Ecstatic Nutrition: The Trees of My Life with Michele Oka Doner

Acclaimed artist Michele Oka Doner, NYBG’s 2019 Artist-in-Residence, comes to the Garden for a special presentation in June.

Warm, personal, and accompanied with beautiful images, Ecstatic Nutrition: The Trees of My Life is a revelation and discussion focusing on three giant trees that had a profound influence on Oka Doner’s life and work: a banyan that dominated the landscape surrounding the artist’s childhood home, the night blooming baobab at the doorstep of her local Miami Beach Public Library, and the Australian Pines that caught the wind outside her bedroom windows, literally singing her to sleep.

This special edition of the Tree Dialogues—our series that invites acclaimed authors and artists for fascinating insights into the ways we can learn from and live with trees—kicks off Wellness Wednesdays at the Garden.

About Michele Oka Doner

Encompassing sculpture, public works, prints, drawings, books, costume/set design, video and other media, Michele Oka Doner’s art is fueled by a lifelong study and appreciation of the natural world. She is well known for her permanent installations, including A Walk on the Beach, the mile and a quarter long concourse of bronze in terrazzo at Miami International Airport. Her work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum, Whitney Museum, Chicago Art Institute, the Louvre, the Victoria & Albert, and many other national and international museums.

As NYBG Artist-in-Residence, Oka Doner is exploring ways of bringing nature, science, and art together in a variety of ways. Through her unique lens, Garden visitors will be able to newly experience our enchanting gardens and collections – throughout the seasons.

This event is included with Garden admission as part of Wellness Wednesdays.

Photo © Don Freeman