Ron Lang, artist
The 24th annual Carolina Bonsai Expo takes place Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13, at The North Carolina Arboretum. The event showcases the work of 15 bonsai organizations from a seven-state region; ten vendors of bonsai and bonsai-related items; and educational programs for both the bonsai community and the general public, including a discussion by guest artist Ron Lang about the art of making bonsai containers.
“The right container choice can greatly enhance the effect of a bonsai, while a mundane or inappropriate choice can diminish it,” says Arthur Joura, bonsai curator for The Arboretum. “It so happens that North Carolina is home to a bonsai pot-maker who stands in the very front ranks of his profession, and that’s why we are pleased to host Ron Lang.”
Lang, who works alongside his ceramicist wife Sharon Edwards- Russell, has containers displayed in some of the finest private and public bonsai collections in the United States, including the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Pacific Bonsai Museum and The North Carolina Arboretum. Most recently Lang collaborated with Ryan Neil and woodworker Austin Heitzman in a series of programs at the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Washington State focusing on advancing innovation in bonsai and stimulating a critical dialogue around the art of bonsai.
“More and more American bonsai artists are opening up to unique containers and to fresh and personal approaches to bonsai display,” says Lang. “This is what has always been so refreshing about Arthur Joura’s vision for the Bonsai Collection at the North Carolina Arboretum. I am very honored to be invited to this year’s Bonsai Expo.”
The North Carolina Arboretum is located at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville. For a full list of program offerings and times, visit NCArboretum.org. Admission to the Carolina Bonsai Expo is free; standard parking fees for non-members apply.