Celebrate the Gardens’ Mid-Century Modern Architecture

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Denver Botanic Gardens’ York Street location. To emphasize the importance of the innovative Boettcher Memorial Conservatory and other structures, an exhibition entitled “Mid-Century Modern: The Gardens’ Landmarks in Context” will be mounted in November, complete with contemporary artist interpretations and historical information.

Consider responding to our Call to Artists via the CaFÉ™ website. Full submission details can be found there. Deadline for entry is August 30. We’re looking for strong two-dimensional work to shed a new light on these strong buildings. Questions? Contact the Gardens’ Exhibitions Department at exhibits@botanicgardens.org. 

World-Building with James Gurney

Song in the Garden by James Gurney

People love to use their imagination to create new worlds.  It doesn’t matter if its a child creating a fairy garden or a grown-up gardener contemplating a new design for the spring: world-building is a favorite activity of almost everyone.  And the right blend of imagination and realistic techniques can make the world as compelling as our own.

James Gurney created not merely art and books, but an entire phenomenon by pairing children’s fantasy and scientific illustration techniques into reconstruction of the imaginary Dinotopia. 
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UnReal Art at the Gardens

Real/UnReal: Botanical Studies by John Bonath, the current art exhibit in Gates Garden Court at our York Street location, sets our concrete walls ablaze with color. From afar, the works are simply appealing interpretations of botanical subjects. Portraits, perhaps. There is more than meets the eye, however. This manipulated digital photography by the well-known Denver artist is born out of the ideologies of Magic Realism and asks viewers to contemplate their definition of reality. A companion display provides secrets to understanding the artist’s process and provides clues to which portraits are of “real” flowers. Or - are any of these images “real?” Be sure to visit the exhibit before January 4 to decide for yourself.

A Busy Day

Wow!  That was a fantastic Earth Day.  About 6,000 people passed through the Gardens, seeing, learning and enjoying. It’s a chance for the Gardens to show its special strengths, like the Water-Smart Garden (above).  The Mayor visited to launch the Denver Daisy (Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’) and many people took notice, including the Denver Post.  300,000 seed packets could mean that the city is covered in them by the end of summer. I also can’t wait to see the different ways people use them in their landscape.  What will they be combined with?

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Rick Darke a Bright Light

Rick Darke (standing on the right) gave us a terrific show last night, a bright light among our constellations of illuminating programs.  In an age of CGI movies, it’s not every speaker who can hold an audience spellbound with images and ideas.  But everyone there was treated to a worldwide, whirlwind tour of the ways that plants and urban spaces interact.  His pictures ranged from great horticulture in urban parks, to forgotten spaces being reclamed by plants, to human-intended reclamation, to serendipitous natural beauty.  We saw plants succeeding in a former California gas station, an abandoned Manhattan elevated train, a cement works in New Zealand, and a former steel mill in Dusseldorf, Germany.  There are so many possibilities!  So many contenders for a new ideal.

Urban Nature is shaping up to a terrific, relevant exhibit.  I’m so curious to see the art work and eager to start connecting people to plants.  Join Denver Botanic Gardens now to come to the members only preview in mid-April!