Events

Events are included with the cost of admission and registration is not required unless otherwise noted.

Hibiscus and the Rose, 2020. © Yinka Shonibare CBE RA. Woodcut print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Mark Blower.

Yinka Shonibare CBE: Planets in My Head Lecture Series

Fashion in Contemporary Art

Saturday, June 18, 11 am–12 pm Suzanne Eberle, PhD, Professor Emerita, Kendall College of Art and Design

Like Yinka Shonibare, many contemporary artists use clothing as a part of their aesthetic practice. Join us as we explore how and why textiles and fashion, particularly 18th- and 19th-century garments, play an influential and often metaphorical role in contemporary art.

Abundance and Scarcity: Yinka Shonibare and Food Justice

Saturday, July 16, 11 am–12 pm Jochen Wierich, PhD, Associate Professor of Art History at Aquinas College

Inspired by the history of agriculture in West Michigan, especially fruit growing, Yinka Shonibare created a new sculpture for his exhibition at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. In this talk, we will explore his and other contemporary artists’ work that engages with food distribution and justice.

Complex Embodiment: Yinka Shonibare and Disability

Saturday, September 3, 11 am–12 pm Jessica Cooley, PhD, Guest Curator, Ford Foundation Gallery

Yinka Shonibare and the Pan-African Imagination

Saturday, October 1, 11 am–12 pm Antawan Byrd, PhD candidate in the art history department at Northwestern University, Weinberg Fellow, Associate Curator of Photography and Media at the Art Institute of Chicago

Iris Show

Saturday, June 4, 1–5 pm Sunday, June 5, 11 am–5 pm Presented by the Grand Valley Iris Society

Enjoy a variety of tall bearded and Siberian iris blossoms on display, all locally grown for this judged show. View floral designs featuring iris flowers. Grand Valley Iris Society members will be on hand all weekend to discuss and answer your questions about these beloved flowers.

Daylily Show

Saturday, July 23, 10 am–5 pm Presented by the Grand Valley Daylily Society

Daylily flowers last for just one day—and so does this show. See an amazing variety of daylily flowers that vary in size from less than 1 inch across to almost 10 inches. Learn more about this favorite perennial from local experts at the Grand Valley Daylily Society.

Hosta Show

Saturday, July 23, 10 am–5 pm Sunday, July 24, 11 am–5 pm Presented by the West Michigan Hosta Society

Join us for a hosta leaf show and be amazed by the range of shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and textures available in hosta foliage. Specimen leaves will be displayed in vases and West Michigan Hosta Society members will be on hand all weekend to answer question and discuss why hostas are “America’s #1 Perennial.”

Dahlia Show

Saturday, August 27, 12–5 pm Sunday, August 28, 11 am–4:30 pm Presented by the West Michigan Dahlia Society

Become inspired as you stroll through a room filled with stunning blooms and a rainbow of color. Be amazed by flowers the size of dinner plates and discover the huge variety of flower forms available. View lovely floral arrangements and chat with Dahlia Society members to learn more about growing this beautiful flower.

Register at MeijerGardens.org/calendar or call 616-975-3184. Dress for the weather. Expect a fair amount of walking/standing.

Historic, Beautiful Detroit* (Adults) Tuesday, June 21, 8 am–9 pm $180 members | $200 nonmembers

Explore Detroit’s rich history by visiting the beautiful and unique Ford House and Belle Isle, featuring impressive architecture, natural landscapes, fine art, and stunning horticulture. Start your day at the Ford House, enjoying self-guided tours of the house and extensive grounds. The Ford House, whose architectural inspiration is drawn from the Cotswold-style cottages in England, was built in 1927 by art lovers Edsel and Eleanor Ford. Appreciate world-class art—including a 2,000-year-old vase from the Han Dynasty—and pristine vintage furniture, lavish decoration, and exquisite architecture. Find quiet moments amidst the grounds along Lake St. Clair, taking in the beauty of the formal rose garden, lagoon and a child-size playhouse, built for granddaughter Josephine on her seventh birthday. Enjoy a boxed lunch during a scenic ride along the St. Clair lakeshore before arriving on Belle Isle, Detroit’s gem. The third largest island in the Detroit River, located between the United States and Canada, Belle Isle is a singular location rich in history. Visit the Belle Isle Aquarium, the oldest aquarium in the country, and the Oudolf Garden Detroit, created by renowned Dutch garden and landscape designer Piet Oudolf. This unique garden comprises 3 acres showcasing the beauty of artistic and ecological design. Take time, weather permitting, to visit the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. End the day enjoying a meal together at the Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina, a made-from-scratch Italian restaurant, before returning to Meijer Gardens. Fee includes bus transportation, admission, snack, tours, boxed lunch, dinner and all gratuities.

An Artful Day in Saugatuck (Adults) Thursday, July 14, 8:30 am–6 pm $145 members | $165 nonmembers

Join us as we discover all the creativity Saugatuck has to offer! We’ll begin by stopping at Express Yourself Art Barn, a historic barn from 1880 transformed into a community art studio that offers mosaicking, ceramics, painting and more. Choose from a variety of fun projects to work on. Then we’ll head to Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residencies for lunch on their beautiful 115-acre campus, surrounded by pristine forest and dunes. After lunch, we’ll take a guided tour with the campus director to learn more about Ox-Bow’s history, offerings and surrounding environment. We’ll finish the trip by heading to downtown Saugatuck to enjoy a variety of small galleries, public art, shopping and dinner on your own. Meijer Gardens staff will offer an optional guided walking tour of outdoor works of art in the downtown area—or feel free to use this time to shop and explore at your leisure. Fee includes bus transportation, snack, lunch, guided tours and art activity, and all gratuities.

History of Sleeping Bear Dunes (Adults) Thursday, August 18, 7 am–9 pm $155 members | $175 nonmembers

The beauty of Michigan is abundant with rolling sand dunes, waving beach grass and wide-open fresh water. This bus trip will bring you to a truly unique place—Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore—to discover the area’s natural and human history. Begin with an enlightening stop at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center followed by a ride down the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, making stops along the way for sightseeing. Learn about the fascinating history of the area from step-on guide Eric Hemenway, Director of Repatriation, Archives and Records for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, while enjoying a picnic lunch. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the views! Explore more rich history during a visit to Glen Haven Historic Village, a lumbering village restored to the way it was around 1900. See a blacksmith at work, view a variety of boats used on the Great Lakes, and more. After exploring the village, stroll along the beach or visit the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum. Conclude the day with dinner in Cadillac at Lakeside Charlies. Come discover why Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by Good Morning America. Fee includes bus transportation, admission, snack, tours, boxed lunch, dinner and all gratuities.

The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden

Japanese Tea Ceremony in the Teahouse

Saturdays: June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, 11:30 am or 2 pm $70 members | $80 nonmembers

Witness the Japanese art of chanoyu, or tea ceremony. Graceful Japanese tea masters in elegant kimono will perform the ceremonial cleansing of the utensils, thoughtful preparation, and quiet presentation of a bowl of matcha (finely ground green tea), with commentary by a representative from the Japanese Consulate. After the presentation, savor sweets and matcha green tea. As an integral part of this program, all guests will utilize and enjoy original works of Shigaraki pottery from Meijer Gardens’ personal collection. Each object is a work of art specially commissioned from some of Japan’s leading ceramics masters. This contemplative ceremony appeals to all five senses and is best observed quietly. Guests will be asked to remove their shoes before entering the teahouse. Registration required at MeijerGardens.org/calendar.

Inside the Japanese Teahouse

Sundays: May 22, June 19, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, 1–4 pm

Experience the tranquil ambience and exquisite architecture of our authentic Japanese Teahouse on the third Sunday of the month, May to October. Take special note of the master carpentry, contrasting woods, patterns, textures and numerous distinctive details. This opportunity is included with admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests will be asked to remove their shoes before entering the teahouse.

The Peter M. Wege Library

Books in Bloom! Friday, June 17

We hope you had a chance to enjoy our first quarterly Books in Bloom display this spring! The series continues as our talented Horticulture team dreams up another beautiful floral arrangement inspired by a book in the Peter M. Wege Library. Be sure to stop by to gain some inspiration! The arrangement will be on display in the Wege Library for approximately one week.

Read & Explore: Art and Gardens Book Group

Tuesday, July 12, 1–2:30 pm

For our summer quarterly book group we’ll discuss Pulitzer Prizewinning author Sebastian Smee’s The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art. This unique approach to art history explores the story of four pairs of artists: Manet and Degas, Picasso and Matisse, Pollock and de Kooning, and Freud and Bacon. Amber Oudsema, Curator of Arts Education, will join us to discuss the influences of historical events on Modernist art as well as the particular styles of these artists. We hope you’ll join us for what should be a fun and enlightening afternoon of conversation. Reservations required. Limited to 20 guests. RSVP to skilroy@meijergardens.org or call 616-975-3144.

Cancellation Policy: Full refunds for cancellations are given if we are notified by phone or email 30 days in advance of the class. A 50% refund is given if we are notified 7–29 days in advance of the class. No refunds will be given for notice less than 7 days before the class. Call 616-975-3184 or 616-9753147, or email classes@meijergardens.org for cancellations.