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by Deb Shaw

The wonderful botanical art exhibitions at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Brody Botanical Center are in their final month of display.

Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens, The Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial and American Society of Botanical Artists will be on display until August 27, 2018, along with BAGSC’s adjunct exhibition “Amazing Trees.”  BAGSC members will continue to have drop-in family botanical art activities and botanical art demonstrations every Saturday and Sunday through that time as well.

These exhibitions have been a whirlwind of wonderful opportunities. A few highlights have included:

Linda Chiavaroli, a volunteer author in the office of communications and marketing at The Huntington introduced the exhibition with an article in “Verso,” The Blog for The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Read the article here.

Deborah Friedman was interviewed and videotaped by Aric Allen, Video Producer, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens about her development of her painting of the California Sycamore, Platanus racemosa in “Out of the Woods.” See the insightful video interview on YouTube here.

Steve Hindle, Interim President of The Huntington, “President’s Message: The Gentle Giants Among Us,” July/August “Calendar.” Read a PDF of the Message: huntington-pres-ltr-OOTW

“Out of the Woods” has been featured in all kinds of publicity and outreach from The Huntington, including the “President’s Message: The Gentle Giants Among Us,” by Interim President Steve Hindle in the July/August issue of The Huntington’s “Calendar.”

BAGSC participated in a Huntington open house and reception for The Huntington Fellows on Tuesday evening, May 22, 2018. BAGSC members Catherine Dellor, Estelle DeRidder, Suz Landay, Patricia Mark, Veronica Raymond, Olga Ryabstova, Gilly Shaeffer, Deborah Shaw, and Jude Wiesenfeld demonstrated at the well-attended reception. BAGSC members Susan Bartow, Teri Kuwahara, Tania Norris, Mitsuko Schultz, Beth Stone, and Leslie Walker attended too. Concurrent with the botanical art demonstrations that evening in the Ahmanson at the Brody Botanical Center, the ASBA Worldwide exhibitions were on display on the large screen, including the US exhibition (currently on display at the US Botanic Gardens) and exhibitions from 24 other countries. (See information about the ASBA Worldwide exhibition here. Information about the participating countries in the botanical art Worldwide Exhibition can be found here. Be sure to see the gallery slideshows and instructions on ordering exhibition catalogs from the US and other countries.)

Click on any of the images below to see in slide show with captions.

Some of the signage for The Huntington’s Fellows reception and open house, with Esmée Winkel’s Leiden’s 300-year-old Liriodendron tulipifera in Autumn Liriodendron tulipifera Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Phaleonopsis from The Huntington’s collections in luxurious display.

The open house/reception flowed from the demonstrations in the Ahmanson through the courtyard into the Brody Botanical Center.

Seating area just outside the Flora-Legium gallery, where “Out of the Woods” was on display.

L to R: Jim Folsom with BAGSC members Jude Wiesenfeld, Teri Kuwahara, Beth Stone.

Guests enjoying the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.

Guests enjoying the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.

Jim Folsom remarks.

Robert Hori remarks.

Tania Norris remarks.

Andrew Mitchell who hung “Out of the Woods” and “Amazing Trees”, with BAGSC member Leslie Walker.

Mitsuko Schultz, with her artwork in “Out of the Woods,” Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Burgundy’ Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California.

Jim Folsom, always on the move.

The open house included displays with microscopes for guests to view specimens, as well as tours of the Herbarium, labs, and other research and library spaces in the Brody.

Kathy Musial, curator of living collections at The Huntington found a fruit of the Sausage Tree on The Huntington grounds. The tree was painted by Melanie Campbell-Carter for the “Amazing Trees” exhibition. As in every office, but especially necessary at The Huntington, it’s important to label what is food and “not food.”

Signage for the BAGSC artists who demonstrated botanical art during the evening.

Patricia Mark setting up for the botanical art demonstration, with Leslie Walker.

BAGSC members setting up for the botanical art demonstrations. L to R (seated): Estelle DeRidder, Jude Wiesenfeld, Olga Ryabstova; (standing) Teri Kuwahara.

BAGSC members (L to R) Veronica Raymond and Suz Landay, demonstrating botanical art.

BAGSC member Deborah Shaw demonstrating botanical art.

Jude Wiesenfeld demonstrating botanical art.

Guests viewing the botanical art demonstrations, with images from the ASBA Worldwide exhibition in the background.

The calm before the crowds: (L) BAGSC member Tania Norris and Robert Hori ready the tables for the drop-in family botanical art activities.

BAGSC members have provided drop-in family botanical art activities every weekend throughout the summer, including leaf-rubbings; botanical art demonstrations;  a segment in cooperation with The Huntington’s education department for their “avocado day,” and lots more! Additionally, BAGSC members have been on hand to answer questions from the public about botanical art and artworks in the exhibitions. It has been wonderful (and inspiring) to find many visitors to the exhibitions who have not only returned to see them multiple times, but have brought others to see them as well.

BAGSC members also used the weekend demonstration opportunities to paint orchids generously supplied from The Huntington’s collection by Brandon Tam, orchid collection specialist at The Huntington. Look for these paintings and drawings in our next exhibition at The Huntington in the fall, entitled “Diversity of Orchids.”

In early June, BAGSC members had the good fortune to be able to have Carol Woodin, ASBA Exhibition Chair at our quarterly meeting. Carol was in Southern California presenting at the American Public Gardens Association Conference with Devin Dotson from the US Botanic Gardens. Carol spoke to BAGSC members about painting orchids, followed by an audience-requested tour through the “Out of the Woods” exhibition. Click on any of the images below to see an enlarged slide show of the images with captions.

BAGSC’s quarterly meeting at The Huntington was filled to capacity. BAGSC President, Janice Sharp, got the meeting started.

BAGSC members and guests at the meeting.

BAGSC members and guests at the meeting.

Carol Woodin reviewing her notes before her presentation about orchids. Carol discussed what she looked for in an orchid subject, as well as composition issues that orchids may present.

BAGSC Treasurer Beth Stone giving her report.

Jim Folsom documenting the meeting.

Tania Norris reporting about the BAGSC drop-in activities each weekend in conjunction with “Out of the Woods” and “Amazing Trees.”

“Out of the Woods” didactic inside the exhibition.

Carol graciously gave an impromptu tour of the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.

BAGSC members and guests attending the meeting had time to spend with the artworks.

Carol Woodin talking about the artwork in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.

Carol Woodin talking about the artwork in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.

Carol Woodin talking about the artwork in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.

Mitsuko Schultz spoke about her artwork, Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Burgundy’ Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California.

Olga Ryabstova spoke about the print-making process, as well as her piece in “Out of the Woods,” Roxburgh Fig Ficus auriculata San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California.

On Sunday, July 29, 2018, The Huntington hosted a stellar reception for the exhibitions for around 70 BAGSC members, family, friends and guests. Click on any of the images below to see a slideshow and read the captions.

BAGSC members and guests enjoyed “Out of the Woods” and “Amazing Trees.”

A few words from Jim Folsom.

L to R: BAGSC members Bonnie Born Ash and Tania Norris.

“Amazing Trees” is placed throughout the Brody atrium walls in a delightful display.

Time to visit with members and guests.

Time to visit with members and guests.

Lee and Chuck McAffree came down from Northern California.

Jim Folsom, cooked up an amazing reception spread. Jim, Robert Hori, Danielle Rudeen, and Melanie Thorpe staged an awesome reception.

Jim Folsom, cooked up an amazing reception spread. Jim, Robert Hori, Danielle Rudeen, and Melanie Thorpe staged an awesome reception.

Esmee van Winkel’s painting of Leiden’s 300-Year-Old Tulip Tree in Autumn, Liriodendron tulipifera, Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands has graced all the signage, large and small, and the printed marketing materials produced by The Huntington. The signage is everywhere throughout the campus. Click on any of the images below for a small sampling, and to read the captions.

Signage at the front entrance of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Digital signage in the front entrance courtyard area.

Digital signage above the ticket booths at the front entrance.

Table-top advertisements in the Café.

Large banner on the corner of the Brody Botanical Center.

Graphic just outside the Flora-Legium gallery where “Out of the Woods” is on display.

One of many free-standing signs in the Conservatory.

“Out of Woods” catalogs on display in The Huntington Store, along with a selection of notecards by BAGSC members in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition. Five of the six cards are shown here; The Huntington Store sometimes has them all together, other times they are grouped with like subject areas in the store.

“Out of the Woods” exhibition catalogs are on sale in The Huntington Store for $12.00 US. The Store also is carrying a limited edition of notecards with artwork by BAGSC members in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition, including Margaret Best (Screw-Pine, Pandanus utilis, Bermuda Arboretum, Bermuda), Akiko Enokido (Swamp Cypress, Taxodium distichum, Kobe Municipal Arboretum, Kobe, Japan), Deborah Friedman (California Sycamore, Platanus racemosa, detail from original, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California), Asuka Hishiki (Black Pine Half-cascade Style Bonsai, Pinus nigra, The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama, Japan), Olga Ryabstova (Roxburgh Fig, Ficus auriculata, The San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California), and Mitsuko Schultz (Sweet Gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, ‘Burgundy’, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California).

Asuka Hishiki’s notecard in The Huntington Store on display in the Bonsai area of the Store.

A heartfelt thank you is due to too many to list here, but a special thank you to The Huntington’s Jim Folsom, Robert Hori, Danielle Rudeen, Melanie Thorpe and Andrew Mitchell, along with The Huntington’s Exhibition, Communications, Video, Education, Store and Graphics departments. Another special thank you to the BAGSC artists in “Out of the Woods,” who generously supported our test into The Huntington Store, and to all the other members who worked to make these exhibitions a success. And, last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to Tania Norris for all her work on the exhibition and coordinating the weekend botanical art activities.