BOTANICAL ART EXHIBITION AT VILLA ARCADIA, LUNCH IN PARKVIEW AFTER

This is a U3A event and promises to be a fascinating and informative exhibition!

Once again, botanical artists around the world, organised by the American Society of Botanical Artists, will join together to curate simultaneous exhibitions of botanical art to raise awareness of the rejuvenation of this artform and bring attention to plants and their importance to humanity. Special events will also be held to celebrate the Worldwide Day of Botanical Art on May 18, 2025.

For the 2025 exhibition, over 21 countries will exhibit some of the best botanical art. The 2025 focus will be on a theme of ‘Crop Diversity’. The exhibition will focus on and celebrate biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species over thousands of years.

The Southern African exhibition is being organised by the Gauteng branch of BAASA, the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa who will be celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Southern Africa is renowned for its abundant and unique flora. Many plants have been foraged and eaten by the indigenous peoples for generations, and as societies moved up and down the African continent to avoid conflict, many of their crops moved with them. With the arrival of European settlements to the Cape in the 1650s came the introduction of new crops like oranges and other citrus fruits, bananas, apples, almonds, onions, wheat and rice. Over 50 artists will exhibit and talk about their work.
The venue selected for the event is Villa Arcadia in Parktown. Designed in 1910 by Herbert Baker for Lionel Philips, one of the important Randlords of Johannesburg, it is a heritage building in keeping with the exhibition theme. It was sold in 1922 to the South African Jewish Orphanage who ran it for 81 years before it was purchased by the Hollard Insurance Company in 2003 and beautifully restored. It houses directors’ offices, board rooms and various rooms hired out for functions. The former Music Room will be used as the main exhibition area and the library for selling cards and prints.

Free entry, with some greeting cards and ‘botanically inspired’ items on sale.
22 Oxford Road, Parktown.