'Lights,' 'Bugs' Set for Mounts Garden

David Rogers' Big Bugs

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – September 26, 2019) Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden today announced that it would be bringing back “by popular demand” two huge, eye-popping and eco-friendly  exhibitions for the whole family:

 GARDEN OF LIGHTS
December 13–29, 2019

Mounts will once again be all a-twinkle on 12 sparkling evenings during the holiday season. Visitors will discover the magic of Mounts at night as thousands of jewel-toned lights illuminate and amplify the lush tropical foliage, majestic trees and signature structures along an easy-to-follow route throughout various garden areas. Highlights include the massive, interactive Stickwork installation, Signature Ridge, Butterfly Garden and the Trellis Tunnel. It's a magical way to light-up the holiday season for joyous visitors of every age, romantic disposition, and spiritual leaning.

Hours & Admission for GARDEN OF LIGHTS

+ Thursday-Sunday – 6 pm to 8:30 pm (No rain dates.)
+ Monday (December 23 only) – 6 pm to 8:30 pm
Throughout the Garden
$8 for Mounts members; $12.50 for nonmembers; $5 for children 5 to 12

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.Mounts.org or at the Garden’s main gate. The last entry and ticket sold each night will be at 8 pm.

Note: Mounts Botanical Garden will be closed November 30-December 6 for installation, and December 24 & 25 for Christmas.

David Rogers’ BIG BUGS
January 11–May 10, 2020

First displayed at Mounts in 1997, David Rogers’ BIG BUGS will feature 10 giant natural sculptures displayed throughout the garden, including a trio of 10 foot tall ants, an 18 foot tall praying mantis, and a 600 lb. daddy long legs spider, a dragonfly with a 17-foot wingspan, plus a jumbo spider and web, lady bug, and more.

“The exhibition combines landscape art, recycled art, and environmental art to showcase the often unseen animals that play important roles in our shared ecosystem,” says Rochelle Wolberg, Mounts Curator/Director.

By calling attention to some of nature’s smallest and most incredible creatures, in enormous fashion, BIG BUGS has proven successful in aiding host institutions in their educational outreach programs about  the importance of preservation and conservation on the planet. For Mounts Botanical Garden, this is a natural follow-up to two recent eco-friendly exhibitions: Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea (2017-2018) and this year’s popular Cutting Corners: A Stickwork Exhibition by Patrick Dougherty.

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​“Both of these dynamic exhibitions used the power of art to draw attention to the environment, and the use of reclaimed or natural materials to produce monumental pieces that delight visitors of all ages, while having minimal impact on the environment,” says Wolberg.

“With BIG BUGS, Mounts be offering an engaging and interactive educational program that will highlight the importance of insects, from their role in the food chain to vital jobs such as pollination and decomposition,” she adds. “This exhibition presents an invaluable opportunity for the Garden to educate visitors of all ages about science, nature and the amazing diversity of wildlife, while adding the excitement of these larger-than-life invertebrates. What better way to ‘inspire and educate through nature,’ as is our mission.”

Hours & Admission for David Rogers’ BIG BUGS
Daily – 10 am to 4 pm
Throughout the Garden
FREE for Mounts members; $15 for nonmembers; $8 for students / veterans / teachers / RAP members with ID; $5 for children 5 to 12

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.Mounts.org or at the Garden’s main gate. The last entry and ticket sold each day will be at 3:30 pm.

Note: Mounts Botanical Garden will be closed for installation of BIG BUGS January 6-9.

Also at Mounts Through Summer 2020

CUTTING CORNERS:
A Stickwork Exhibition
Daily – 10 am to 4 pm
Mounts The Great Lawn
FREE for members; $10 for nonmembers; $5 for children ages 5-12 (though January 5, 2020)

This awe-inspiring new eco-exhibition is an interactive, environmental exhibit that features an original, massive, stickwork sculpture designed by internationally acclaimed artist Patrick Dougherty and created on site through a “community build”  by 106 volunteers utilizing 30,000 pounds of willow. The exhibition invites visitors to wander through, admire, and become part of a living art experience.

Note: Tickets are available for purchase at www.mounts.org or at the Garden’s main gate. To schedule a group tour, call 561-233-1757.