As a director of The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit I thought I would create a post about ourselves and the latest fundraising project . Our goal is to further the art and appreciation of bonsai by creating a permanent exhibit here in Austin, Texas. We are an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, really one of the few non-profit bonsai exhibits in the nation. Putting together a permanent exhibit has been a goal for which our members have worked very hard, and we try to think of creative ways to raise funds.
As a fundraiser, one of our members, Donna Dobberfuhl (interrnationally collected artist of Sculptural Designs Atelier
www.sculpturaldesigns.com ) has created a life-sized sculpture honoring John Naka, titled "Sensei." Donna hand-carved the likeness of John from clay using photographic references, and made a temporary cast of the sculpture in Hydrocal before making a mold and casting the piece in Bronze. It will be a one of a kind piece of art, raffled to the public on May 19, 2007. Donna has generously given her time and talent to the project ensuring that all proceeds gathered will go to the funding of this exhibit.
We are trying to spread the word to other bonsai enthusiasts and artists who may wish to take part in this raffle and create a real event while supporting a great cause. Ticket sales through paypal are available at our website
www.ttsbe.org The raffle tickets are only $10 each, allowing anyone to be able to participate. It could also be an opportunity for entire clubs to purchase blocks of tickets, so the sculpture can be club-owned. "Sensei" will find it's new home after the drawing, taking place May 19, 2007 (shipping it to anywhere in the world will not be a problem). If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or any of the other directors (listed on our website at
www.ttsbe.org ).
The bonsai community is a close-knit society who always come together to help each other out. Thanks for taking the time to read about this fund-raising project and our exhibit
.
Joey McCoy
Texas State Bonsai Exhibit, Inc.
Enclosed are images of "Sensei" from different angles and another with the artist.