Brookgreen Gardens has several happenings happening in September. See below for a list of events and exhibitions rolling out next month.
Programming :
Orchids, and How to Care for Them, Sept. 1 | 10 a.m.
Do you ever wonder how to care for your orchid after it finishes blooming? Tierney Rosenstock, the Plant Recorder at Moore Farms Botanical Garden in Lake City, SC, has a passion for orchids and has been studying them for over a decade. Tierney will give an overview of orchids, their diversity, ecology, and culture. She will include a demo on repotting and invite people to bring their orchids for care recommendations!
Price: Included with garden admission
Inaugural Brookgreen Gardens Labor Day 5K, Sept. 5 | 6 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
Join N.S. Promos and Brookgreen Gardens for the Inaugural Brookgreen Gardens Labor Day 5K! This is the 5th and final race in the NS Promos Summer Race Series!
Price: $35 (Price will increase after Aug. 31)
Sharks of SC Coastal Waters, Sept. 7 | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
How many kinds of sharks are found along our coast? Why do they congregate around piers? Why are there so many sharks in Winyah Bay, but so few in Murrells Inlet? Are they a threat to you, or you to them? Professor Abel will answer these and other questions and discuss the amazing diversity of sharks, their equally remarkable adaptations, and the status of shark populations.
Price: Included with garden admission
The Gullah Geechee Program Series – The Musicology of the Gullah Geechee Culture, Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29
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
Bird Watching Walk with Hal Vivian, Sept. 14, 28 | 7 a.m. – 9 am.
Join Hal Vivian, a long-time member of the Audubon Society and avid birder, plus a long-time member and volunteer at Brookgreen Gardens, as he leads you on a walking tour of the birds around the gardens of Brookgreen. Meet in the Wall Lowcountry Center Complex. Bring binoculars and walking shoes. A roundup will follow with coffee and donuts from 9:00 – 10:00 under the Program Shed in the Wall Lowcountry Center.
Price: Free to members, included with garden admission for non-members
Indigo Dyeing Workshop with Caroline Harper, Sept. 17 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Come and learn an ancient art of dyeing cloth with indigo. This class will take you through the process, from harvesting the plant, preparing the dye, and designing a beautiful silk scarf! You will learn about the history of dyeing with indigo and enjoy a walk through our Bethea's Garden. Participants will be shown the Arashi Shibori, also known as pole-wrapping. Arashi (Japanese for “storm”) shibori is an ancient Japanese technique that results in vertical or diagonal stripes that are reminiscent of the storm driven rain. The prepared scarf will then be dipped a few times in a non-fermented indigo bath. After unwrapping, you will enjoy the surprise of seeing everyone's unique creation and go home with a beautiful silk scarf to enjoy for years! Bring your own lunch and refillable water bottle. Please wear old clothes, an old shirt or apron, a pair of rubber or latex gloves, and closed-toed shoes. Scarf and other materials will be provided.
Price: $150 members | $165 non-members
Gullah Geechee Junkanoo, Sept. 18 | 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Brookgreen's fourth Gullah Geechee Junkanoo will be Saturday, September 18, from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the Wall Lowcountry Center Complex. A Masquerade and Cultural Celebration, the event will feature music, children's crafts, informational sessions, and cultural demonstrations. Dress is colorful, casual, or Afro-centric. Junkanoo, a Bahamian festival of costumes, music, dance, and a celebration of freedom, traditionally held on New Year's Day. Gullah Geechee culture is related to Bahamian and other cultures of the African Diaspora. Brookgreen's Gullah Geechee Junkanoo celebrates heritage.
Price: Included with garden admission
Passion of the Portrait – Creating the Portrait in Clay, with Susan Wakeen, Sept. 20, 24
Please join us for an intensive 5-day study of how to design, construct, and sculpt the portrait in clay. We will start with a step-by-step process to bring the portrait as quickly as possible to its proper proportions. The focus will then be on a very careful study of the regions, planes, muscles, and forms of the head, neck, and shoulders. Students will learn the key “bony” landmarks and structure with an overview of the anatomy of the skull. As you learn the techniques of measuring and observation, it is also important to understand that the art of sculpting the portrait is equally important. There will be discussion and demonstrations throughout the five days. The workshop concludes with a discussion about the mold-making process as well as the different methods and materials to cast with. It is suitable for beginner to advanced artists.
Price: $650 plus materials and model’s fees.
Our Vanishing Americana, A South Carolina Portrait, Sept. 21 | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Join Mike as he travels the back roads of South Carolina with his camera, discovering old gas stations, hardware stores, and drug stores. These family-owned stores with all their charm are being replaced by Big Box and chain stores.
Price: Included with garden admission
Brookgreen 101, Thomas Schomberg: Remembering 9/11, Sept. 23 | 1 p.m.
Brookgreen 101 is a public information program offered usually on the fourth Thursdays of the month at 1:00pm 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. Each program lasts approximately one hour. The appearance of special guests and the program topics are subject to change.
Price: Included with garden admission
Here Comes the Sun – The Music of the Beatles, Sept. 23 – 26 | 7:30 p.m.
What better way to celebrate “the smiles returning to the faces” than by spending an evening at Brookgreen Gardens enjoying a celebration of the songs and sounds of The Beatles! Here Comes The Sun Band is five extraordinary vocalists and multi-instrumentalists that love to recreate the fun and excitement of the greatest Rock n' Roll experience ever – the Fab Four. Beverages and light refreshments will be available for purchase. Tickets are non-refundable; unused tickets will be converted to a donation to Brookgreen Gardens. All purchases support Brookgreen Gardens a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Price: $30 members | $35 non-members | $100 VIP
Open Studio, Sept. 29
Open Studio sessions are a live monthly event open to the public in the Campbell Sculpture Center Studio. Participants will join Bryan Rapp, Brookgreen's Director of the Master Sculptor Program, and observe sculpture-making processes, demonstrations. There will be time for a Q&A at the end.
Price: Included with garden admission
New Special Exhibitions :
Thomas Schomberg: Remembering 9/11, Sept. 11 – Nov. 7, 2021
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the exhibit presents A. Thomas Schomberg's series of sculptures portraying the feelings of horror, anguish, and loss following the events of the attacks on America involving the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. Schomberg says, “This column series I have been focusing on over the last several years is a collection of metamorphic figures that can be best described as individual vignettes of emotion. Each sculpture, encompassing one to four figures, is the embodiment of separate and unique emotions…These works are giving me a unique opportunity in my career to thoroughly explore the human condition as influenced by historical events.”
Price: Included with garden admission
Ongoing Special 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
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
