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Title: A collector's passion from catching the stone to sharing the view

Author
item Emerson-Dell, Kathleen

Submitted to: American Viewing Stones. Beyond the Black Mountain: Color, Pattern, and Form
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2015
Publication Date: 12/30/2015
Publication URL: http://American Viewing Stone Publisher: Resource Center (2008) Author: James Greaves ISBN: 0981768903
Citation: Emerson Dell, K. 2015. A collector's passion: from catching the stone to sharing the view introduction to the 2015 edition of beyond the black mountain,vi-vii.

Interpretive Summary: The 2008 exhibition at the U.S. National Arboretum's National Bonsai & Penjing Museum - Beyond the Black Mountain: Color, Pattern, and Form in American Viewing Stones - presented a new type of display for viewing stone exhibits. Previously, viewing stones were exhibited as individual objects which appealed mainly to specialists. In this exhibit we arranged stones according to themes which engaged a broader audience, increasing our visitation. Visitors benefitted from a new presentation of this art form.

Technical Abstract: This is an introduction to a second edition of the catalogue for the groundbreaking 2008 exhibition at the U.S. National Arboretum's National Bonsai & Penjing Museum - Beyond the Black Mountain: Color, Pattern, and Form in American Viewing Stones. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is one of the few venues in the country promoting the appreciation of viewing stones through a permanent display of stones from its own collection, but it depends upon the quality and depth of private collections for creating the special exhibits that wow and inspire the public. Breaking with traditional Japanese methods of display, the resulting exhibit introduced new types of stones grouped by content - a concept that has become in many ways seminal for viewing stone appreciation in North America. When the catalogue was first published, it did not include a reference to the venue at the U.S. National Arboretum. This new introduction, written by the organizing curator, describes details of the exhibit installations, public programs, and a children's workshop.