Sponsor Feature: Bonsai Mirai

Mirai is a premier full-service American bonsai nursery and school located just outside of Portland, Oregon. The secluded garden and facilities are overseen and operated by Bonsai Professional Ryan Neil. Through his rigorous six-year apprenticeship under world-renowned Bonsai Master Mr. Masahiko Kimura (of Saitama prefecture, Japan), Ryan obtained a deep and refined knowledge of the history, practice and art of bonsai. With an honest approach and American innovation, Ryan is now pushing the limits of what bonsai can be.

COMPANY NAME
Bonsai Mirai

PRODUCT/SERVICE
We create high-end, finished bonsai trees; we curate public and private bonsai collections; and we educate the most dedicated bonsai practitioners in the world.

COMPANY SLOGAN OR MOTTO
Mirai — We create trees that connect you

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
Close to Portland, OR

HOW’D YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR LINE OF WORK?
I've practiced bonsai since he was 14 years old. I conceptualized Mirai to be the resource that I  always wished for as a young bonsai enthusiast. It is an incubator where the most innovative, highly-skilled bonsai is being created. It is also an educational resource for the most dedicated individuals who, regardless of whether they’ve practiced bonsai for 2 months or 20 years, are willing to start from the ground up to build a solid foundation of horticultural knowledge, design savvy, and technical proficiency.  

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BUSINESS CURRENTLY THAT EXCITES YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR WORK?
The Artisans Cup is the most exciting outgrowth of Mirai that I'm currently focused on. After The Cup, I'll shift my attention to other endeavors that will continue to innovate the practice of American Bonsai. Stay tuned!

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SPONSOR THE ARTISANS CUP?
I'm not only sponsoring The Artisans Cup, it’s my brainchild! 

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE CARE ABOUT AMERICAN BONSAI? 
We are all looking for some way to slow down and reconnect, with each other, with the earth. Bonsai forces you to be patient, to slow down to the pace of the trees. Bonsai is an art form that entices us to reflect on and foster our symbiotic relationship with the natural world. It is also a generational practice that transcends the boundaries of time and culture.  

Mirai Silent Auction Online

The Mirai Silent Auction is an Artisans Cup-related event that achieves one of the exhibition's primary goals: to elevate American bonsai. As we say at Mirai, the high tide raises all ships. So, in one fell swoop with this auction, we're going to infuse hundreds of incredible trees into the American bonsai community's hands. Some of these trees are very hard for us to let go, but we trust that their next owners will love them immeasurably. 

The auction is functioning both in-person and online. Online bidding will go live at Noon (PST) on Monday 9/21. On Friday 9/25, fifty lucky individuals will be bussed to Mirai to experience the close of the auction in person: browsing our world-class garden, nibbling on some pastries while sipping mimosas, and bidding on trees. There will be a handful of amazing trees that only the in-person auction participants will get to bid on. The auction will officially close on Friday 9/25 at 11AM (PST), and winners will be notified shortly after. 

Can't make it to the Mirai Tour? No worries! You can bid on the fantastic bonsai from the comfort of your own home.  

How it works: 
1. Register HERE!
2. Enter your contact and payment information into the appropriate fields
3. You will receive a confirmation e-mail and text message with a link to the Silent Auction page where you can browse and place bids
4. Place your bid on a selected item, with an option of setting maximum bids
5. You will be notified on your smartphone if you have been outbid

Select Sponsor: Joshua Roth Limited

Joshua Roth Limited was founded in 1980 by Joshua Roth. As a fine woodworker he fell in love with the high quality of Japanese woodworking tools. These tools were virtually unknown and unavailable except to a select few in the States. Those that had access to these high quality tools coveted each tool they owned. Not wanting to compete with his close friends in the woodworking industry, Joshua felt that high quality Japanese-made gardening tools would be welcomed in the US. After much research, he decided to sell only tools from Japan - the country renowned for its originality and pride in gardening and horticulture. Joshua was dedicated to providing not only the best quality tools but also quality customer services. This remains the focus of Joshua Roth Limited today.

COMPANY NAME:  
JOSHUA ROTH LIMITED
 
PRODUCT /SERVICE:  
Whole distributor of a wide range of quality Japanese bonsai tools and supplies
 
 COMPANY SLOGAN OR MOTTO: 
Tools to shape the dream
 
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED:
Albany, Oregon

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR LINE OF WORK: 
After selling my hardware business, I wanted a business that would allow me to use my business skills as well as allow us to concentrate on customer service. Working with the bonsai community as a wholesale provider of high quality bonsai tools has not only allowed me to do this, but it has also been exciting to work with so many people dedicated to this art form. 

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BUSINESS CURRENTLY THAT EXCITES YOU: 
We are seeing many new and younger enthusiasts. It is so great to see these up and coming artists. 

WHAT DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR WORK: 
We want them to know that customer service really is our number one priority. We care about our customers and we want them to have the best experience they can have when dealing with our company. We also want them to know we stand by our products and want to deliver quality tools that they can use in the development and care of their art.
 
WHY SHOULD PEOPLE CARE ABOUT AMERICAN BONSAI:  
Japanese bonsai will always be the standard by which all others are judged but there is no reason that American bonsai artists cannot thrive and continue to grow the art form here in the United States. 
 
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SPONSOR THE ARTISANS CUP: 
The American bonsai art form continues to grow and mature and we are delighted to have the opportunity to have some small part in its continued development. We want the bonsai community to know we believe in them and want to be a part of what is to come.

Sponsor Feature: Pacific Bonsai Museum

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SPONSOR THE ARTISANS CUP? 
Pacific Bonsai Museum is a vanguard in the advancement of the art of bonsai. We are dedicated to the American bonsai movement, to bonsai as an art form and to fostering a vibrant community. What better way to demonstrate our commitment than by sponsoring the Artisans Cup. 

AMERICAN BONSAI IS
While the concept of “American bonsai” is not new, what is new is it's rejuvenation over the last five years to the front of our collective conscious. American bonsai is moving away from an adherence to traditional Japanese aesthetics to contemporary American designs, from plant art to fine art. American bonsai is no longer conceptual but tactile. It’s grown from an idea, into a movement. 

Pacific Bonsai Museum
2515 S 336th Street
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone: (253) 353-7345

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