Artisans A triumphant return

WINTER UPDATE

ARTISANS IS BACK Artisans in the Garden made a triumphant post-COVID return to the Royal Botanic Garden in April, with the event generating in excess of $230,000 in sales.

This year’s exhibition was curated for the first time by Libby Wright and featured a range of artists and artworks, with more than 3,000 pieces presented across mediums such as jewellery, ceramic, sculpture, hand-blown glass and textiles.

More than $50,000 in artworks were sold on a warm opening night event, at which guests enjoyed the opportunity to taste a eucalypt mule cocktail from the Gardens’ new partner Archie Rose Distilling Co. Over the nine days the exhibition ran, Foundation & Friends volunteers also managed a café, which contributed almost $6,000.

The success of the event comes just six months after an online-only version of Artisans exceeded expectations by delivering more than $100,000 in sales, with smaller, easily shipped works such as homewares and jewellery proving popular to an Australia-wide audience.

Exhibition Project Manager Julia Sparkes confirmed that Artisans will be back at the Royal Botanic Garden in late October – the first time two Artisans exhibitions have taken place in the same year. "The success of our first event shows that people are exceptionally eager to reconnect with the Gardens by supporting events such as Artisans," says Sparkes. "I’m confident that enthusiasm will flow through to October, when Artisans will celebrate its 21st anniversary. To mark the occasion, we will be inviting 21 artists, whose work has spanned the history of the event, to take part. In addition, we will be displaying work by some exciting upcoming artists.”

Lisa Hoelzl FEMMES’ FLORAL EXTRAVAGANZA The Royal Botanic Garden will host an eye-catching exhibition in August showcasing the unique work of Sydney’s most creative florists.

Femmes, curated by Fleurs de Villes in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, will be a 10-day floral exhibition celebrating “strong, remarkable women”.

Created in 2016 by two Canadian friends, Fleurs de Villes organises floral exhibitions in major cities around the world. In each destination, the company invites local florists, designers, growers and nurseries to create floral couture “beyond the bouquet”. As well as showcasing the work of Sydney florists, the event will offer a range of pop-up activations, including flower-market stalls, floral-themed cocktails, workshops, talks by expert scientists and horticulturists, high teas and bespoke dining experiences.

Foundation & Friends has been nominated as the exhibition's charity partner.

FEMMES

19–28 AUGUST Entry $20 adults / $10 seniors & children

The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

ARTISANS IN THE GARDENS

29 OCTOBER–6 NOVEMBER 10AM–4PM Opening Night: 28 October Lion Gate Lodge, Royal Botanic Garden

WINTER WORKSHOP FOR GARDEN ENTHUSIASTS A series of workshops will provide members with the chance to sharpen their gardening skills this winter.

Three Foundational Gardening Skills workshops, run by the Garden's experts, will take place at the Royal Botanic Garden's Rathborne Lodge between June and August.

Each six-hour workshop will have a different focus, with the first tackling Basic Botany for Beginners (4 June), followed by Soil Science for Gardeners (2 July) and Plant Nutrition and Watering (6 August). Prices start from $162 per workshop for Foundation & Friends members.

Meanwhile, expert horticulturist and Growing Friends volunteer Greg Lamont will explore the Fundamentals of Propagation at the Royal Botanic Garden's Maiden Theatre on 27 August.

The three-hour workshop will look at how to propagate plants from the Gardens' living collections, with instruction on cuttings and gaining an understanding of potting mixes and plant care. The hands-on workshop costs $70 per person for members. For more information on the workshops see this issue's diary (page 33) or visit botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

SYDNEY SCIENCE TRAIL As part of this year’s National Science Week in August, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan are creating fun science trails.

The initiatives offer kids the chance to “become a scientist for a day”, with a range of interactive STEM-based activities on offer for all the family, including live experiments, behind-the-scenes tours, and opportunities to meet the Gardens’ scientists and use scientific equipment.

The Royal Botanic Garden Science Trail will be open on Saturday 13 August from 11am–3pm, while the Australian Botanic Garden will unveil its Science Trail on Saturday 20 August from 10am–2pm. For more information visit botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On This July marks 40 years since a passionate and dedicated group of people came together to establish Friends of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney. They came together with a shared vision to protect, promote and support your wonderful Gardens. That vision and those values live on to this day in our organisation, and we see this 40th year as a celebration of the incredible contribution of so many to our organisation.

It is also a year to say thank you – for the many hours of volunteering, for the generous donations, for the sharing of expertise, for the heartfelt passion and for the many enduring friendships.

If you look across the three amazing Gardens, you see the incredible impact of Foundation & Friends everywhere. We have funded and supported a huge range of diverse projects, from important infrastructure and groundbreaking research, to vital equipment and innovative education programs. We have helped open up the richness of your Gardens to a huge crosssection of the community, and at times we have had to fight hard to ensure this rich heritage and beauty is protected.

Our function has become even more critical as the Gardens’ vital role in protecting plant life is more important than ever with the growing impact of climate change across the planet.

As I learn more about the innovative scientific work of the Gardens, I see that in many cases the Gardens play an important part as the last line of defence for so many threatened plants. Without the work of our Gardens, supported by Foundation & Friends, many plants would face a very uncertain future.

The theme for our end-of-financial year appeal focuses on the remarkable role our Gardens and scientists play in ensuring the survival of so many threatened species. What brings me hope is that the team at the Gardens know what we need to do. They have the knowledge, skills and capability to ensure the future of our plants – they just need the resources, partners and support to get it done.

As we look forward to the next 40 years, I see us continuing to play such a critical role in the future of your Gardens. Thank you for being an important part of the Foundation & Friends and for being part of that journey.