Celebrating Fiber Fine Art at the Naples Botanical Garden
Naples Botanical Garden is a renowned world-class garden featuring plants from all around the world. Founded in 1993 and becoming a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1994, the Naples Botanical Garden has been on a mission to develop and conserve collections of the region’s plants and their natural biome. The organization strives to achieve its mission by sharing discoveries and knowledge about the flora it has researched with the public, via engaging public programming such as daily tours and special programs, like concert series and art exhibitions.
One of the current art exhibitions at the Naples Botanical Garden is “Woven: Fiber Arts Now,” on display from April 8 through June 26, 2022, in Kapnick Hall. This exhibition is a celebration of fiber fine art, showcasing how artists draw inspiration from the patterns of nature, and how artists’ work can be influenced by the natural world. It features the work of five local artists, inspired by nature and in honor of nature. The works are interwoven “in this synergistic exhibition featuring material like silk, pine needles, reed, and cotton” that seeks to celebrate “the possibilities of fiber, the beauty of the Garden, and the endless potential of the natural world.” This exhibition supports the Garden’s 2021-22 theme, “Intertwined,” which considers the interconnectedness of the natural world.
Some of the art displayed in the “Woven” exhibition is from multi-media artist Mary Day, whose working studio and gallery is based in the Naples Art District. Mary Day is known for her compelling sculptural basket-weaving abstractions, in which she shows the strength and versatility of rattan reed in building what she calls “organic ‘containers’ of space.” She creates pieces that curve and bend in a flowing, almost rhythmic way, as reflections of the flora and fauna around her.
While Mrs. Day’s work is on display for the full length of this exhibition, note that you can hear directly from the artist on demonstration Saturdays; she will be present from 11 am – 2 pm on May 14th and 28th to provide an in-depth look into her artistic process and expression through fiber fine art. If you enjoy her work and are interested in learning and seeing more, you can visit Mary Day at the smallwalls gallery, located on Shirley Street in the Naples Art District.
The Naples Art District in Naples, Florida is home to 90+ professional fine artists. These creatives maintain working art studios and galleries in the District, the largest concentration of working artists in the Southwest Florida region. The Naples Art District gives professional artists a place to work and share their talents, which range across a wide variety of mediums and methods, via open hours and special events. If you would like more information about the Naples Art District, don’t hesitate to check out the FAQ section of the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization’s official website, contact the Naples Art District at any time via the online form, or call 239-249-1977 to speak directly to a representative of the organization.