- Show Runs February 25 - March 26
- Colorful orchids & live butterflies will cheer visitors
- Show explores inspirational relationship between orchids, butterflies,
and visual art
CLEVELAND, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- February and March in Northern Ohio
elicit the "blahs" - right?
Wrong! For the past two years, Cleveland Botanical Garden's "Orchid Mania"
show has been an appealing respite from the grey of late winter. This year,
the Garden's orchid show offers all of the beauty, color, scent and magic
visitors have come to expect. In addition, visitors will delight in the
enchanting butterflies in the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse - especially
on sunny days. "Orchid Mania: Blossoms & Butterflies" will probe the
fascinating relationships between orchids and butterflies and also show the
ways in which both orchids and butterflies serve as inspiration in the worlds
of art and design. The show runs from February 25 through March 26 during the
Garden's regular visitor hours (Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.;
Sunday: Noon - 5:00 p.m.), and the event is free with regular Garden admission
(adults: $7.50; children (3-10): $3; members, children under 3: free).
Cleveland Botanical Garden is located at 11030 East Boulevard in University
Circle, Cleveland's cultural district.
"'Orchid Mania,'" says Brian E. Holley, the Garden's executive director,
"has been such a crowd-pleaser for the past two years, so we thought, 'Why not
make it even better by increasing the number of butterflies in the
Glasshouse?' Butterflies are the orchids of the animal world, and Cleveland
Botanical Garden is the only place visitors can see live butterflies at this
time of year." With an Arts and Culture as Economic Development grant from
Cuyahoga County, the Garden has expanded this signature event.
Orchids and butterflies have long been inspirational for artists and
designers. "Orchid Mania: Blossoms & Butterflies" will explore this
relationship. The design team of Lloyd L. Taplin, Floral Designer Tasha Tobin
of Fleurs, in Akron, Ohio, and the Garden's Larry Giblock will create a
striking installation in the main lobby entitled "Composition Updraft." It
will establish the artistic mood of the show, speaking to both man's creative
vision and the inherent beauty found in nature. A series of tornado-shaped
structures fabricated from the detailed weaving of natural materials, this
suspended, sculptural composition will take hundreds of specialized volunteer
hours to construct and use both live orchid cuts and design elements evocative
of live butterflies.
As visitors move into the building to visit the Eppig Gallery, they will
see a series of exotic orchids behind frames, a presentation that blurs the
lines between art and nature. Painterly moth orchids with splashes of lemon
yellow, pastel lavenders, striking whites and soft pinks; the sculptural
flower stalks of Oncidium, which rise almost two feet tall; the subtle
variations of colorful, multi-flowering Cymbidiums - this is the stuff, quite
literally, of which art is made. As they make their way through the show,
visitors will get to explore the many ways in which orchids and butterflies
have inspired art. The Garden's Clark Hall will have the feeling of an art
gallery and include an invitational design exhibit in which floral artists
have been asked to interpret the intricate relationship between butterflies
and orchids.
"Orchid Mania: Blossoms & Butterflies" includes a wealth of programming
and educational opportunities to learn about orchids, butterflies, and their
roles in art. As always, visitors will have an opportunity to "Ask the Orchid
Doctor" (Sundays, March 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.; free with
admission). They may also learn to create their own butterfly gardens at home
(Saturdays, March 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.; free with
admission). A free lecture on Saturday, March 4 by Cleveland Museum of Art
instructor Seema Rao will address "The Art of Flora: Depiction of Flowers in
Western and Eastern Art" (1:00 - 2:00 p.m.; register in advance by calling
(216) 707-2860). Another free lecture on March 18 by expert Tom Sampliner will
provide information on "Native Ohio Orchids" (1:00 - 2:00 p.m.; register in
advance by calling (216) 707-2860). Special workshops will be held in
conjunction with instructors from Cleveland Museum of Art, with topics
including "Chinese Brush Painting" (Saturday, March 4; fees apply) and "Silk
Painting: Focus on the Orchid" Saturday, March 11; fees apply).
For a complete list of all the exciting "Orchid Mania: Blossoms &
Butterflies" programs, prices and registration information, visit
http://www.cbgarden.org.
A special Orchid Mania Preview Party will be held Friday, February 24 from
6:00 p.m. to Midnight. With support from catering sponsor InterContinental
Hotel Cleveland and Gary Pildner at the keyboard, the event promises
exceptional food, drink and entertainment and an opportunity to enjoy an
evening of exotic orchids and enchanting butterflies - before the exhibits
open to the public the next day. Tickets will available through the Garden's
website, http://www.cbgarden.org, on February 1, or by calling (216) 707-2834.
Orchid Mania: Blossoms & Butterflies is made possible by the generous
support of:
Catering sponsor: InterContinental Hotels Cleveland
Show sponsors: Arcadia GlassHouse
Kendal
Show supporter: Baker Hostetler
Cleveland Botanical Garden, which began as the Garden Center of Greater
Cleveland, the country's first urban garden center, celebrated its 75th
anniversary year in 2005. A nonprofit garden, the institution is a national
leader in urban horticulture and botanical education. From its 10-acre campus
in University Circle to three inner-city learning gardens and dozens of
outdoor classrooms at area schools, the Garden has introduced the benefits of
gardening to thousands of people of all ages, interests, backgrounds and
abilities. Since its founding in 1930, education has been the core of the
Garden's mission, guiding expansion in recent years to include urban outreach,
school programs that support national academic standards, and sustainable
economic development. It has 6,000 members and bi-annually hosts the nation's
largest outdoor flower show. The Garden's website is at http://www.cbgarden.org.
SOURCE Cleveland Botanical Garden
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Related links:
http://www.cbgarden.org
CONTACT:
Peter Vertes, Associate Director of
Communications of Cleveland Botanical Garden, +1-216-707-2839, or
pvertes@cbgarden.org
NOTE TO EDITORS: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE FROM
PVERTES@CBGARDEN.ORG
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