Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on October 22 2015, by Matt Newman
Here’s a first look at our gargantuan record-breaker from North American grower Ron Wallace, a 2,230-lb. pumpkin from Rhode Island that you can see here now and throughout the next two weekends of our Giant Pumpkin Carving and display!
North America’s heaviest pumpkin in the Visitor Center – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in History on October 21 2015, by Sarah Henkind
In celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, on the weekends of October 24 & 25 and October 31 & November 1, Bronx-based artist Lucrecia Novoa and the Mascaraviva puppeteers parade her giant skeleton and La Catrina puppets throughout the Garden. Inspired by both the traditional and modern representations of the skeletal character, Lucrecia’s puppets—made especially for this occasion—provide the perfect photo opportunity and interactive experience. Catch them wandering throughout the Garden from 12 to 4 p.m.!
But who is La Catrina? The referential image of death in Mexico, it is common to see La Catrina featured in Día de los Muertos celebrations, where death is treated with familiarity and hospitality instead of dread.
La Catrina was originally drawn as a satirical cartoon (1910–1913) by famous Mexican printmaker and illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada. The etching was intended to make fun of Mexican elite who were adopting European fashion and attitudes. Named “La Calavera Garbancera,” the image was meant to represent the large gap between social classes, and was inspired by Mictecacihuatl, the Aztec goddess of death and Lady of Mictlan, the underworld.
Here is an image of Posado’s La Calavera Oaxaqueña, which is similar in style to the Catrina:
Here is a sneak peak at Lucrecia’s interpretation of Catrina:
Posada’s creation might have given La Catrina her form, but it was Diego Rivera, muralist, and husband of Frida Kahlo, who named her. Diego’s mural, “Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Centra (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central)” (1946–1948), features an image of Catrina right in the middle of the artwork, next to Frida. Because of Diego’s popularity, La Catrina rose to fame, and is a now iconic representation of the Mexican willingness to embrace death- and to even laugh at it. After all, there is something a bit humorous, if also a tad creepy, about a skeleton dressed in opulent fashion. Images and more information on the mural can be found here.
We do hope you will come out to celebrate the lives of loved deceased ones, especially Frida Kahlo, as we prepare to say goodbye to the exhibition on November 1!
Posted in Programs and Events on October 21 2015, by Lansing Moore
This weekend NYBG is thrilled to welcome back the Master Carver himself, Ray Villafane, who will once again lead our annual Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend with a live demonstration of his remarkable skills and daily Q&A sessions with his team of carvers—with a special twist in honor of Día de los Muertos!
This year’s larger-than-life pumpkin tableau will represent this traditional holiday from Mexico and will remain on display alongside the largest pumpkins in North America—some weighing more than a ton—as part of the Giant Pumpkin Display from October 24 through November 1. It’s all part of the first Día de los Muertos Weekend on October 24 & 25! Click through to view details about this special weekend celebration and see more photos of the programs and activities to come.
Posted in Photography on October 21 2015, by Matt Newman
The last of the giant pumpkins arrives at the Garden today, just in time for our Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend and Día de los Muertos celebration beginning this Saturday. If you’ve never seen Ray Villafane and his crew of expert sculptors turn these monstrous fruits into works of spooky art, it’s not to be missed!
This year’s record-breaking pumpkin from the North American crop, weighing in at 2,230 pounds, is right here at the Garden—come check it out!
Giant pumpkins in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on October 20 2015, by Matt Newman
View the Haupt Conservatory through the lens of autumn. It’s not hard to find a vantage point nowadays.
The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Holiday Train Show on October 19 2015, by Matt Newman
Nearly a half-mile of track winds its way through the Haupt Conservatory come November, when a twinkling 24-year tradition of model trains and cityscapes in miniature returns to NYBG for another winter season. The Holiday Train Show has fast become New York City’s most beloved holiday pastime, a moment when children, parents, and train lovers alike flock to the Garden for a stroll through the nostalgic little world that we’ve dreamed up. And this year, we’re doing it bigger than ever.
Beginning November 21, the show brings along 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, making plenty of room for more trains, tracks, and bridges. Look for locomotives chugging along overhead and zipping between 150 landmarks crafted from bark, leaves, and other plant parts; among them, our brand-new Conservatory replica, reimagined just last year, is joined in 2015 by a jaw-dropping model of the New York Public Library building.
Don’t expect to go hungry while you’re here, either. Alongside our year-round offerings, like the casual dining of the Pine Tree Café and the full-service experience of the Hudson Garden Grill, stop for family-friendly seasonal treats from our new Gingerbread Café. And if you’re looking to warm up amid the snow flurries, head to the new Frosty’s Schnapps Haus in the Visitor Center, where fresh-made pretzels and hot spiked drinks are sure to hit the spot before you set off to explore our winter wonderland.
Posted in Photography on October 19 2015, by Matt Newman
Waterfall in the Thain Family Forest – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on October 16 2015, by Matt Newman
Time’s running out for FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life, and there’s so much going on in the final weeks of October that you won’t want to let this one pass you by. Fall’s presence is undeniable as you walk through the Garden, tinging the trees with reds and yellows, and Halloween is fast approaching. More importantly, Día de los Muertos is just around the corner. It would be an understatement to say that we’re celebrating the holidays with style.
Alongside this weekend’s schedule of outdoor tours, music, food, and other exhibition programming, we’re preparing for the coming week of after-dark events and lively holiday fiestas that all begin with Frida for Families: A Spooky Nighttime Adventure. On Friday, October 23, grab tickets and bring your little ones (don’t forget their costumes!) for a night of trick-or-treating in the Garden, hands-on Halloween fun in the Adventure Garden, live costumed performers, giant puppets, and more. It’s a safe and exciting way to celebrate the holiday a little early.
For adults, join us during our Frida al Fresco LGBT night on Thursday, October 22, and don’t forget to register for our last Frida Look-Alike contest of the exhibition—accepted entrants get free admission to the evening event and a chance to win prizes from NYBG Shop!
Posted in Photography on October 16 2015, by Matt Newman
In the Perennial Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in People on October 14 2015, by Matt Newman
It was a glitzy evening of dinner, dancing, and fall-blooming color that brought a crowd of well-dressed attendees to the Garden on Thursday, October 8, each person there to toast our guests of honor: the unmatched actress and rosarian, Julie Andrews, and NYBG‘s own Curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, Stephen Scanniello.
The 25th anniversary of the Rose Garden Dinner saw guests enjoying cocktails and exclusive tours among the autumn blooms of the Rose Garden, followed by an elegant dinner served in the Garden Terrace Room. A special presentation by Scanniello on the sustainable gardening practices that support NYBG’s rose collection was matched with the unveiling of a new display of Andrews’ favorite rose cultivar, ‘Sally Holmes’.
Guests closed out the night with mingling, drinks, and dancing, while the proceeds from the dinner went toward supporting the Fund for Horticulture and the continued preservation and development of the historic Rockefeller Rose Garden. Thanks goes out to everyone who joined us!