Marie Selby Botanical Gardens recently announced the establishment of the Institute for Nature and the Arts, a new interdisciplinary initiative exploring the connections between the natural world and the arts.
The initiative reflects Selby Gardens’ commitment to fostering creativity, discovery, and a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and nature, Selby Gardens CEO Jennifer Rominiecki said. The institute will operate under the direction of Selby Gardens VP for Visitor Experience David Berry.
The Institute for Nature and the Arts will bring together several programs at Selby Gardens, including its living artist collaborations, artist residency, and exhibitions, which combine art and horticulture at both the Downtown Sarasota
and Historic Spanish Point campuses. The institute will also oversee Selby Gardens’ public lecture series, designed to engage audiences with science and art across all media.
“We are incredibly excited to launch the institute for Nature and the Arts and to advance the success of Selby Gardens’ The Living Museum model," Rominiecki said. "This new institute creates even more opportunities to bring nature, art, and ideas together, inspire our audiences with creativity, and share the extraordinary beauty of the natural world.”
Another objective of the institute is to foster collaboration across disciplines, resulting in new creative projects and activities. The institute’s aim is to promote the potential of the arts as a means of expressing scientific concepts and discoveries, as well as to enhance the perception of nature and the natural sciences as sources of artistic inspiration.
“The Institute for Nature and the Arts will create new opportunities for artists, scientists, and educators to collaborate and explore the natural world from different perspectives," Berry said. "By using the arts to bring our research and collections to life, we can make scientific discovery more accessible, inspire curiosity, and deepen appreciation for plants and their essential role in sustaining life on Earth.”
Submitted by Nancy Seijas-Kipnis
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Selby Gardens launches new art and science institute
