Spotlight on the Museum Curators

The fine care that the trees in the collections of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum receive, their artful presentation, and the Museum’s educational outreach activities are all under the purview of the curator. The museum and its collections have been fortunate in the individuals who have served as curator since 1975.

Robert “Bonsai Bob” Drechsler was the founding curator, serving in that capacity for more than twenty years, from 1975 to 1996. Ably assisted by the late Dan Chiplis, Drechsler set the high standards for the care of the collection that are still maintained today.

Warren Hill succeeded him, serving from 1996 to 2001. Jack Sustic followed Hill, from 2002 to 2005, and was succeeded by Jim Hughes, from 2005 to 2008. Jack Sustic returned to the curatorship in 2008 to the present.

Curators, of course, do not work alone. A large part of the museum’s success is also due to its committed staff, volunteers and interns, all of whom work in tandem with the curator, caring for each small tree or tiny landscape in the museum.

Robert “Bonsai Bob” Drechsler with Dan Chiplis

Warren Hill

Jack Sustic

Jim Hughes