The wood, stone, metalwork, ceramics, steel and stained glass sculptures will be sited in strategic positions around the garden forming a sculpture trail. Each area has been carefully chosen to create a site of unique character in which the artists will display their work.
Inspired by the natural beauty of the garden, the sculptors taking part in the exhibition include Heather Jansch, Tom Clark, Aurora Pozniakow, Emma Jean Kemp, Karen Edwards, Adele Christensen, Willa Ashworth, Jude Goss, Susan Long, Julian P. Warren, Ian (Spike) Woods and Pete Moorhouse.
This year, thanks to model company the Jollyroger, the garden will also have a prehistoric dinosaur model positioned in the evolution of land plants display. Local artist, Clare Wyatt, will also be drawing in the garden on Good Friday and children will be welcome to join in.
Nick Wray, Curator of the Botanic Garden, said: “This exhibition enables visitors to see the uniqueness of the plant collections at the Botanic Garden in a different light, as a context for displaying sculpture inspired by the natural world.
“The garden provides the stimulus and setting to inspire students and provide a backdrop to their work in a range of educational artistic activities.”
The sculptors have been selected on the basis of the range of mediums used to illustrate possibilities and inspire students who visit the Botanic Garden.
One educational opportunity available at the garden is the regular botanical illustration course, taught by Jenny Brooks, which draws on the minute detail contained in the natural world.
The 28-week course gives students the opportunity to build up their skills and accurately capture the seasonal beauty of plants. A number of small artistic groups also visit the garden each year.
A major theme at the garden is the study of pollination. This is achieved in a highly creative manner by the installations of willow weavers dotted around the garden. A different way of capturing the garden’s surprises is through the camera lens. In particular, the Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden offers plenty of inspiration with its architectural plants, bamboo laing and moon gate.
The Botanic Garden has a strong evolutionary theme and cultivates over 4,500 plant species forming four core collections that illustrate plant evolution, plants from Mediterranean climates, useful plants and rare and threatened native plants to the Bristol area.
Star attractions include an amazing dell demonstrating the evolution of land plants including the dinosaurs’ favourite plants: ginkgos, cycads, tree ferns, monkey puzzles and Wolly, the Wollemi Pine. Other delights include the Chinese and Western herb gardens and an inspiring display of plants illustrating floral diversity.
Sculpture at the University Botanic Garden will be open from 10 am to 5 pm on Good Friday, 29 March until Easter Monday, 1 April. Light refreshments will be available.
Entry to the Botanic Garden and sculpture exhibition is £3.50 adults; free to University staff and retired staff, Friends of the Botanic Garden, students and children under 16.