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 material as exhibited by one of his or her bonsai.

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.
   
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. 

The two award divisions of bonsai

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

Each entry must contain the following

1. A digital image of the bonsai. Once the winner is selected, an image for publication of the winning bonsai will need to be 240 pixels per inch with the image at 100% of production size (9 by 12 inch). No retouching of the image is permitted. The photograph must have been taken within the year prior to submission.
   
2. A completed information sheet for the bonsai
   
3. A copy of the artist/hobbyist information sheet
   

All of the above must be submitted to ABS@pfmbonsai.com by April 1, 2011.

Click here for application

The Judging

1. The Naka Committee (Appointed by the ABS President) will appoint three judges to review the applications submitted and select the winner. 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 May 1,2011.
   
4. Photographs and paperwork will become the property of ABS and may be used in its publications.
   
5. The committee chair will average the results and report the winners to the committee, the entrants and ABS.
   
6. The committee chair will pass on the comments of the judges ( without naming the judges) to the entrants.
   
7. The decision of the judges will be final.
   
8. 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.
  

For Questions Contact:

The John Naka Award Coordinator At abs@pfmbonsai.com
Or
Pauline F Muth
7 Western Avenue
West Charlton NY 12010
(518) 882-1039