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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Building History: The Artist’s Studio at the Holiday Train Show

Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 15 2011, by Matt Newman

The Artist's Studio NYBGOff in the woods of Kentucky you might find a fallen branch; nearby, a pine cone and a few scales of bark strewn about by the wind. To most passersby this forest fodder is hardly a treasure worth any attention. But to Paul Busse, the creative genius behind The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show, these bits make up the bricks and mortar of his craft.

In Busse’s workshop, a few twigs lashed together might hold the promise of a doric column, while a handful of dry leaves in just the right arrangement becomes a row of roofing shingles. Why not mold a balcony from a mushroom? Every odd and end has the potential to be a part of a miniature masterpiece, bringing new shapes and textures to a familiar form.

After 20 years in the hands of Busse’s Applied Imagination, the Holiday Train Show now boasts over 140 individual replicas, each a creative interpretation of New York City architecture. And believe it or not, each and every one has been meticulously pieced together from plant parts, many of which were gathered in the woods around the company’s Kentucky studio. The Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, our very own Enid A. Haupt Conservatory–every last model represents anywhere from 300 to 1,000 hours of work by Paul’s talented team. And to give our visitors an inside look at the care and patience that goes into putting together each one of these masterful recreations, we’ve teamed up to bring you the Artist’s Studio.

Visit this year’s Holiday Train Show and you’ll see the creation of a New York landmark in step-by-step “snapshots,” offering a glimpse at each stage of Applied Imagination’s delicate building process. We’ll even have an expert on hand to answer questions and explain everything you’re seeing, from the many tools used (some of which we have on hand!) to the process of gathering materials. And you probably won’t believe just how many shrubs, trees, mushrooms and other growing things contribute to the finished artwork!

All you need is a ticket to the Holiday Train Show and a bit of curiosity. Don’t forget to stop by while you’re here at the NYBG!

Click here to get your Holiday Train Show tickets in advance, and be sure to check out our other events as the seasonal celebration continues through December and into January.