Brookgreen Gardens has several happenings to share this July. See below for events and exhibitions rolling out next month.
Programming:
The Gullah Geechee Program Series – The Musicology of the Gullah Geechee Culture, July 7, 14, 21, 28
The Musicology of Gullah Geechee Culture will run through September with in-person and virtual options available. It will feature the themes of tempo and texture while teaching how music is intertwined in the culture and language during interactive presentations on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the Wall Lowcountry Auditorium. Reservations can be made by calling 843.235.6049.
Price: Included with garden admission
Summer Light: Art by Night, every Wednesday – Saturday until Aug. 21
The new event, Summer Light: Art by Night offers special access to the gardens at night, backdropped by newly created light installations and live music. In addition to the lighted displays throughout the grounds, Brookgreen's indoor gallery spaces will be open with docent-led tours available at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. In the Rosen Galleries, a pianist will play nightly on Anna Hyatt Huntington's baby grand piano. On the lawn near the sculpture Pegasus, live music will be performed each night by various bands throughout the summer with sets beginning at 7:15 p.m., 8:20 p.m., and 9:25 p.m. A variety of food and beverage options will be available throughout the gardens. Guests can enjoy a sweet treat from the Kona Ice Truck, a picnic box from Harvest Restaurant, or an assortment of beverages from the Brookgreen beverage cart.
Price: Members: $12 children, $20 adults | Non-members: $15 children, $25 adults
Share your History on Brookgreen's Birthday, July 10
July 13, 2021, celebrates Brookgreen Gardens' 90th birthday! This year, on July 10, visitors are invited to bring their family heirlooms to the gardens. Experts at Brookgreen will photograph the objects, create a database and provide an opportunity for the objects to be featured in a future exhibition. Visitors can bring anything from furniture, quilts, textiles, china, silver, jewelry, coins to photographs, portraits, books, letters, maps, and antiques. Guests can call 843-235-6012 to reserve a time.
Price: Included with garden admission
Zookeeper for the Day, July 21
Visitors can become a Zookeeper for the day and get a firsthand look at working in a zoo and spend the day helping Brookgreen's zookeepers with their daily routine of feeding, cleaning, and animal care. Participants must be ages 12 and up.
Price: $150
Open Studio, July 21
Open Studio sessions are a live monthly event open to the public in the Campbell Sculpture Center Studio. Join Bryan Rapp, Brookgreen's Director of the Master Sculptor Program, and observe sculpture-making processes, demonstrations, and time for questions and answers. Included with garden admission.
Price: Included with garden admission
Brookgreen 101, July 22
Brookgreen 101 is a public information program offered usually on the fourth Thursdays of the month at 1:00 pm in the Lowcountry Auditorium. The topics may cover various aspects of Brookgreen Gardens, including the collections, property history, people, poetry, art history, corporate history, the founders, and Brookgreen purposes.
Price: Included with garden admission
Beginning Sculpting with Bryan Rapp, July 26 – July 30
This course is specially tailored to beginners, but it is open to all levels. Students will learn about the different clays and tools available, as well as a brief introduction to mold-making and casting processes. Students will also learn how to build armatures and how to quickly rough-in and proportion human forms utilizing a live model. The session also includes a tour of the grounds to discuss Brookgreen's collection and the artists represented. On the last day, participants will create an alginate mold of their hands, as well as a plaster casting to take home. Students may bring in personal work to continue or start from scratch.
Price: $325
New Exhibitions:
SANKOFA: The 14th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, July 3 – Nov. 25, 2021
Curated by Cookie Washington, this annual juried exhibit showcases works in fiber created by African American artists from across the country. The 14th installment of this traveling exhibition features fiber art pieces from 23 artists who were challenged to create a pictorial fiber artwork interpreting the Adinkra symbol of Sankofa, and its associated proverb to “reach back and get it.” The Sankofa images are a reminder to use the wisdom of the past to aid one in the present moment. The artists were asked to include one Sankofa in each artwork. The exhibit will feature 27 pieces of art, including three dolls and 24 quilts/wall hangings. Exhibiting artists include Aisha Lumumba, Carolyn Brackat, Torreah “Cookie” Washington, Janette Holland, Edith Gross, Joyce Daniels, and Renee Fleuranges-Valdes. The exhibit will be on display in the Lowcountry Center Auditorium daily from noon – 4:30 p.m.
Price: Included with garden admission
Ongoing Special Exhibitions:
Wild Bees, June 5 – Sept. 30, 2021
Wild Bees, an exhibition showcasing the works of Paula Sharp and Ross Eatman, is a collection of stunning macro photographs depicting the world of America's native bees. The exhibition is on a national tour of prominent museums, botanical gardens and will be featured in Brookgreen's Noble Gallery at the Rainey Sculpture Pavilion from June 5 – Sept. 30.
Price: Included with garden admission
National Sculpture Society 88th Annual Awards Exhibition, June 12 – Aug. 22, 2021
The premier annual exhibition of American figurative sculpture returns to Brookgreen! Featuring the work of American masters alongside rising artists, the National Sculpture Society's annual awards exhibition presents the finest in contemporary figurative sculpture. Visitors to Brookgreen can vote for their favorite to win the People's Choice Award which is announced at the conclusion of the exhibition.
Price: Included with garden admission
