VERO BEACH, FL – September 16, 2024 – McKee Botanical Garden is pleased to announce that local author Chris Fasolino will be giving a presentation on “Explorers of Nature Art” on Wednesday, October 30, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm at McKee Botanical Garden. The cost to attend this presentation is $10 for McKee members and $15 for non-members.
Christopher Fasolino is the author of Men of Promise, a historical seafaring adventure, and Early Nature Artists in Florida, a nonfiction book that covers the work and adventures of three naturalist painters in eighteenth and nineteenth century Florida. Chris is currently a feature writer and wine columnist at Vero Beach Magazine, where he has been writing features about nature, history, and art since 2018. He began his teaching career in 2004 with the State University of New York, where he continues to teach via Zoom. Since 2017, he has been an Art History Instructor at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, teaching in the Museum’s education program, offering gallery classes for special exhibits, and conducting docent courses.
Explorers of Nature Art: This presentation will focus on four great natural history artists. We will begin with Mark Catesby, an English country squire turned adventurer. Catesby was a New World explorer during the colonial period, and his images of flora and fauna introduced the wonders of Florida to a European audience. We will then look at William Bartram, whose family established the historic Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia and counted Ben Franklin as a friend. Bartram traveled south to explore Florida, where he canoed across a lake full of alligators and lived to sketch the creatures. Because of his love of botany, he was given the name “Flower Hunter” by the Seminole. Both of these artists are featured in Fasolino’s book, Early Nature Artists in Florida.
Then, in honor of McKee’s beautiful orchids, we will look at Franz Bauer, who was appointed by Sir Joseph Banks as the first Resident Artist for Kew Gardens. Bauer specialized in orchids and helped to develop the scientific aspects of botanical art.
We will conclude with the great artist of water lilies, Claude Monet. Monet imported exotic species of water lilies so that he could plant them in his gardens at Giverny. Water lilies provided him with unending inspiration; they are the theme of hundreds of his paintings. Monet knew that with the beauty of water lilies, there is always more to discover!
Join us for a captivating presentation on four remarkable natural history artists:
- Mark Catesby: An English country squire turned adventurer, Catesby’s illustrations introduced the wonders of Florida’s flora and fauna to Europe during the colonial period. His unique depiction of the flamingo showcases his playful spirit.
- William Bartram: Known as the “Flower Hunter” by the Seminole, Bartram’s adventurous spirit led him to Florida, where he canoed across a lake filled with alligators and sketched them. His family’s historic Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia and their friendship with Ben Franklin are notable highlights.
- Franz Bauer: Appointed by Sir Joseph Banks as the first Resident Artist for Kew Gardens, Bauer specialized in orchids and made significant contributions to botanical art.
- Claude Monet: The renowned artist of water lilies, Monet imported exotic species to his gardens at Giverny, where they inspired his artistic masterpieces.
Discover the fascinating stories and artwork of these influential artists.
Pre-registration is required. To reserve a space, please email Jay Hansen, Membership Manager, at jhansen@mckeegarden.org or call (772) 794-0601, ext. 104.
McKee Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture and enhance a historic garden in a unique tropical setting for the education, enjoyment, and enrichment of all. McKee Botanical Garden is located at 350 US Highway 1 in Vero Beach.
