A celebration of community, living art, and the spirit of bonsai

What an awesome turnout: We estimate that more than 8,000 people joined the Potomac Bonsai Association Festival and World Bonsai Day!

We were thrilled to support PBA as they hosted yet another incredible annual festival. All weekend long, the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum buzzed with activity, joy, and curiosity. Guests explored the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, watched awe-inspiring bonsai demonstrations, sipped tea in honor of the Yamaki Pine, participated in hands-on workshops, browsed vendors, found their next bonsai project... and celebrated the art of bonsai together.

As Museum Curator Michael James reflected, the scale and spirit of the event was inspiring. "It was amazing to see the Museum honored by the presence of thousands of visitors from all walks of life," he said. "World Bonsai Day gave us a chance to show how deeply this art form connects people across cultures and generations."

L to R: Aaron Stratten, past president of the Potomac Bonsai Association; Ambassador James Zumwalt, Chairman, Japan-America Society; Ambassador Shigeo Yamada, the Ambassador of Japan; Dr. Richard Olsen, Center Director of the U.S. National Arboretum; Michael James, Curator, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum; Ben de Guzman, Director, Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

This year we celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Yamaki Pine, also known as the Peace Tree, which stands as a powerful symbol of resilience, peace, and friendship. We marked the occasion with a formal tea toast led by Dr. Richard Olsen, Center Director of the U.S. National Arboretum, and Ambassador Shigeo Yamada, the Ambassador of Japan. This meaningful recognition added a moment of elegance and quiet reflection to a busy, joy-filled day. We are grateful for the specialty Japanese tea service provided by local DC shop Teaism.

L to R: Dr. Richard Olsen, Center Director of the U.S. National Arboretum; Le Ann Duling, President, Potomac Bonsai Association; Ambassador Shigeo Yamada, the Ambassador of Japan; Ambassador James Zumwalt, Chairman, Japan-America Society; Michael James, Curator, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum; Ben de Guzman, Director, Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

Alongside Dr. Olsen and the Ambassador, we were honored to welcome a remarkable group of speakers and special guests whose presence elevated the spirit and significance of the event:

Ambassador James Zumwalt, Chairman, Japan-America Society
Ben de Guzman, Director, Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs
Le Ann Duling, President, Potomac Bonsai Association
Aaron Stratten, Immediate Past President, Potomac Bonsai Association
Michael James, Curator, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

We are deeply grateful to them for joining us this year to share their thoughtful reflections on the art and practice of bonsai around the world.

*Aaron Stratten and expert guest artist Andrew Robson of Rakuyo Bonsai*

The weekend featured engaging, expert-led workshops that drew large, enthusiastic crowds. Our special guest artists, Guy Guidry and Andrew Robson, brought decades of experience and a passion for sharing the art of bonsai. Guidry, known for his bold, expressive styling, demonstrated dramatic transformations that captivated onlookers. Robson, a rising leader in American bonsai, focused on naturalistic approaches to deciduous trees, blending tradition with innovation. Attendees learned both foundational skills and advanced techniques, and many walked away with fresh inspiration and new perspectives.

*Sandra Moore reads from her book about the Yamaki Pine.*

Sandra Moore, author of The Peace Tree from Hiroshima, joined us as well, sharing the story of the Yamaki Pine with families and young visitors. Her engaging presence and thoughtful readings helped connect the history of this remarkable tree to new generations, reinforcing the themes of peace, resilience, and cross-cultural friendship at the heart of World Bonsai Day.

*Museum Volunteer and Docent Phillip Merrit*

This festival simply wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated volunteers from PBA, who showed up in full force. Members from Brookside Bonsai Society, Maryland Bonsai Association, Northern Virginia Bonsai Society, and Richmond Bonsai Society helped make the entire weekend run smoothly—with visitor guidance, knowledgeable advice, and hands-on event support.

We also welcomed friends from Baltimore Bonsai Club, the Potomac Viewing Stone Group, and even a full busload of members from the Pennsylvania Bonsai Society, one of the oldest bonsai organizations in the United States. We are so appreciative that they made the trip to celebrate with us! Dan Angelucci and Ross Campbell from the National Bonsai Foundation’s Board of Directors were also in attendance, and we're grateful for their leadership.

*A family enjoys World Bonsai Day at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum.*

Le Ann Duling, President of PBA, noted that everyone went above and beyond, highlighting how vital our regional clubs and members are to making this festival possible. "Everyone did more than their jobs," she said. "This was a powerful reminder of the strength of our community—and how much we can accomplish when PBA clubs come together."

*Grillmaster BBQ serves visitors at World Bonsai Day.*

A heartfelt thank you to the food trucks that kept our guests fueled and smiling throughout the weekend: GrillMaster BBQ, Taco Dirty to Me, DC Slices, Blossom Bakery, and Captain Cookie. Their presence helped make the day deliciously memorable.

*Workshop participants at World Bonsai Day*

World Bonsai Day reminds us that bonsai is more than an art form—it’s a living tradition that brings people together across generations and cultures. The day was founded in honor of bonsai master Saburo Kato, who taught that bonsai no kokoro, or the spirit of bonsai, is rooted in peace, respect, and shared connection. The PBA Festival showed that this spirit is alive and well.

Thank you to the honored guests, expert artists, dedicated volunteers, helpful partners, and curious visitors who made the weekend so unforgettable! We’re honored to celebrate the beauty, tradition, and future of bonsai with all of you.

The artwork featured on this year’s commemorative World Bonsai Day t-shirt was designed by Aaron Stratten. Aaron is a bonsai lover, multi-medium artist, art educator, and self-proclaimed “gardenbody.” He currently serves as Potomac Bonsai Association’s President and has taught art at Faifax County Public Schools for over a quarter century. We were lucky to sit down with him to learn more about his inspiration for this year’s shirt, what he loves most about bonsai, and why he thinks you should join a bonsai club. Read all about Aaron below…And, order your t-shirt for this year’s World Bonsai Day (WBD) on May 13th.

1.) Tell us a bit about your art form, your process, and your history.

To understand me as an artist, you have to first understand that I am an art educator.

I have served Fairfax County Public Schools for nearly 25 years as a high school and middle school art teacher, and as the K-12 art educational specialist in the fine arts office. I have also taught at the preschool and college levels. Art teachers in public schools teach a full range of media and skills. This educator lens reinforces a widely-varied personal art practice which includes drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, digital art, and of course, bonsai. I believe deeply in teaching and practicing a variety of ideation and planning processes as the foundation for creating artwork, and for solving any other sort of problem, so my process involves many drafts, sketches, and iterations.

For my personal education in art, I went to Indiana University where I earned a BS in art education and a BA in fine arts with a focus on painting. I later got a Masters from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where I had a dual focus on painting and printmaking. The irony is not lost on me that I spent so many years training in two-dimensional media and now spend most of my creative energies in three dimensions, shaping living trees and pots to keep them in.

2.) Tell us about the design you created for WBD. What was your inspiration, your process, technique, etc.

Aaron’s design for the 2023 World Bonsai Day commemorative t-shirt.

The 2023 World Bonsai Day t-shirt design was intended from the start as a single color, graphic image that would capture the essence of bonsai and bonsai practice rather than the image of a particular bonsai tree. It is a combination of traditional ink drawing, cut paper, and digital manipulation. Progressively larger circles contain, first, a simplified ink drawing of a tree in a pot illustrating the most basic translation of the Japanese kanji, “bon” (a pot or tray) and “sai” (a tree or plant). The second ring shows ramified branches extending outward from the center of the design just as branches extend from the trunk of a tree, and the third ring represents the life-giving foliage of the tree represented with a simplified pattern of ink brush blots. The circles are not concentric, but are very intentionally arranged with asymmetry, an essential aspect of bonsai design, and imperfectly to give a nod to the wabi-sabi aesthetic which is deeply embedded in bonsai practice and is reinforced by the imperfection of the torn-edge of the outer shape. Order yours today!

3.) How did you get involved with bonsai? What do you love about the practice and the art form?

I have practiced bonsai for over 25 years. It combines my love of art and a love of nature gained from spending so much time outside in my rural Indiana upbringing. Bonsai also aligns nicely with some of my artmaking habits. As a painter, I have often struggled with knowing when to stop. I would continue refining and adjusting a painting forever if I didn’t have a deadline. This tendency toward continuous refinement and iteration lent itself well to working with a medium that continues to grow and change over time. It also inspired the title of my bonsai blog, Bonsai Iterate.

I practiced solo for way too long and didn’t join a bonsai club until 2016 when I found the Northern Virginia Bonsai Society. My learning accelerated and before I knew it, I was president of the club, a role I held from 2018 through 2022. The best advice I can give anyone who loves bonsai is – join a bonsai club! The connections to other practitioners is invaluable, and your learning will take off leading to better, healthier trees.

4.) Do you have a favorite tree at the Museum? If so, which and why?

*American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) donated by Fred H. Mies in 2003, in training since 1979*

There are so many amazing trees at the bonsai museum but I am regularly drawn back to the American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) in the North American Collection. My time in the woods in the Midwest and in Virginia has fostered a love of the big, native deciduous trees of our temperate forests. While these species, like the American Beech, may not offer naturally small leaves ideal for miniature trees, they still speak to me as representations of the environments I know so well. Visiting the Beech at the museum is also inspiration for continuing to work on a few beech in my own collection.

5.) How will you be celebrating World Bonsai Day?

I am currently the president of the Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA) so I just might be spending World Bonsai Day – the weekend immediately following the annual PBA Bonsai Festival – recovering from all that we put into running that event. I’m a bit of a homebody… or maybe a garden-body (Can we make that a thing, please?) so I can’t think of anything better than spending time with my bonsai and in my garden at my home in Woodbridge, Virginia. The roses and Siberian irises will be blooming, as they always do just in time for Mother’s Day, and all the trees will be lush and green. What could be better?

Purchase your commemorative
World Bonsai Day 2023 t-shirt today!

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World Bonsai Day 2025

A celebration of community, living art, and the spirit of bonsai

The Artist Behind This Year's World Bonsai Day T-Shirt Design: Aaron Stratten

Purchase your commemorative
World Bonsai Day 2023 t-shirt today!

A celebration of community, living art, and the spirit of bonsai

Purchase your commemorative World Bonsai Day 2023 t-shirt today!

Purchase your commemorative
World Bonsai Day 2023 t-shirt today!