Workshops
2026 Fall Fruit & Foliage Bonsai Exhibition
All scheduled events are open to the public and included with admission to Hidden Lake Gardens, except for the workshops. Workshop participants must register in advance. Space for workshops is limited - REGISTER TODAY!
Find a chronological listing of lecture, workshop and demonstration times on the Event Schedule page.
Featured Workshop Presenters
Bill Valavanis
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.
Workshop A – Itoigawa Shimpaku: Designing Bonsai Using Junipers
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Visitors Center
$150 per person, REGISTER HERE
This workshop features Itoigawa Shimpaku Junipers, also known as Sargent Juniper, a favorite among bonsai enthusiasts of all skill levels. Known for their soft, bright green foliage and flexibility, these trees are quick to develop, easy to maintain, and offer many styling possibilities. The trunks and branches have already been wired and shaped (without wire scars), providing a strong foundation for creating your own unique bonsai design. These healthy, container-grown specimens were started from cuttings, offer plenty of shaping options, and are ready for you to style and enjoy.
More Opportunities to Connect with Bill Valavanis:
Demonstration
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM | Visitors Center
Included with Admission
Lecture – The Art of Bonsai Display
Sunday, October 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Visitors Center
Included with Admission
Sean Smith
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.
Workshop D – Root Stand Creation
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 12:30 – 3:30 PM | Service Building
$150 per person, REGISTER HERE
Create your own handcrafted root stand, perfect for displaying a shohin bonsai or accent plant table, as part of a larger bonsai display. In this 2 to 3-hour workshop, a Japanese-trained craftsman will guide you through the history and techniques of creating a traditional Japanese Ne taku (root stand). No woodworking or carving experience is required. Participants are required to bring a corded Dremel rotary tool (electric only, no battery-operated models) and safety glasses. All other materials, including a wooden blank, sandpaper, and finishing supplies, will be provided. Finished root stand will be 5.5 inches round and 1.5 inches tall. Led by Sean Smith, once carving is completed, instructor will provide a finish to your hand-crafted root stand.
Note: Depending upon weather, this workshop may take place outdoors under a tent. Please dress accordingly.
Additional Workshops
Mark and Becky Hanner
The Hanners started their clay journey in the late 1990’s at the Flint Institute of Arts, taking night classes for 7 years before retiring. Shortly thereafter, they had a studio built out behind their house and worked primarily with functional ware-cups, plates, bowls, etc. before moving into bonsai and accent pots. Their pieces are fired to a hot cone 6, which means they are vitrified, or frost-resistant.
Workshop B – Hand-Building Pinch Pots: Fun with Two Pounds of Clay!
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Service Building
$100 per person, REGISTER HERE
Working with up to two pounds of stoneware clay, participants will create a custom pot for small bonsai, accent planting, or kusamono. The workshop will focus on adding texture and visual interest using a variety of tools and materials. A demonstration of the unique "texture and stretch" technique will also be provided, and participants may try this unusual technique, using sodium silicate. Participants are encouraged to focus on applying texture to the pots, and adding different materials of interest, to increase depth and three-dimensionality. Participants may bring items to create their own unique texture using different materials of interest to press into the wet clay, such as leaves with strong veins, seed pods, or heavy bark, to create their own one-of-a-kind textures in the clay. Different materials and tools will be used to add texture to surfaces.
Kurtis Smith, Workshop Leader
Kurtis graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in horticulture in 1985. Around that same time, a friend gifted him with a bonsai tree that he promptly killed. He thought he should know what happened to the poor bonsai. This became his first exposure to bonsai and led to his lifelong passion of the art of bonsai. In 1986, one of his early bonsai buys was a willow leaf-ficus rooted cutting in a dixie cup purchased from the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society annual auction from the late Jerry Meislik. He paid $5 for the cutting back then and he still has the now mature, beautiful bonsai tree, over 40 years later. He and his wife purchased what they called a "rundown" flower shop/greenhouse in 1987, The Flower Market, and slowly began their journey as business owners. By the time they sold The Flower Market in 2022, they were the largest bonsai nursery in Michigan and a destination center for bonsai artists around the country. Now in semi-retirement, his time is spent curating his own bonsai collection, teaching classes, selling bonsai at shows and increasing his participation in local and international bonsai activities. He was the show chair for the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society annual show for many years. He now serves on the planning committee for the inaugural Fall Fruit and Foliage Bonsai Exhibition and is the vice president of the North American Bonsai Federation.
Workshop C – Bonsai Basics: An Introduction to Bonsai Concepts and Design
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Service Building
$75 per person, REGISTER HERE
Participants will receive a tropical Tiger Bark Ficus in a 6-inch plastic bonsai pot to work on and take home after the class. This hands-on workshop covers the fundamentals of tropical bonsai care, including soil selection, lighting requirements, watering techniques, and basic training and shaping. All materials needed for the workshop are provided. If you already own bonsai tools, you are welcome to bring them along for use during the class.
Eric Newton
As with many people, Eric's first exposure to bonsai was The Karate Kid movie. He was fascinated by the little trees. In 1998, he was gifted two bonsai trees: a ficus and procumbins juniper, then promptly killed them both! However, rather than quitting and declaring, “I can’t grow bonsai, I tried and killed them", he instead dove in headfirst to learn what he did wrong. He began reading everything he could find on the subject, joined the Bonsai Society of Kalamazoo, and started taking workshops whenever possible. He was blessed as Ben Oki was the club sensei, and he visited the club each year for many years. Oki gave Eric a huge confidence boost when he said to the other club members, “He is going to be good, look at the beautiful jin he made!” Another key influencer on his development was Jack Wikle, who was the presenter at Eric's first club meeting. Jack showed the club his beautiful tiny trees (mame size) and was amazed at the details and feelings evoked by such small bonsai. Eric started teaching in the early 2000’s at local clubs and the Michigan All-State Show. He says he was hooked, bitten by the bonsai bug and has enjoyed growing and caring for them ever since. He feels strongly that bonsai is a lifelong learning experience that never stops, and teaching is one of the best ways to learn. He loves to share his knowledge and learn from the insightful questions that come up while teaching.
Workshop E – Children's Workshop
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 9:30 – 11:00 AM | Service Building
$10 per person, REGISTER HERE
Bring the little ones for this fun and family-friendly bonsai workshop! Participants will learn the basics of bonsai design, styling, and care in a hands-on environment. The workshop fee includes a bonsai tree to create and take home. A parent, guardian, or other adult is required to attend and assist their young bonsai enthusiasts, but do not need to register.
Steve Jetzer
Steve has been studying bonsai for the past 35 years. It began with Ivan Watters, who at the time was the bonsai curator at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Ivan introduced Steve to Susumu Nakamura, a Japanese bonsai artist/teacher who led a study group in Chicago. Steve has also studied bonsai in Japan. He spent a month at the Fujikawa International School of Bonsai. Currently, Steve studies with Mauro Stemberger. Steve has won several awards for his bonsai artistry His trees have won best of show at the Michigan All-State, Midwest Bonsai Show (Chicago, IL) and the U.S. National Show (Rochester, NY).
Workshop F – BYOT: Bring Your Own Tree
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 9:30 PM – 12:00 PM | Visitors Center
$75 per person, REGISTER HERE
This is a Bring Your Own Tree (BYOT) workshop. Participants should bring bonsai trees that are suitable for autumn work. Appropriate trees include conifers, such as Japanese black pines, larch, and junipers, which respond well to late-season wiring and growth-balancing techniques, as well as deciduous species, such as Japanese maples, trident maples, and bald cypress, that can tolerate structural pruning and wiring at this time of year. Please note that repotting will not be performed during this workshop, as fall is not an appropriate season for repotting bonsai.
All workshops are made possible through the support of the Jack Wikle Bonsai Legacy Fund. The Children's Workshop is offered at a reduced rate through a generous contribution from the organization.
