The American Bonsai Society invites you to submit your bonsai for one of our annual awards given in honor of John Y. Naka. These awards will be given to North American bonsai artists and hobbyists who exhibit the spirit of artistic design taught by Master Naka using North American  native material or material grown entirely in North America as exhibited by one of his or her bonsai. The judging will take place at the ABS Learning Seminars Sept 12, 2013 in Saratoga Springs, NY. All bonsai chosen by the judges from photographs must be present at the Seminar Exhibition for the final judging. If the actual trees are not at the exhibition, then the photograph will be judged along side of the actual trees submitted.

Requirements:

The entrant

1. Any bonsai artist or hobbyist who is a resident of North America is eligible.

2. Applicants must be a current member of ABS. You may join at the same time you are submitting your photographs.

3. The entrant may be a hobbyist or professional. Two levels of each award will be given so that hobbyists are not competing against professionals.

4. May not win a given division more than once.

5. Will pay an entry fee of $30 for each bonsai admitted to the exhibition for final judging.

The two award divisions of bonsai

1. There will be two divisions of bonsai each with separate awards for hobbyists and professionals.

a. Division I: Bonsai designed from North American Native Material

(An ABS Committee will verify that the bonsai is a North American Native Species. An entrant may contact the chairperson to verify native status before entering.)

b. Division II: Bonsai designed from any plant material grown entirely in North America.

2. The bonsai must be styled exclusively by the artist submitting it from nursery stock, seed or cutting grown or collected material.

3. The bonsai must not be a previous winner of this award.

4. Applicants may submit more that one entry in each division.

Each entry must contain the following

1. A digital image of the bonsai. The photograph must have been taken

within the year prior to submission. If a bonsai is accepted for the

 exhibition, it must be presented at the ABS Learning Seminars on

September 12,2013 by 5PM for judging. All bonsai will be exhibited on

pedestals. No stands or accents needed.

2. A completed information sheet for the bonsai

3. A copy of the personal information sheet

All of the above will be submitted to ABS@loveofbonsai.com by June 30, 2013.

The Judging

1. The Naka Committee (Appointed by the ABS President) will appoint three judges from the teachers at the seminars to review the applications submitted and select the entrants. Judges will rank and comment on all qualified entrants to each division. The judges will be given only the Bonsai Information Sheet and the digital photographs NOT the name of the artists or hobbyists.

2. Judges will be selected from artists who have not entered the current contest.

3. Applicants will be notified by email or post of the results by July 15, 2013. Those chosen should bring their bonsai to the the seminars by 4 PM September 12, 2013.

4. Judging at the Seminars will be done the evening of September 12. Those who can not bring their bonsai to the seminars, will have their bonsai judged by the photographs submitted.

5. Photographs and paperwork will become the property of ABS and may be used in its publications.

6. The judges at the Seminars will be chosen from the teachers at the seminars that have not entered the contest.

7. The committee chair will pass on the comments of the judges ( without naming the judges) to the entrants.

8. The decision of the judges will be final.

9. If the judges determine that all submissions to any division of the awards are not suitable to win the award, the award may be omitted for that year.

The Award The winner of each division will receive An inscribed award designed to be shown outdoors next to the winning tree.

Publication of the bonsai’s image in the ABS Bonsai Journal. The winner may submit the story of the bonsai for publication also.

The American Bonsai Society

John Y. Naka Award

Species/Horticultural Name of the bonsai: _____________________________

Common name: _______________________________________________

Source of bonsai material: (nursery, collected, seed grown, cutting grown)

________________________________________________________________________

The bonsai is being submitted for

______Division I Native Material

______Division II Material Grown entirely in North America

The level of the artist is

______Professional

______Hobbyist

Years in development from stock: __________________

Pot source or artist: ___________________________________________________

----------------------------------for office use only------------

Application number ______________________

The American Bonsai Society

John Y. Naka Award

Artist Information Sheet

Name of Bonsai Artist _________________________________________________

I consider myself to be

____ a professional

____ a hobbyist

Address _____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Email __________________________________________________________________

Phone _______________________________________________________________

I submit the bonsai in this application for judging for the ABS John Y.

Naka Award. It is entirely my work and design from collected, self grown

or purchased raw material.

_____________________________________ signature