Once again, botanical artists around the world will join together to curate simultaneous exhibitions of botanical art to raise awareness of the rejuvenation of this artform and bring attention to plants and their importance to humanity. Special events will also be held to celebrate the Worldwide Day of Botanical Art on May 18, 2025.
The second Botanical Art Worldwide Project will focus on and celebrate biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species over thousands of years. The theme is designed to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available, in contrast with the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation. Plants eligible for inclusion are those cultivated for food, textiles, building, energy, and medicine.
Currently, many heritage species and varieties are only cultivated in small quantities by specialist growers on a limited scale. It is vital to promote this genetic diversity in a world challenged by a growing population, changing climate, and habitat losses.
Possible subjects include heritage plant cultivars developed by traditional means (selection, hybridization, and propagation) and their wild relatives, as well as ancient heritage crops being brought back into cultivation.
HERITAGE CROPS: Crops that are not used in modern, large scale monocultural agriculture. Crops chosen should have been in cultivation for a minimum of 50 years.
CROP WILD RELATIVES: Wild species that can be hybridized with cultivated crops to impart a new characteristic to the cultivated crop, or that are foraged wild plants.
ANCIENT CROPS: Those that have been cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years in the same form.
For information on participating, visit https://www.botanicalartworldwide.info/
© 2013 Joan McGann, Arizona Barrel Cactus (detail)
