First Curator’s Apprentice Blog – Scratching the Surface of Bonsai

Sophia Osorio cleaning leaves on a Chinese Elm Forest

“O solitary pine, how many generations of man have you known? Is it because of your great age that the passing winds sing in so clear a tone?”  – Prince Ichichara, “Man’yōshū”

If you had asked me six months ago what career path I would want to pursue in the world of horticulture/arboriculture, bonsai would not have come to mind. But after spending enough pleasant time interning at the most renowned bonsai and penjing museum in the country, bonsai is now the only thing that comes to mind.

I first stumbled across the opportunity to work at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum on a job posting wall at the New York Botanical Garden, where I was attending classes to obtain an arboriculture certificate from their School of Horticulture and Landscape Design. I was doing all the career research I could for a person like myself, with a distinct passion for arboriculture and tree care. I decided to take a chance and apply for the First Curator’s Apprenticeship, which would eventually spark my appreciation for the world of bonsai. 

Like most people, I had a general familiarity with bonsai. But growing up in the hustle and bustle of New York City, I had realized that urban areas lack access to more natural landscapes. Of course, one can admire the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum or perhaps stroll through Central Park. But otherwise it can be difficult to unplug from the fast-paced, famous city that never sleeps to enjoy more reserved and peaceful environments. This is where my recognition and adoration for the Museum comes in. 

Three years in a row now, Washington City Paper’s Best of D.C. poll has designated the Museum as the “Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner,” and for good reason. Nestled in the energetic and largely concrete city of Washington, D.C., the Museum seems to slow time. Within its pavilions and tree collections, the beauty of nature is captured, condensed, perfected and displayed within the result of a centuries-old artistic tradition. 

Sophia, left, and her fellow Central Park Conservancy interns gardening at Marine Park in Brooklyn, New York

Bonsai can be horticulturally defined as a tree or group of trees pruned and trained to live in a container, often for hundreds of years. The literal translation is “tray planting” or “planted in a container.” I’ve come to learn that it is truly a living art form and a small representation of the larger natural world. This realization puts into perspective the amount of hard work and effort that goes into keeping a tree just as strong and vibrant in a container as it would have been cared for in the landscape by nature. 

My admiration and eagerness to learn more about bonsai has only augmented since my apprenticeship began. In trying to put the feeling of looking at a bonsai into words, I would say it is close to what one might experience if watching a renaissance painting come to life: standing in the presence and witnessing the sights of something that has been around for hundreds of years – growing, changing and living right before your eyes.

In my short tenure so far, I’ve had the privilege of working on trees donated by prominent figures in bonsai history, like the Japanese white pine that survived the bombing of Hiroshima, donated by bonsai master Masaru Yamaki. The notion that a tree that has experienced so much history can still be alive and flourish with the help of many passionate staff members here at the Museum has made the art of bonsai one of the most inspiring practices I’ve ever been part of.

From daily tasks, like watering every tree in the collections to the technique of selecting and pruning of branches to reshape a tree’s structure or entirely repotting a tree, I feel as though I have merely scratched the surface of the hard work and dedication needed to keep a bonsai thriving. This is truly an experience I want to share, expand on and practice more of for many years to come. 

With enthusiasm, 

Sophia Osorio

First Curator’s Apprentice

National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

U.S. National Arboretum

A Special Message From Our Partners at the U.S. National Arboretum

I’m very pleased to be able to tell you that Andy Bello will begin his permanent position as Assistant Curator of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum on June 21, 2020.  Andy finished his internship as our most recent First Curator Apprentice in March. Since that time, he has served as a temporary technician and will continue to do so until June 21.

Andy has a deep commitment and true passion for bonsai and penjing. He is very engaging and is always ready and willing to share that passion with visitors and volunteers alike. We are very fortunate to have him in this permanent position. Andy hails from Illinois and has spent time in Arizona and Oregon. He’s worked with koi in a previous job, so he knows his fish, too.

Because the bonsai and penjing require daily care, Andy will work a Sunday through Thursday schedule, but this schedule has been somewhat disrupted by the current coronavirus situation. He and Michael have been working overtime to tend the plants with help from Pat Lynch and Brad Evans to make up for all the lost volunteer help while that program is on a pause for safety reasons.

Please join me in congratulating Andy on his new appointment. He is a great asset to our bonsai team.

Scott Aker

Head of Horticulture and Education

U.S. National Arboretum

NBF Taps Sophia Osorio for 2020 First Curator’s Apprentice

We are pleased to announce the hiring of the NBF 2020 First Curator’s Apprentice, Sophia Osorio. 

Robert Drechsler served as the first curator for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum from 1976 to 1998. During the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Museum in 2011, NBF established an internship – called the First Curator’s Apprenticeship – to honor Robert’s many years of service. The apprenticeship aims to train the next generation of American bonsai artists.

Sophia, who started on March 10, said a previous internship at the Central Park Conservancy in New York City first piqued her interest in wanting to work outside.

“I’ve known since graduating college that I never wanted an office job,” she said. “I wanted to be outdoors doing hands-on work.”

Sophia, 23, said her passion for trees first came to light during an environmental ethics course she took during her undergraduate education at Binghamton University in New York. She learned about the philosophical side of the environment, like how society’s carbon footprint affects Earth. 

“It sort of inspired me to want to make a difference in my own small way,” Sophia said.

She said she first became interested in bonsai during an arbor culture certificate program she took part in at the New York Botanic Garden in the Bronx. Sophia said she saw the posting for the apprenticeship at the garden and decided to apply. 

“I’m still trying to find a specific career path, like what I would like to do specifically with trees, because I feel like the options can be endless,” she said. “Bonsai have a visual aesthetic to them. I thought that was super interesting to learn more about, like pruning and care and things like that.”

Sophia said she has spent her first week working closely with Museum Curator Michael James, jotting down notes and tips about the trees she will be working with for the next year. 

“There’s so much care and many different tactics that go into keeping trees alive for so long, like the Yamaki Pine,” she said. “Some people can’t even keep houseplants alive, so I think that’s amazing and it’s definitely a skill I would like to pick up on.”

When she isn’t learning about the Museum’s collections, Sophia keeps active with trips to the gym, hikes and long walks. She recently visited the Redwood Forest in California. 

“You can leave me in a national park for hours and I'd be fine,” Sophia said. “I'm down for anything outdoors.”

We look forward to all Sophia will contribute to the Museum in her capacity as First Curator’s Apprentice. A special thanks to our 2019 apprentice Andy Bello, whom the U.S. National Arboretum has hired as a temporary agricultural research science technician.

The National Bonsai Foundation is looking for a new funding source for this program. Please contact us if you are interested.

Museum Appoints Andy Bello as Curation Intern

Andy Bello, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum’s 2019 First Curator’s Apprentice. (Stephen Voss)

Andy Bello has been selected as the Museum’s 2019 First Curator’s Apprentice.  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum's First Curator's Apprenticeship  for 2019 is funded by generous grants to the National Bonsai Foundation from Toyota North America and The Hill Foundation.

Bello, a 24-year-old Illinois native, earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation and Management from the University of Arizona in 2016. He then moved to Eugene, Oregon where he designed and built ornamental ponds, propagated pond plants and bred koi and goldfish at a local store.

His fascination with bonsai catalyzed after he stumbled across Peter Chan’s “Bonsai: The Art of Growing and Keeping Miniature Trees” in 2016.

“I took this book home, and the second I opened it I could not put it down,” Bello said. “Everything from the history of the art, the horticulture aspects, and the design techniques amazed and intrigued me deeply.”

His readings prompted him to join the Eugene Bonsai Society, a group of Oregon bonsai enthusiasts. Bello said he felt welcome in the society, but after spending a year in the group he wanted to delve deeper into the bonsai realm and craved hands-on experience.

His big break occurred on a trip to the Oregon Coast, when he inadvertently stopped at Driftwood Nursery in Bandon, Oregon. Bello befriended nursery owner Tom Roberts and soon began a monthly apprenticeship at Driftwood, where he learned basic bonsai skills and developed his passion for the trees.

Bello said he and his girlfriend soon began to discuss moving east to solidify their careers and settle down close to family. In preparation, he explored available permaculture and organic farming jobs on the East Coast – eventually discovering the Museum’s curator apprenticeship – and immediately sent in his application.

In his newly-appointed position, Bello aims to deepen his understanding of different species’ needs in all seasons, and looks forward to improving his horticulture skills and bonsai designs.

His year-long internship will consist of performing various bonsai care-taking duties, from repotting and wiring to pruning, and spreading the joy and wonder of bonsai to Museum visitors.

“I am extremely excited to be part of a new community of fellow bonsai artists and create new connections from all different parts of the world,” he said. “I hope to learn and grow as much as possible in the world of bonsai.”

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The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum's First Curator's Apprenticeship for 2019 is funded by generous grants to the National Bonsai Foundation from Toyota North America and The Hill Foundation. If you’d like to help fund these types of programs, please consider becoming a member of the National Bonsai Foundation. More information here.