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With appropriate funding/sponsorship, at some location, an
ideal not-for-profit-incorporated history/research center cum museum/library will be set-up to describe all aspects of bonsai
and related arts. A physical center for warehousing and hands-on activities would follow on-line availability of some of the
material. The physical facilities would visually blend with the surroundings and be positioned/designed to minimize building-energy
requirements; mostly renewable and recycled materials including bamboo, wood, rock, and skylights; have relatively
low-maintenance grounds with paper and glass recycling; on-premise composting and grey water recycling; partially solar-powered;
with some tasteful Asian-derived design; and offer adequate parking spaces for cars and buses. Security and safety systems
including first aid and AED, and ramps and access assistance for challenged visitors. A small and reasonably-paid staff with
volunteers available for occasional talks, referral and information, and other assistance. A sound system capable of low volume
playing of traditional folk music from Japan, China, Korea, India, etc. Most interior rooms can be divided from others
with simple effective partitions. Some form of blog/newsletter would help keep supporters
updated about our activities. Our web site would continue to grow and disseminate useful information. We might also be able
to occasionally commission the creation of some kinds of art, articles, etc. or offer at least partial scholarships to programs
offered by other bodies. Donations and bequests of money, reference materials, and some trees would be accepted.
Historical Archives/Research Center/Library -- copies of all known non-specialty articles and books or excerpts therefrom in various languages with digital links where possible (including modern fiction and poetry and historic examples from especially Asia); links to Internet videos, blogs, forums, clubs, etc. with several secure online portals and wireless capability; vast collection of published specialty books, show catalogues (including, for example, all Kokufuten and Bonsai in California), magazines, calendars, club newsletters and yearbooks, videos/DVDs (including those by Dr. Amy Liang and three series by Lindsay Farr), etc. and privately-made audio/video/still records from workshops, conventions, interviews (including those recorded specifically for the center), club meetings, shows, etc. with transcriptions/translations where possible; detailed index collection with reviews, relation of books/authors to one another, translations, and examples of repeated usage of photographs and drawings; selection of general and related works on religion/philosophy, history, technology, forests and trees, gardens, foreign language dictionaries, etc.; select pre-publication book and article manuscripts/drafts with commentary and notes by the authors; historical correspondence; convention and symposium memorabilia; selection of original or copied paintings and woodblock prints, historical photographs, and postage stamps; collection of Boldly Grow video stills and loops; workshop sketches made by masters with some follow-up photographs of the trees later; definitive biographies of teachers, masters, authors, collectors, potters, etc. (larger and more detailed than the current Book of Days project with copies of local write-ups and obituaries); detailed listing of what we don't know; digital/scanning/photocopying facilities with full application of copyright laws; archival and conservatory capabilities; and cooperation/networking/partnering with other facilities and libraries to maximize our access to reference materials and sharing of what we know. Museum -- detailed comparison and contrast of bonsai, penjing, topiary, house plants, ordinary container plants, Ming trees, and dry tray landscapes; detailed timeline of bonsai and related arts; with exhibits such as water-holding/drainage capabilities of various soil components and mixes and pots; samples of assorted fertilizers and supplements with ingredients and chemical analysis listings; samples of ground covers, mulches, and top dressings; cross sections of dead bonsai of various species with magnifications showing growth rings for relative thicknesses and core samples of some of the same species from full-grown specimens in comparison; wide selection of plinths, shelves, and other display methods shown with copies of their blueprints; selections of various manufacturers' tools and pre-modern implements with examples of their use; examples of pen and boshanlu; display of term origins; earliest Western Reports of various kinds of trees/shrubs used as dwarfed potted trees; preserved sample leaves, needles and/or blossoms from some of the species and varieties traditionally and non-traditionally used for bonsai and accent plants with representative leaves from some of their full-grown brethren and taxonomic information; preserved samples of various insect, microbe and other pests with magnified examples and samples of sickly leaves and needles and suggested handling or prevention methods of the damage; life-size sketches of smallest and largest bonsai/penjing; diorama of notable Japanese and Chinese sites, including decade-by-decade layout and locations of Omiya nurseries; examples of various branch-positioning agents through the years, including different types of wire; map and directory of locations of clubs, collections, conventions, nurseries, etc. world-wide including climate zones where possible; examples of formal and informal display areas including tokonoma samples; examples of how various shows/exhibitions/conventions through history were arranged and how plants were prepared for and brought to and from; selected quality photos and videos of masterpiece bonsai and penjing with detailed critiques by various teachers; selection of containers through the ages, including non-earthenware forms, examples of contemporary potters, kiln-damage, sample cones, glazes, kiln types, characteristics of clay, etc.; myths of bonsai, where they originated and how they were "busted"; examples of various Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, South African, Australian, American, European, and other regional styles; examples of mudmen and other minor decorations; examples of miscellaneous auxiliary products advertised for bonsai; samples, types and classifications of suiseki, gongshi, suseok, and viewing stones; selection of 360° views of trees; tours for school children, youth groups, etc.; provide variety of program ideas and meeting plans; make available small travelling non-living material displays for clubs and conventions. Lecture/demonstration hall with workbench area/greenhouse/garden with sample Chinese stones and koi pond -- for visiting teachers, masters, and authors; large projection screen and full recording capabilities for teleconferences, webinars, and discussion panels on topics such as art, styles, ownership and caretaking, collecting, displays, definitions, state of the art in various regions, histories of various clubs, historical critique of bonsai writings, etc.; guest lectures on botany, horticulture, ceramics, pests and diseases, fertilizers and nutrients, artistic design and aesthetics, etc.; occasional club meetings and video opportunities; presentations and experimentation with styles, display, etc. (in a separate dedicated display hall?); available for Tai Chi lessons or small live music presentations; plus all the necessary information about local hotels/motels, club members, nurseries, restaurants, stores, transportation, attractions, etc. to assist our visitors. Laboratory and garden -- hands-on activities (some for a modest fee) with work aprons and safety goggles as appropriate for mixing and sifting soils; basic transplanting; trimming different kinds of plants and simply using the various tools, including Dremel®-type small power tools; wiring sample (full-grown) branches; trimming nursery specimens; throwing pots; making mudmen; collecting wild or landscape specimens; Bondo® dais for suiseki; making dry tray landscapes; matching tree to pot and stand; composing haiku, other poetry, and short articles; sketching trees and landscapes, etc. Bookstore/Gift Shop -- some new and used specialty books and videos/DVDs; current and back issues of some of the magazines; some tools, pots, wire, club pins, and mudmen; calendars, greeting cards, print reproductions, and select photographs; viewing stones, some with custom bases; many information sheets and hand-outs; books based on museum exhibits and information; etc. Snack Bar/Lunchroom -- modest selection of fresh and dried fruits and nuts, water, juices, green and herbal teas; crackers, rice cakes, and cheeses; etc. in a simple setting overlooking the garden. Clean restrooms and infant-changing area with variety of safe hand-cleaning substances and designed for low-water and paper usage. |