Chris Smith

Director of Marketing and Communications

Botanical Art Blooms at BRIT

September 24, 2019

BRIT continues to celebrate its Year of Botanical Art with an exhibition organized by the American Society of Botanical Artists

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) invites the community to be part of a worldwide artistic appreciation of native plants with the exhibition “Botanical Art Worldwide: America’s Flora” Sept. 26 through Nov. 27.

BRIT is one of just four venues in the United States for the exhibition, which was organized by the United States Botanic Garden and the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA). BRIT will host a reception with ASBA Director of Exhibitions Carol Woodin on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. Ms. Woodin will introduce the exhibition and lead a gallery tour at 1 p.m., with a complimentary dessert and coffee reception to follow. The program is free and open to the public.

On display at BRIT will be 46 artworks depicting native plants from across the U.S., including flowering dogwoods from East Texas, saguaro cacti from the desert southwest and bigleaf maples from the west coast. The plants range from the everyday and familiar, such as sunflowers, to the rare and endangered, such as lady's-slipper orchids. Goals of the program include increasing appreciation and understanding of the world's plant diversity and raising awareness about botanical art worldwide.

“Botanical art draws attention to the value plants bring to life, while also raising awareness for the BRIT conservation, research and education mission,” said Ed Schneider, PhD, BRIT president and executive director. “It draws people in who might otherwise never look our way.”

The American Society of Botanical Artists has worked for four years on “America’s Flora,” helping its members create 240 images of native U.S. plants. A jury of botanical artists and botanists selected 46 works for the exhibition.

“We are fortunate to have access to a juried exhibition of this caliber, which features beautiful examples of botanical art,” said Erin Starr White, BRIT community education manager. “This is a unique opportunity for BRIT, and a fantastic way to wrap up our Year of Botanical Art.”

BRIT has focused on botanical art throughout 2019, with multiple exhibitions of plant-based art including displays by Houston-based artist Elizabeth Sage McLaurin and the 2019 International Award of Excellence in Conservation honoree Dr. Shirley Sherwood.

 

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