Bigleaf Magnolia Art and Garden Festival

UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens’ inaugural “Bigleaf Magnolia Art and Garden Festival” is a celebration of many different approaches to creating art in, about, and for gardens.  

A collaboration between regional artists, art instructors, gardeners, the community, and UNC Charlotte Art Department, this is a special event showcasing the intersection of art and plants!  View a wide variety of interpretations of “garden art” and “botanical art”:  painted and drawn flower “portraits”,  sculptures and fiber art from natural materials, ceramics with botanical textures, garden totems, art integrated into our Van Landingham Garden, plein air landscape paintings, and more.  

The event will include multiple art exhibits:  a juried botanical art show (Entering the Garden Gate: Plants through the Eyes of Artists”), an exhibit of winning images from our first Gardens’ macro-photography contest (“Through Butterfly Eyes”), several installation art pieces, and a wide variety of artist-decorated garden totems throughout our seven (7) acre woodland garden.  In addition, there will be several adult art workshops,  a silent auction of the garden totems on view, and a special kids’ afternoon with family garden tours and garden-art crafts.

The festival kicks-off with an opening reception of exhibits and garden totems from 6 – 8 pm Friday, May 17 at UNC Charlotte.  Exhibits will remain open through the festival and continue to be on view through mid-June.

On Saturday, May 18, from 9 am – 4 pm, The Gardens will offer several adult art workshops (registration required) and encourage artists to come to the gardens and greenhouse to draw and paint (please sign in at the greenhouse and follow our garden policies found here: https://gardens.uncc.edu/visiting-the-gardens/etiquettepolicies/.  Adult workshops will include Creating and Using a Nature Sketch Book, Eco-Printing Silk Scarves: Playing with Nature’s Colors, Botany for Artists and Gardeners, Plein Air Painting, Macrophotography notecards, Nature Weaving, Botanical Fabric Printing for Home Decor.

Sunday, May 19, from 1 – 4 pm, families will be invited to go on a “Treasure Hunt” through Van Landingham Glen to discover our installation art and garden totems.  Classes for kids will be offered. Registration links will be available beginning March 15.  In addition, kids may visit drop-in creation stations to make various pieces of garden art, including “spider catchers”, wind chimes, and painted garden rocks, plant prints.  However, donations of $2 per craft per child are encouraged.  The family treasure hunt is free.  

Artists interested in participating in the event (submitting work to the juried exhibit and / or macrophotography contest, donating garden totems for our silent auction, creating temporary installations in the gardens, or drawing/painting in the gardens during the festival) can find information here beginning March 15.  Questions may also be directed to AmyTipton@uncc.edu with “Garden Arts” in the subject line.

Registration for classes will be available starting March 15.