“Flora of Virginia” Project Comes to Gloucester
Gloucester, VA (PRWEB) October 03, 2013 -- This fall, Gloucester Arts on Main and Flora Project will co-present, The Flora of Virginia Project, the first comprehensive survey of more than 3,154 plant life as originally charted by the colonial botanist, John Clayton.
The exhibition will be presented in Gloucester, Va. from Oct. 11-26 at the Gloucester Arts on Main Art Gallery, located at 6580-B Main Street.
Exhibit hours at Gloucester Arts on Main are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.
The exhibition will kick off on Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. during a groundbreaking of the Pocahontas Memorial Gardens at the Pocahontas Statue on Gloucester’s Main Street, located at the intersection of Bellamy Road and Main Street, in front of Saint Therese Catholic Church.
The groundbreaking of the gardens, which will feature numerous flora listed in documents from Clayton, is open to the community.
Providing a critical history beginning with Clayton’s 1792 publication Flora Virginica through present-day practices, Flora Virginia Project chronicles the emergence and development of identifying the numerous native plant species in Virginia.
The exhibition will present a sample of illustrations that comprise the publication’s more than 1,400 works. Accompanying the exhibition is the project’s Flora of Virginia book, a 1,572 page, illustrated hardcover account of the natural history and vegetation of Virginia, a major contribution to scholarship on Virginia’s plant life.
Funds to build the gardens were raised in memory of William Minor DeHardit, promoter of Gloucester County’s history. DeHardit also raised funds to establish the Pocahontas.
Gloucester’s Sue Perrin, who was certified in landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden, provided the design, one that represents numerous native plants to Virginia.
Visitors to the Pocahontas Statue can observe and learn about the species in connection with what Pocahontas saw in her lifetime, both in Virginia and when she traveled to England.
The planting of the gardens will be completed by the end of fall 2013, with the completed project blooming and blossomed for visitors to enjoy in 2014.
ABOUT THE PROJECT CREATORS:
Susan Perrin of Gloucester was certified in landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden. She had her own design business in Connecticut before retiring and returning to Gloucester.
Bland Crowder of Richmond is editor and associate director with the Flora Project. He copyedited and was liaison with the publisher of the Flora. He manages development and public relations for the Flora Project and compiled taxonomic descriptions for the manual. He is publications chair of the board of the Virginia Native Plant Society. For more information about the Flora Virginia Project, visit http://www.floraofvirginia.org.
ABOUT GLOUCESTER ARTS ON MAIN:
Gloucester Arts on Main is a non-profit arts organization located in historic downtown Gloucester, Va. that provides an environment for art-making, art education, and art exhibition. The organization is run by a Board of Directors, primarily local artists. Current staff includes Executive Director Kay Van Dyke and Curator Pam Doss.
Gloucester Arts on Main hosts gallery art shows and offers various art classes, workshops, and special events to members and the public.
For more information about the Gloucester Arts on Main, email events(at)gloucesterarts(dot)org. http://www.gloucesterarts.org
Stephanie Heinatz, Consociate Media, http://www.consociatemedia.com, +1 (757) 713-2199, [email protected]
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