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Why "Purple Pot"?
The Purple Pot Society seeks to honor the traditions within the art of bonsai while fostering evolution and innovation. Purple pots are not commonplace in bonsai display and they have become our symbol of creativity and expression. The Purple Pot Society encourages artists to think differently about "the rules" and challenges artists to experiment and push the progression of bonsai as art.
Pot by Denise Soultanian (DMSPottery)
Our Story
Co-founders Samantha Holm and Carmen Leskoviansky met in March 2021 while Samantha was writing Gender Disparity in American Bonsai. Samantha reached out to Carmen, Bonsai Collections specialist at the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, for information on the resident bonsai collection. They quickly bonded over their love of bonsai, the joys and challenges of motherhood, and their passions for art and social justice. Realizing that they both wanted to work towards gender equity in the art of bonsai, the Purple Pot Society was born.