from FB- 12/4/24
It is with great sadness that I am announcing that bonsai pioneer Jim Barrett has passed away. As Bob Pressler said, "His stamp will forever be on American bonsai and bonsai pottery." Jim was always a welcoming presence at Descanso Bonsai club meetings and an outstanding teacher in my early bonsai days. He was a titan in the world of bonsai and his pots were chershed. Jim's storied career in bonsai began in 1954 when he bought two bonsai from San Gabriel Nursery. For four years, he took guidance from the few bonsai books in English he found. When Komai Bonsai Nursery opened in 1958, Jim found a place of inspiration. He never had formal bonsai lessons, but Japanese bonsai experts including Frank Nagata and Khan Komai shared information that they’d read in Japanese publications.
With Khan’s encouragement, Jim started teaching beginner classes at Komai Bonsai Nursery in 1960. He began traveling in 1969 as a featured demonstrator and workshop conductor at regional, national, and international conventions. Jim became the first non-Japanese instructor in the country to teach organized bonsai classes. You can view his most treasured tree, a twisted pomegranate at Huntington Gardens.
He was featured in more than a dozen newspaper articles from the late 1960s through the 1980s. In 1975, when Jim had difficulty finding good bonsai pots, he decided to make his own. Jim became the most famous bonsai pot maker in California. Although well known for his shohin and mini-pots, his main interest was making large containers modeled after Japanese- and Chinese-style pots.
In 2001, the National Bonsai Foundation created the first North American Bonsai Pot Competition. Jim was honored with first prize for an original bonsai pot in the modern style. Jim was the first president of Golden State Bonsai Federation and served six years as chairman of the GSBF Collection at The Huntington. He was the founding president of Santa Anita Bonsai Society and a former president of Bonsai Clubs International. He was a featured speaker at many bonsai conventions and clubs and has worked for many bonsai associations. He was the past president of Bonsai Clubs International and served on the American Bonsai Society’s board of directors. You can watch his demonstration at Sansui Bonsai club here:
Jim's family has requested privacy at this time. Please no phone calls, flowers, emails.
