Speakers & Workshop Leaders
2026 Fall Fruit & Foliage Bonsai Exhibition
Workshop and lecture details will be forthcoming on the Event Schedule page. This is a not‑to‑be‑missed opportunity for bonsai enthusiasts, gardeners, and anyone who loves the beauty of autumn.
Suthin Sukosolvisit - Guest Artist, Exhibition Judge, Demonstrator, Workshop Leader
Born in Thailand, Suthin has extensive experience with tropical bonsai. His expertise also includes Japanese maple, Juniper, Azalea, Black Pine and many other species. Suthin has won multiple National Bonsai Awards in Thailand and the United States. He lectures all around the world and at some of the most important bonsai conventions in the United States. Suthin shares new information and techniques whenever he teaches. His Bonsai are known for their proportion, refinement and detail. He is mostly admired for his remarkable shohin bonsai designs. Suthin and his wife operate the Royal Bonsai Garden in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
Bill Valavanis – Lecturer & Workshop Leader
Bonsai Artist & Educator. William N. Valavanis became interested in bonsai and horticulture at age eleven and pursued his interest by studying Ornamental Horticulture at SUNY Farmingdale and Cornell University. He has made over 50 trips to Japan and apprenticed with Kyuzo Murata and Kakutaro Komuro in Omiya Bonsai Village in Japan. Additionally, a 30-year study and association with Yuji Yoshimura combined with his formal horticultural degrees, apprenticeships in Japan and his artistic talent provide Bill with the solid background to promote and teach Classical bonsai art around the world.
Sean Smith – Workshop Leader
Sean Smith is a bonsai artist who has trained in furniture and bonsai display table construction, suiseki daiza carving and bonsai, both in the United States and Japan. With an extensive background in construction, he combined it with his passion for bonsai and started his Custom Oriental Woodcraft business (bonsai display tables, suiseki daiza and Japanese rooms) and now his Three Mountain Bonsai Studio- Sanzan Bonsai Gakkou (bonsai instruction, bonsai display and Japanese aesthetics.) In Marysville, PA. While in Japan, he studied with the foremost artists and authorities on aesthetics and display with Seiji Morimae and Mr. Negishi. His suiseki daiza carving teacher and mentor was Koji Suzuki.
Danny Coffey – Lecturer
Danny is a passionate bonsai enthusiast turned pro. His skillset and expertise have earned the trust of several private collections and countless students. As an instructor he offers a down-to-earth approach. With values such as tree health, understanding the creative process and appreciating the subtle joys of bonsai at the core of every lesson. Encouraging students to focus on growth and progress as bonsai hobbyists. While gaining a solid foundation of technical skills through hands on instruction.
Mason McNair – Lecturer
Dr. McNair is widely recognized for his passion for horticulture, a journey that began in childhood and grew into a career spanning plant taxonomy, botanical garden leadership, and innovative horticultural research. He was recently appointed curator and director of the MSU Horticulture Gardens, where he is helping shape a new vision for the future of the gardens.
