By Krista Maurer
The Autumn Bonsai Exhibit, sponsored by the Wasatch Bonsai Society, will feature more than 30 local trees, and their artists, at the Provo Art Center beginning today, Oct. 6.
'This is our first exhibit since the society was formed in March,' said Tosh Metzger, the society''s founder and president. 'It should be an exciting event for all ages.'
Some trees at the exhibit will still be in training, but there will also be some finished specimen trees that have been worked on for more than 15 years.
'Bonsai is a living art form, so a tree is never really finished,' Metzger said. 'When a tree is said to be a finished specimen, it means all the branches have been placed with wire to keep the shape the artist wants.'
Once the tree is set, the artist continues to trim and repot the tree. The tree''s design can always be changed by rewiring and training it to take the new shape.
Any plant with a woody stem can be used as an official bonsai. This includes ivy, bushes, shrubs and trees.
'To keep them small, the roots and branches must constantly be trimmed,' Metzger said. 'But they don''t have to stay extremely small like some people think. There are trees in Japan and China at the emperor''s palaces that are five or six feet high and almost 900 years old.'
One of Metzger''s trees, a Chinese elm, is 65-years-old and will be on display.
'A friend of mine is also working on getting us a tree for the exhibit that is over 200 years old, so hopefully that will happen,' Metzger said.
As a society, Metzger and the other 10 members want this exhibit to help educate people about the Bonsai art form.
'It''s fascinating to see how art and plant combine to make such beautiful pieces,' Metzger said. 'I hope people will come and feel like they''re looking at a miniaturized tree that has survived all the horrible things that happen in nature. I want them to realize that Bonsai is an art and to also feel relaxed by it. I want them to be enlightened.'
The exhibit runs Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Metzger will be at the show all three days, to watch the trees and answer any questions the public may have.