Botanical Art Exhibitions Opening at the Woodson Art Museum
Spotlighting the ephemeral beauty and variety of plant life, two botanical art exhibitions open at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum on Saturday, June 8.
“Botanical Art Worldwide: America’s Flora” highlights U.S. indigenous plants – from cacti and trees to woodland flowers – with a goal to increase appreciation and understanding of the world’s plant diversity and its interconnectedness. An array of North American flora, both familiar and rare, is meticulously depicted in watercolor and other mediums. Curated by the American Society of Botanical Artists and the United States Botanic Garden, the exhibition is part of a worldwide project emphasizing the importance of conserving botanical diversity and linking people with plants via botanical art.
“Flora, Fauna, Font: Illustrating the Alphabet,” features Kandis Vermeer Phillips’ illuminated alphabet adorned with plants, mammals, and insects. Phillips integrated extensive research into the history of medieval illuminated manuscripts – embellished with luminous colors – into an alphabet primer for her granddaughter. She combined decorative letters with representations of flowers and creatures found in her garden and during family travels.
This exhibition was organized by the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Both exhibitions remain on view at the Woodson Art Museum through August 25.