Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on February 8 2014, by Matt Newman
The sculptures of Four Seasons still overshadow the courtyard near the Nymphaea pools for a few more months. Some are fully enveloped in their element right now.
“Winter” in the Conservatory Courtyard — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
If you love taking photographs, don’t forget to enter our Tropical Paradise Photography Contest!
Posted in Exhibitions on January 16 2014, by Thomas Andres
Thomas Andres is an Honorary Research Associate with The New York Botanical Garden.
The Holiday Train Show at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory may have attracted record numbers of visitors this season, but just outside in the Conservatory Courtyard you’ll find four spectacular, 15-foot-high sculptures that are—in my honest opinion—not to be missed! And yet, some visitors may forget that the indoor attractions like the upcoming Tropical Paradise exhibition aren’t the only ones the Conservatory has to offer. Open the exterior doors on the side of the Palm Dome pool opposite the entrance and you’ll see the Four Seasons in all their winter (and spring, and summer, and fall) majesty. They’ll be there through March 30! For my part, I plan on visiting them regularly, because they not only represent the seasons of the year, but seem to constantly change moods depending on the weather and time of day.
The sculptures were inspired by the genius of Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who came to prominence around 500 years ago. No matter your age, you too will be inspired by these pieces, especially when considering the work that contemporary artist Philip Haas undertook to transform them from paintings into monumental 3D portraits. They seem so alive that you might not realize they’re actually composite fiberglass representations of various plant materials, not dissimilar to the models of New York buildings in the Train Show, which use real plant parts to form famous architecture.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on June 16 2013, by Matt Newman
Happy Father’s Day from all of us here at the NYBG! (That includes people made of fruits and vegetables.)
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on May 13 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Just a reminder that ‘Ivy’ and her sisters will soon be departing the Garden. You have until May 26 to see Manolo Valdés’ beautiful ladies before they depart. I’m really going to miss them! Each season was like a costume change for the sculptures. Who will you miss most?
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Exhibitions on May 9 2013, by Matt Newman
If our current exhibition isn’t evidence enough, we’re a little sculpture crazy. From inspirational maquettes to full-sized foundry monoliths, exploring and expounding on the efforts of great artists are just two of the things we can’t help but indulge in. And now, with Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World rounding the bend for its May 18 opening, I think the time is about right to introduce the work of our latest visiting sculptor: Philip Haas.
From the beginning of the style in 16th-century Italy to Haas’ modern-day interpretations, the edible motif of Four Seasons has certainly established its historic foundations. But in three dimensions, these 15-foot-tall statues break from the tradition of Giuseppe Arcimboldo‘s original paintings to provide an entirely novel experience.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 21 2013, by Matt Newman
Philip Haas has a knack. One that brings forests and gardens to life in ways you probably weren’t expecting. And, this coming May, he’s bringing his deft touch to The New York Botanical Garden. Keep an eye out for the inspiration of Arcimboldo in the Conservatory Courtyard, or, if you’d like a preview, hoof it up to the Library Rotunda. Trust me: you’ll never look at a fruit bowl the same way.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on November 10 2012, by Matt Newman
Our Fall Forest Weekend is a go! Join us all through Saturday and Sunday to celebrate what our 50-acre old growth Forest has to offer, as well as the particolored creations of Kodai Nakazawa in our stunning kiku installation, and the seasonal sculpture of Manolo Valdés. Check here for the event schedule!
Chrysanthemum ‘NYBG Series Orange’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on September 16 2012, by Matt Newman
Spend any time outside in the Garden this weekend and you’ll be hard-pressed to miss the work of Manolo Valdés. Trust me. The show officially begins September 22.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Exhibitions on September 13 2012, by Matt Newman
We’re suckers for a good surprise (as long as we’re the ones behind it). But it’s a spot more difficult to keep the main event under wraps when it comes to exhibitions this impressive. Manolo Valdés casts a formidable shadow, sparing nothing to create some of the most striking–and colossal–visuals for our upcoming Monumental Sculpture exhibit; for the uninitiated, that’s our next major show here at the NYBG. And this week we jumped headlong into preparation for the September 22 opening.
All told, we couldn’t exactly sneak these sculptures into the Garden. Some of them, such as the Alhambra piece, weigh in at 40,000 pounds with spans reaching nearly 50 lateral feet; they’re not what you’d call statuettes. Arranging these monoliths has proven a spectacle in itself, drawing streams of visitors and employees alike, all snapping away with their cameras as we uncrate and maneuver massive heads and latticework by truck-mounted cranes. It’s a careful and dramatic process that we were able to capture a bit of in the last couple of days.
Posted in Programs and Events on August 28 2012, by Matt Newman
Bats in the trees, ghosts in the garden, and jack-o’-lanterns every which way you look–Halloween is soon to creep its way back into the NYBG. And even for someone like me, who’s usually too busy to realize what time of year it is until the spirit is sneaking up behind me (the best way to experience the holiday, I suppose), there’s too much incoming excitement for us to let it wait until later.
This year, the Garden’s madcap Halloween events are back and even bigger than 2011’s. That’s if you can imagine us topping a cadre of record-breaking pumpkins carved into the stuff of nightmares. But we absolutely plan to! Plans are in the works to again feature the gargantuan gourds of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, which will once again go under the knife of master carver and ghoul-whittler extraordinaire, Ray Villafane. Together with his team of skilled pumpkin sculptors, he’s on track to top last year’s masterpieces a few times over.