Happy Memorial Day Weekend Butterflies!
For my New York City Butterflies, here is a memorial day weekend recommendation for you!
Visual Artist Ebony G. Patterson, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago; Photo: Frank Isman |
Contemporary Visual Artist and winner of the 2023 David C. Driskell Prize, Ebony G. Patterson's latest exhibition "things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…" is set to open to the public starting May 27 and run through September 17th, 2023.
New York Botanical is showcasing creative women of color twice in a row, first with this year's Orchid Show with designer Lily Kwong and now with this exhibition by Ebony G. Patterson - and I am entirely here for it!
Ms. Patterson is the first visual artist ever to embed within the institution for an immersive residency. She worked directly with NYBG's gardens and collections to form a new body of work that brings her unique perspective on formal gardens to life within the 250-acre National Historic Landmark Landscape.
Visual Artist Ebony G. Patterson, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago; Photo: Frank Isman |
Gardens tend to be celebrated when they are in full bloom, when they are fragrant and colorful. They don't get the same love when they are dormant or worse still decaying. But they are nonetheless an important part of the process and life, and this is what is explored in this new exhibition.
The exhibition reflects a deep engagement with the concept of gardens as human-made interventions in nature while shedding new light on the Botanical Garden. It aims to provide new pathways for engagement with the garden and the natural world. It explores that the processes of molting, shedding and decaying are actually revelatory processes that give way to healing, regeneration and ultimately beauty. Are gardens really burial grounds for history?
Outside of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory there are hundreds of vulture sculptures each doing something different but many are focused on flowers, flowers that include zinnias, sunflowers, and cosmos rendered in blood-red hues, with ruptures that are being tended to by the vultures.Vultures remove dead and decaying animals from the environment. Patterson reveals that while they don't have the most glamorous job in nature, their work is nonetheless important. She refers to their essential ecosystem service as an "act of care".
Pricing:
Adults: $35
Students (with Valid ID) and Seniors (65+): $31
Children (2-12 years of age): $15
Children under 2: FREE
Patrons/Members: FREE
Wednesdays all day grounds access pass is FREE to NYC residents! Remember that Grounds Admission does not include admission to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Special Exhibitions or Tram Tour. Visit nybg.org for more information on event calendar and ticket pricing.
MY TAKE:
As a butterfly lover I have always marveled at Nature's ability to transform itself. A butterfly starts out as a caterpillar. Not the prettiest creature, but it transforms itself into a thing of delicate and graceful beauty. As you explore, make it a mindful meditation on ways you can shed what no longer serves you to emerge into a more beautiful version of yourself. (inner beauty and grace, not just outer!)
Readers Sound Off: What are your weekend plans?
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