Since launching in 2000 with just four exhibitors in one small room, Artisans in the Gardens is now celebrating its biggest showing yet by bringing together some of the country’s best and brightest creatives.
Running for nine days from March 26, the free exhibition is spreading beyond Lion Gate Lodge and its enclosed gardens to also include the adjacent areas of the spectacular Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. A celebration of the natural world, it will feature more than 2,000 works across a wide range of mediums, including sculpture, ceramics, photography, embroidery, textiles and jewellery.
Curator Libby Wright and her experienced team have spent the past two years assembling the extraordinarily diverse collection from right across Australia, accumulating items to suit all budgets and tastes, and that vary in price from affordable (under $50) to expensive (more than $5,000). Almost 30 artists will be showcasing their work, and highlights include Emma Young’s colourful hand-blown glass pieces, Colleen Southwell’s refined paper sculptures and Nettie Sumner’s delicate wire and clay hanging pods.
All items in the exhibition are for sale, with proceeds going towards supporting the artists and the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens – a not-for-profit organisation devoted to protecting, promoting and contributing to the development of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah and the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
In addition to the exhibition there will also be an exclusive evening event on April 1. Presented by Archie Rose Distilling Co and held in the Lion Gate Lodge, it will provide a wonderful opportunity to browse the impressive collection of artworks while sipping on bespoke cocktails and enjoying a live demonstration by artist Araceli Adams.
To find out more about Artisans in the Gardens, head to the website. Tickets for the Artisans x Archie Rose event can be purchased here.