America’s “largest curated show featuring orchids” returns to the New York Botanical Garden for its 13th year at the historic Victorian-style Enid A. Haupt Conservatory — both a New York City landmark and a National one as well as the largest of its kind in the country — all right here in our beautiful Bronx.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers runs from February 28th – April 19th with a special sneak preview for members on Friday, February 27th from 10am – 6pm.
The exhibition , is a departure from the previous exhibitions as this time the splendor of these plants aren’t just confined to the seasonal exhibition wing of the grand greenhouse but will also flow to the other main galleries of the building.
Today we had the pleasure to walk through the show as NYBG staff carefully added finishing touches and also noticed that there was a more modern twist to it with “living” chandeliers of hundreds and thousands of these exquisite, multicolored beauties.
The bright colors throughout the gallery offer a stark contrast to the white, snow-filled background outside the windows of the conservatory lending us a break from the harsh winter we’ve endured along with what seems like never ending snow. (BTW, do NOT just limit yourself to the Conservatory for the entire garden — even during the dead of winter — is alive with beauty just waiting for you to find it!)
Francisca P. Coelho, Vivian and Edward Merrin Vice President for Glasshouses and Exhibitions at NYBG is the show’s designer. Coelho has been at NYBG for three decades now and graduated from Garden’s School of Professional Horticulture.
What’s truly fascinating about Chandeliers is that not only will your visual and olfactory senses be delighted but your thirst for knowledge and creative juices will be well sated as the exhibition, “will explain the extraordinary history and conservation stories of rare and endangered orchids in rain forests of the world, while also offering visitors ideas on how to display their own orchids in creative ways, teaching them how these awe-inspiring chandelier creations are made.”
The New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx is home to over 6,000 orchids of which 2,261 are different types and is considered one of the largest collections of its kind in the world.
And the best part of Chandeliers? It doesn’t simply end with just the exhibition but there is a wide range of programming surrounding the exhibition such as the following (courtesy of NYBG’s Calendar of Events Spring/Summer 2015):
Orchid Care Demonstrations
Saturdays and Sundas 2 & 3PM
Join Sonia Uyterhoeven, Gardner for Public Education, as she discusses the basics of orchid care and how to choose and successfully grow these exotic plants.
Ballroom Dance Performances
Saturdays and Sundays, plus Monday, April 6; 1 & 3PM
Dancers from Ballet Hispanico’s BHdos troup lead audiences through dances such as the waltz, tango, mambo, and cha-cha—each one gorgeously costumed and choreographed. A guided instruction gives you insights on how to master the moves yourself.
Poetry for Every Season
Co-presented with the Poetry Society of America
Poetry Walk
Deborah Landau, Director of the Creative Writing Department at New York University, curates a collection of verses in the gardens surrounding the Conservatory that celebrates nature and the beauty of the orchid through the work of selected poets.
Poetry Readings
Saturday, March 7; 2PM
Meet Deborah Landau during an intimate reading that includes selections from her book, Orchidelirium, which won the Anhinga Prize for Poetry.
Orchid Evenings
Saturdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18; and Friday April 17 6:30PM – 9PM (entry times at 6:30 & 7:30PM)
Enjoy a cocktail while viewing The Orchid Show and its thousands of spectacular flowers. The unforgettable beauty makes for one of New York City’s most romantic date destinations. While taking in the elegance of the show, stop for quick lipstick touch-ups by one of the Guerlain’s famed make-up artists, and indulge in a specialty cocktail inspired by Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale line.
Non-members $35/Members $25 (Adults 21 and over)
Advance tickets recommended; includes one complimentary beer, wine or cocktail of your choice.
Start the night off with champagne pre-party at Shop in the Garden on select nights from 5:30 to 6:30PM
Orchid Classes
Flash Photography: The Orchid Show
Wednesday, March 25; 9AM – 3PM
Learn flash photography techniques to capture the beauty of this year’s Orchid Show.
Non-member $119/Member $105
Troubleshooting for Orchids
Saturday, March 28; 10AM – 1PM
This class demystifies orchid care and puts your orchids on the road to blooming again and again.
Non-members $59 / Members $49
The Incredible world of Mini and Micro-miniature Orchids
Saturday, April 11; 10AM – 1PM
Pick up tips and learn to care for these mini marvels
Non-Member $59/Member $49
Make sure to check out more classes over at nybg.org/adulted
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers is made possible by Founding Sponser, The Tiffany & Co Foundation, Major Sponsors, Mr and Mrs Charles M. Royce, and Sponsors Karen Katen Foundation and Guerlain.
Now we wait for the Frida Kahlo Exhibition coming this May. We’ll talk more about that one shortly!
Located at 2900 Southern Boulevard in The Bronx, The New York Botanical Garden is easily accessible by subway, Metro North, buses, and car. Make sure to visit their website at nybg.org for more information or feel free to call 718-817-8700.
