BOTANICAL CELEBRATION 2012

Celebrations abound in 2012 in the city of London and the Society of Botanical Artists is ready at the starting line ahead of the Olympics and the Royal Diamond Jubilee with its own celebrations in April for the Annual Open exhibition: Botanical Celebration.

In the run up to the Olympics, what better way for spectators to pass the time than visiting an exhibition of art which features artists who have earned their own gold medals and those intriguing plants which possess athletic skills or Royal associations. It is probably the biggest Exhibition devoted to botanical art in the world.

The SBA celebrates plants, from those which inspire and fascinate including rare or endangered species, to the stalwart favourites and those which sustain and tempt our taste buds. You will find some with Olympic aptitude for running and jumping, aquatic experts and those which fire out their seeds like pistols, even groups which, like the Olympics, wait eagerly to be torched to accomplish their magnificent performance.

Included in the exhibition visitors can search for portraits of plants with royal connections, from those named after the Queen and the Royal Family to those which celebrate special events like weddings and anniversaries.

The SBA is delighted to have the opportunity to create its own colourful celebration to amaze and delight its audience with artworks in a wide variety of styles and media.

This year the exhibition will be opened by Elizabeth Banks, the new President of the Royal Horticultural Society, at Westminster Central Hall where the spacious layout and improved shop facilities, access by lift and air conditioning make this an ideal location.

Admission is free although visitors can purchase a beautifully illustrated catalogue to guide them around the exhibition. All work is for sale with the addition of top quality cards, limited edition prints and members’ books for added temptation.

In addition to this, accomplished artists will be demonstrating their various techniques throughout the exhibition.

As part of the educational requirement of the Society’s charitable status there will be a selection of work by students participating in the Society’s Distance Learning Diploma Course, now in its ninth successful year, attracting students from both the UK and worldwide. Students and tutors will be available to provide information about the course to interested parties.

Exhibition details:

Public viewing: 20 – 29 April 2012 (Free admission)

Venue: Westminister Central Hall, Storey's Gate, London SW1H 9NH

Opening times: Daily from 11am to 5pm including Sundays

The receiving day for work to be submitted to the exhibition is 27 February 2012. How to become and Associate member and How to Exhibit