Worldwide Day of Botanical Art, is a collaboration that includes 25 countries, six continents, and hundreds of artists connecting people with plants through contemporary botanical artwork.
A main goal of the exhibition is “linking people with plants through contemporary botanical art”, raising awareness of the critical value of and promoting conservation of plant biodiversity and documenting wild plant species from around the world. Jennifer believes that botanical art is undergoing a renaissance, with thousands of active artists in every corner of the globe.
Flora of Bermuda
The Bermuda Society of Botanical Artists is organizing the local exhibition, Flora of Bermuda. Twenty artworks, selected by a jury, depict Bermuda’s unique plants and habitats, many of which are rare or threatened. Jennifer was very excited to have the opportunity to paint Governor Laffan’s Fern (Diplazium laffananiamum). The fern was last recorded in the wild over 100 years ago and is classified as ‘extinct in the wild’. Governor Laffan’s fern highlights Bermuda fragile ecosystems, and the complex set of challenges faced in saving plants from extinction and protecting the Island’s biodiversity.
Showcasing the Red Mangrove and Bay Lavender in the exhibition was very important to Jennifer because of her experiences, as a landscape architect, in using both these native plants. The red mangroves play an important role in the landscape by buffering the coast line from storm systems and protecting against erosion; filtering impurities from the water; and providing nursery habitats for juvenile fish; just to name a few of its benefits.
To learn more about the details about botanical art and the participating counties in the international exhibition, visit www.botanicalartworldwide.info for the Bermuda Society of Arts.
