NYBG comes alive this weekend in a Garden-wide celebration of Mexican Independence. ¡Viva México! An Independence Day Celebration will honor Mexico’s heritage in the spirit of Frida Kahlo, the iconic artist and outspoken patriot of Mexico who is the subject of our current exhibition, FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life. Alongside this blockbuster exhibition, visitors can enjoy an array of live performances and activities, with a particular highlight being the long-awaited poetry reading led by Rachel Eliza Griffiths this Saturday.
This weekend also features regular tours of the Garden’s collections and their seasonal beauty. The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is especially vibrant as it enters the height of its fall color, so you won’t want to miss that during your wanderings—continue reading for the full schedule of events!
Help us kick off a new season of FRIDA KAHLO: Art Garden, Life this weekend at NYBG with a festive celebration of Mexican independence! This Wednesday, September 16, is Mexico’s Independence Day. On September 19 & 20, come to the Garden for ¡Viva México! An Independence Day Celebration,with two days of live music and dance, whimsical puppets, film screenings, and a very special poetry reading with Rachel Eliza Griffiths.
The talented and popular performers of Mariachi Flor de Toloache, New York’s “first and only established female mariachi band,” return to the Garden along with the traditional dancers of Calpulli Danza Mexicana for a fun-filled weekend of live performances. Internationally-known Bronx artist Lucrecia Novoa joins the festivities with her larger-than-life Monarch Butterfly puppets. Break out your creative side and make your own flower crown inspired by Frida at this public workshop on the Conservatory lawn! At Shop in the Garden, watch women artisans from Oaxaca demonstrate their age-old techniques in weaving and embroidery.
Chard grows big and bright in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, where things are abuzz with plans for the upcoming Edible Academy Family Garden Picnic on September 27.
Kristine Paulus is NYBG’s Plant Records Manager. She is responsible for the curation of The Lionel Goldfrank III Computerized Catalog of the Living Collections. She manages nomenclature standards and the plant labels for all exhibitions, gardens, and collections, while coordinating with staff, scientists, students, and the public on all garden-related plant information.
Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’
Just about every color in the spectrum is represented somewhere in The New York Botanical Garden, but this summer blue is particularly significant. According to scientific studies, the hue is the most universally liked by humanity and so visitors to the Garden will certainly be pleased at the sight of the evocation of Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory The celebrated Mexican painter’s famous blue house was closely studied, enabling exhibitions staff to precisely match a backdrop of cobalt-blue walls for FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life.
It’s not surprising that Frida chose this shade for her abode. Blue has more symbolic meanings than any other color. As the tint of life-giving water and of the sky, home to numerous deities of many cultures, blue has been held in high regard throughout time. In art and in life it has been reserved for the most important people and things, including Pharaohs, Renaissance Madonnas, and Elvis’ shoes. The first synthetic pigment ever created, invented by the Ancient Egyptians, was, of course, blue! The pursuit of the perfect blue has molded entire civilizations. [1]
The Greenmarket’s open today ’til 3 p.m., as it is every Wednesday through late November. With fall coming up quick, we’re already starting to see some cool-weather staples—like pumpkins, squash, and other gourds. Don’t miss it, right near Mosholu Gate!
Wind down the summer this Labor Day holiday at the Garden—we’ll be open through the long weekend! Come view the blockbuster FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life exhibition and check out the associated programs that are sure to make your experience that much more exciting—from live music and dance by Mexico Beyond Mariachi to screenings of films that highlight the rich culture of Mexico, to Frida-inspired cooking demonstrations in the Family Garden, there’s something for just about anyone to enjoy.
While you’re here, take part in one of our many tours happening throughout the Garden, led by experts in the field. You can learn about the jewel-like plants on the Rock Garden Tour, or explore our historic Conservatory on the Aquatic Plant Tour, or just meander and lose yourself in the Garden, because you never know what may discover! Grab your tickets today and head on over for an amazing holiday weekend!
NYBG comes alive this weekend in a Garden-wide celebration of Mexican Independence. ¡Viva México! An Independence Day Celebration will honor Mexico’s heritage in the spirit of Frida Kahlo, the iconic artist and outspoken patriot of Mexico who is the subject of our current exhibition, FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life. Alongside this blockbuster exhibition, visitors can enjoy an array of live performances and activities, with a particular highlight being the long-awaited poetry reading led by Rachel Eliza Griffiths this Saturday.
