Bonsai Mirai, located just 25 miles outside of Portland. 3,200 people attended the group’s first exhibition during the 17 hours it was open in late September 2015, making it one of the best-attended temporary exhibitions in the history of the Portland Art Museum.”

Retrospective Teaser: