Meetings
Meetings of the Midwest Bonsai Society are held at the Regenstein Center of the Chicago Botanic Garden - 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022. Meetings will be held in either the Burnstein Hall or in the Alsdorf Auditorium. The guard in the Regenstein Center will direct you to the correct room. A map of the rooms within the Regenstein center is available at the Garden's website.
There is no cost to attend our meetings once inside of the Garden, but regular parking rates and per-person admission ticket prices apply for entry into the Chicago Botanic Garden. Please see the Garden’s dedicated webpage for pricing details.
Please come to your meetings and bring your trees. We want to help you grow in the hobby you adore. MBS provides a host of great presenters, programs and educational focus on making you the best bonsai practitioner you can be!
The Chicago Chapter of the Society also holds meetings. Please check the Chicago Chapter page for dates and times.
Meeting Schedule for 2026
Note: This meeting is occurring the second, not the first, Monday of the month due to the holiday
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Chris Baker (curator of the Botanic Garden Bonsai Collection) will do a “bring in your trees for evaluation”
We encourage members to bring in one of their trees for a thorough evaluation and potential suggestions for design and development improvements. There will be members with carts assisting members that bring trees from and back to the parking lot.
Note: Meeting date is moved due to visiting artist and program
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Guest Artist Mauro Stemberger performs an initial styling on a tree!
We are excited to bring Mauro in for a demonstration on a tree from initial approach, design, wiring, questions and answers - don’t miss this meeting! Mauro is one of the leading Bonsai artists renowned worldwide. Mauro’s tree will be auctioned off at the completion of his demonstration!
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Dave Kreutz will lead a program on azaleas
Dave specializes in design, care and feeding of azaleas. He will bring some trees for sale, and we will auction off the azalea from his demonstration. If there are any questions on azaleas, Dave is the man!
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Phil Maliot presentation on wiring specimen trees!
Phil, a well-known local bonsai artist, will present on wiring, raffia, and the use of guy wires on a specimen tree. The proper use of wires and the bending of your plant is essential for the health and development of a bonsai. This tree will be auctioned at a later general meeting.
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Prepare your tress for our August Exhibition!
Due to the proximity to the August Show, we encourage members to bring in their trees for a complete evaluation by Victor Zurzcak, Matt Mazza, Larry Magee, and Elle Nieto-Brodnick. This will be a working session, so please bring your trees, tools, and wire to work on your trees as the others are being evaluated. There will be carts and members to help transfer your trees from the parking lot to and from the meeting.
Note: This meeting is occurring the second, not the first, Monday of the month due to the holiday
Location: Learning Campus - Classroom TBD
7:00 PM - Chris Baker returns for a demo on rock plantings!
Don’t miss this presentation; this incorporates all phases of rock planting from selection, carving, muck preparation, mounting and dressing. Proper rock planting techniques are crucial in supporting the health and vigor of your trees.
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Back by popular demand “Iron Bonsai” returns to the MBS!
Victor, Matt, and Larry will meet again in the Thunder Dome (Burnstein Hall) to face off to make a bonsai from nursery stock right in front of your eyes! Who will be the new owner of the title Iron Bonsai for 2026? The three trees will be purchased from Brussels Nursery in Mississippi, transformed before your eyes, and auctioned at the end of the allotted time. Last year was classic and we’re looking forward to another great presentation. Please, no wagering!
Location: Regenstein Center, Burnstein Hall
7:00 PM - Winter care with Jason Davis
Jason David, representing Prairie State Bonsai, will present ‘Winter Care.” If you want to keep your trees happy and healthy during their long winter nap, don’t miss this meeting.