Tour of the National Bonsai Museum w/ Curator Jack Sustic
We will meet at the Bonsai Museum behind the Administration (now under construction) which is a short walk from the main parking area.
Limited to members and their guests.
Mission of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is an international scholarly center where superior bonsai and related arts are displayed and studied for the education and delight of visitors.
Goals of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
- Assemble and nurture a superior bonsai collection with special emphasis on specimens from Japan, China and North America.
- Provide education about bonsai and support the scholarly study of this art.
- Acquire and maintain a collection of viewing stones.
- Acquire and maintain a collection of stands, scrolls and containers which enhance the exhibit of bonsai.
- Develop and maintain a library and archive of literature and other materials related for bonsai and related arts.
- Maintain the museum setting to complement the display of bonsai.
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JACK SUSTIC – MUSEUM CURATOR Jack first came to the Museum in 1996 as an intern sponsored by the National Bonsai Foundation. When his internship was completed he returned to his job as nursery and greenhouse manager at the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanic Garden in South Carolina. In 1998 the position of Gardener opened up at the Museum and Jack took this opportunity to return to Washington. Shortly thereafter he was appointed Assistant Curator. In 2002, after a time away from the Museum, he returned as Supervisory Curator. During this tenure as curator he also served as Co-Chair of the 5th World Bonsai Convention that was held in Washington D.C. in 2005. In July of that year he resigned to help his father in the running of the family farm in Lennon, Michigan. Jack met his wife, Jung, while serving with the U.S. Army in South Korea. And in that country he came to appreciate the beauty of bonsai. On his return to the United States he pursued a degree in horticulture from Michigan State University and began his bonsai career that led to the Museum. In his earlier work at the Museum he had the opportunity to study with John Naka, Harry Hirao and other California bonsai artists. He also apprenticed with Saburo Kato at Mansai-en in Japan. As now the fifth appointed curator in the history of the Museum he has had the opportunity to work with all previous curators: Robert Drechsler, Warren Hill and James Hughes. During his recent hiatus from the Museum he was appointed to the NBF Board of Directors and was a member of the Executive Committee. |