Recently I visited the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Georgia and was fortunate to catch the Curious Garden exhibit. I could only stay for a few hours in the morning so was not able to see everything but the garden itself was lovely, the weather was relatively mild for an Atlanta summer day, and the staff were very friendly. I have never been to the Atlanta Botanical Garden before and did not even know about the Curious Garden exhibit so it was a real paradigm shift for me to see so much art in the garden.
Designed by Adam Schwerner, a horticulturist and artist, the Curious Garden exhibit has 11 installations created to highlight the gardens’ plant collection and plant conservation work. Currently, Adam is the Director of Resort Horticulture and Resource Enhancement at Disneyland but when he was Director of the Chicago Park District Department of Cultural and Natural Resources, he spearheaded an initiative to bring together the arts and nature in the Chicago parks. His famed Painted Tree Project brought together works of art in a public space that enhanced the environment. These unusual expressions known as Artscapes spark conversation among the public and make them see nature and plants through a different lens. This certainly was true for me at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Adam’s creations were installed in May and will run through October so if you get a chance to visit Atlanta, don’t miss this.
Although I took many photos of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which I will post in a separate article, these photos are just a few of Adam’s installations to give you a flavor of his work.
The spirited bosk, painted maple trees, planted and hung from larger trees
The mountain flows, the river sits, a “river” of red-painted gourds
The white garden, a garden of white flowered and silver leaved plants
Chains, metal painted chains and roots of a plant in a conservatory
Antebellum aerophyte, chandeliers draped with bromeliads and Spanish moss
Chalices, small pots of orchids stacked on top of each other
Sunflowers, sunflower plants interspersed with cosmos
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