Artisans Cup

American Bonsai — a steadily growing movement of the millenia-old artform honors ancient Bonsai tradition while continuing to push the artistic boundaries of what is possible in the medium. With a desire to showcase the best and brightest talent in American tree design, Skylab was commissioned to design a full-scale exhibition for The Artisans Cup at the Portland Art Museum. This exhibition and competition is the leading expression of American Bonsai, showcasing the highest level of craftsmanship and skill in this experimental environment intended to engage and inspire a new era of Bonsai artists and enthusiasts. Skylab’s team created a reusable and fully modular display table and lighting system which delivered a cohesive and immersive narrative experience through the 72 living trees on display. Not only was The Artisan’s Cup among the best attended temporary exhibitions in the history of the Portland Art Museum, it also exposed American Bonsai to a whole new audience.