The GitchiGami Bonsai Guild is holding meetings on the third Thursday of every month to grow a new community in the Marquette area. The group meets to share their love of bonsai, a hobby that combines nature and art. From left: Patti Kainulainen, Bob Mahin, Dar Shepherd, Marc Weinrick, Walker Derby, Jeremy Pickens, Langston Pickens and Alex Bott. (Journal photo by Randy Crouch)

MARQUETTE — A new community is growing in Marquette after the first meeting of the GitchiGami Bonsai Guild.

The guild held its first meeting at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center in Peter White Public Library Thursday. The guild focuses on sharing its love of bonsai, which is an art-form that strives to grow a realistic looking tree in a pot. The trees are designed to look like a representation of a natural setting without any evidence of human intervention.

The group came together when three local citizens, Walker Derby, Jeremy Pickens and Marc Weinrick, decided to try and build a community through their passion for bonsai. Derby and Pickens met in a one-in-a-million way: Derby was posting on a bonsai-centered message board on the website Reddit. After discussing his trees with another user, they started to chat and the other user mentioned that he was located in Michigan. After further discussion, the other user mentioned that he was located in Marquette. That other user was Jeremy Pickens.

“For me, bonsai was always a connection to nature and it’s also an artistic endeavor. It’s a living art form that isn’t static like a painting is or a photograph is. It’s something that’s always changing,” Pickens said. “The more you give it, the more it gives back to you. That’s why I like it. I’m sure if you ask different artists, everybody has a different reason for it. Some people just like to stare at their tree and get lost in it. For me, it’s a combination of art, process and nature. It gives me a way to de-stress from my daily activity. The tree doesn’t yell at you or get mad at you. It’s like a dog — the more you give it, the more it gives back.”

Organizers said the great thing about bonsai is that anyone can get involved. You can spend $20, $200 or anything inbetween. If you have any interest in attending a meeting, the guild will get together during the third Thursday of every month at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center, which is located in the downstairs area of the library. The next meeting is scheduled for May 19.

The meetings are free to attend and each gathering will have tips, tutorials, literature and demonstrations on how to get a bonsai operation up and running. For more information on the guild, contact gichigamibonsaiguild@gmail.com.