Weird, Wild, & Wonderful: An Evening of Women, Art & Botany

Posted in Programs and Events on May 14 2014, by Lansing Moore

Only two more weeks until Elizabeth Gilbert and Amy Stewart come to the Garden for what promises to be one of the most engaging and inspiring evenings of the summer—and we can hardly wait! On May 29, attendees will enjoy a private viewing of the Garden’s triennial exhibit of botanical art, Weird, Wild, & Wonderful in the Ross Gallery. 46 works in a variety of media from a talented selection of contemporary botanical artists display nature’s most unusual plants as you’ve never seen them before.

Specialty cocktails will be available for purchase during the viewing, crafted by none other than Amy Stewart herself, the celebrated author of The Drunken Botanist, a bestselling guide to the plants at the root—as it were—of our favorite drinks. Truly an indispensable gardening tool. The recipes for this evening include the “Kind-hearted Monster,” inspired by Asuka Hishiki’s outstanding illustration of Solanum lycopersicum—or heirloom tomato—featured in the exhibit.

The second drink of the evening is called “The Signature of All Things,” after Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest book. This new novel by the author of the wildly successful Eat, Pray, Love centers on a 19th-century woman whose botany research takes her across the globe, exploring the history of her American family and her growing romance with a utopian artist. Copies will be available for purchase at a booksigning to follow the talk.

Before the two visiting authors take the stage in the Ross Hall, Garden scientist Barbara Thiers will deliver a preliminary presentation profiling “Wonder Women of Science” at NYBG, and Robin Jess and Carol Woodin of the American Society of Botanical Artists will discuss the contributions of artists to botany.

This special event requires advance registration and is sure to sell out! With only two weeks left, don’t wait another day to snag a seat at Weird, Wild & Wonderful: An Evening of Women, Art & Botany.