Exhibition Celebrates Botanical ‘Heroes’
January 7, 2010 – 10:09 am
BENTONVILLE, Ark., January 7, 2010 – Crystal Bridges will celebrate a different kind of hero this spring. Photographs of botanical survivors, from the gnarled, 50-foot-wide root system of an ancient fig tree to the dew-drenched petals of a rare tree peony, are featured in Heroes of Horticulture, a traveling exhibition on display January 14 – March 21 at the Massey, Crystal Bridges’ temporary gallery space in downtown Bentonville. The public is invited to attend the opening reception, which will take place from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 14 at the Massey, located at 125 W. Central Avenue.
Heroes of Horticulture documents the sole surviving witnesses to some of the nation’s greatest people and most significant moments. Some are hundreds of years old: the horse chestnut tree that shaded suffragist Susan B. Anthony in the late 19th century; the live oak tree allée in Houston; and Charleston’s angel southern live oak, a majestic living legacy from the antebellum South. To bring attention to these often-overlooked treasures and the efforts to preserve them, George Eastman House, in conjunction with The Cultural Landscape Foundation, commissioned 12 renowned photographers to make a visual interpretation of 12 sites threatened by development, disease and the ravages of time. The exhibition will appeal to all who look beyond books and bronze plaques to experience history, and continues a theme introduced in earlier exhibitions at the Massey
“We’ve done a number of shows that feature nature in various forms,” said Chris Crosman, Crystal Bridges’ chief curator. “These exhibitions complement aspects of our permanent collection, for example a painting by Martin Johnson Heade and the rare book Victoria Regia, or the Great Water Lily of America, which includes stunning large-format botanical illustrations. Given the museum’s natural setting, I expect that botanical and environmental themes will continue to be explored in our programs, exhibitions and collection.”
The artwork on display will be enhanced with activities in the Experience Art area in the front of the gallery, where young visitors may study leaf and lichen collections, learn about the tales told by tree rings and pick up tips on keeping a nature journal. Upcoming educational programs include:
- Lunchtime Movie: Land & Landscape, noon – 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22. This free film examines American landscape painting and photography from the early 19th to the late 20th century.
- ArtBuzz: Looking at Landscapes, 11 a.m. – noon Friday, Jan. 29. Dr. Manuela Well-Off-Man, assistant curator, will lead a gallery discussion about the profound ways that landscape connects us to our cultural heritage.
For more information about Crystal Bridges at the Massey, including a full schedule of programs for adults, children and families, visit www.massey.crystalbridges.org or call 479-418-5700.
Heroes of Horticulture was organized by the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in collaboration with The Cultural Landscape Foundation of Washington, D.C. Representative.
