November

Gifts from the Gardens

Garden of Lights Friday, Dec. 4th - Sunday, Dec. 27th, 5 - 9 pm

Dec. 4th - 27th, 5 - 9 pm. Free admission Visitors to The Gardens will be treated to festive decorations throughout the month of December. The whimsical residents of The Gardens, including a ladybug, butterfly, dragonfly, watering cans and giant fruits and veggies, will be lit by tens of thousands of LED lights to charm both children and adults.

• Join us on opening night, Friday, Dec. 4th at 5 pm, when Mayor Doug Hutchinson will be at The Gardens to inaugurate The Garden of Lights. Visitors will be greeted by Santa and entertained by the Tower Singers of Fort Collins High School and the three canine winners of the Fort Collins’ “My Dogs Got Talent” comedic contest dressed as the Sugar Plum Fairies. Visitors will also enjoy hot drinks and holiday sweets generously donated by Cafe Columbine.
• Santa will be at The Gardens greeting all visitors on Dec.11th, 12th, 18th, and 19th from 6 - 8 pm.
• Saturday, Dec. 12th, Spotlight/Syrens and Prima Voce, from Rocky Mountain High School will entertain visitors with holiday carols.
• Garden of Lights expands as the Gardens grow - so expect more lights in more gardens this year!

ARTiculture: Ongoing through December 31, 2009

ARTiCulture: Uniting Art and the Garden. An inspiring array of garden art, including kinetic and static sculpture in metal, clay, and stone. Outdoor pieces displayed through 12/31/09. Pick up a brochure in the Visitor Center and then stroll through The Gardens for a self-guided tour. Free to the public.

Artists

• Bonnie Antich: Bonnie's work in pottery is a reflection of her chosen 'Mountain lifestyle'. She creates "green" pottery; it is thrown on a solar and wind powered potters wheel at her off the grid mountain home studio. She transports the work to be fired in a kiln which runs on 100% renewable energy provided by Fort Collins Green Energy Program. Bonnie's art includes a full range of functional pottery: Moose hair, antler sheds and gemstones are incorporated into the pieces. She has been a professional potter for over 10 years and for the past seven years has owned a gallery in Ft. Collins Old Town.
• Gregg Bessette: One-of-a-kind metal sculptures, designed by Colorado artist Gregg Bessette, Studio B7, bring a new dimension to outdoor art works. These illuminated sculptures are functional and distinctive in their content and composition. Gregg's work is ideal for the garden or other outdoor venues. Made of weather-resistant metal, the pieces are designed to be dynamic in color and texture, transforming when reflecting the sun's rays and casting a unique glow during dusk and night. Gregg has been working in the design field for more than 20 years but has only recently brought his skills into the world of metal sculpture. He offers customized/personalized designs or you may choose from the existing line of work.
• Hyekyung Chung:
• Shirley Donoghue:
• Kathi Dougherty:
• Shohini Gosh: Shohini has the remarkable talent that transforms cold, hard metal into forms appearing as soft as flesh and vibrantly alive. She captures the primal expression, beauty and vitality of the human character and the spirit within. Her work has been described as depictions of personal expression and communication. Shohini's work and commissions are collected globally. She is one of the few Indian women sculptors in the world. Shohini's bronzes explore the teams of "dialogue", illustrating the essence of relationships, narrative and interaction.
• Robert Howard: I design kinetic sculpture for the garden or pond. My interest is to create sculpture that engages and delights a viewer of any age. With the help of a breeze, parts of the sculptures will move in counter rotations, reflect light while producing visual rhythms that capture our attention and hopefully make us smile. These wind sculptures are made in limited numbered editions. They are crafted from recycled brass and copper metals. Multiple sealed ball bearings allow the parts to move with ease. I have fun creating these sculptures and each one stimulates my imagination and curiosity to go a little further. My goal is to continue playing with movement and exploring new design possibilities.
• Lynne Hull:
• Marck Leichliter: Mark utilizes technology and computer-aided design in his work and environmentally conscious materials and processes whenever possible. Mark uses durable material to create his sculptures: stone, concrete, aluminum and stainless steel. The interplay between different media accentuates the intrinsic qualities of each work. Thematically, my sculpture is about conveying metaphorical meanings that relate to universal themes such as harmony, interconnection and the human condition.
• Daun Munro:
• Jeff Sittner: The poetry and aesthetics of running water and aquatic sculpture has been a part of my life for the past 15 years. The original effort began as a creative outlet and continues now as a personally fulfilling hobby. As an architect, I have been trained to create environments that have an impact upon the individual users by crafting the only built form or container. The fountains provide me the opportunity to touch the individual in a more personal scale by utilizing the effect of movement, sound and beauty. The fountains enhance any garden no mater the size providing a tranquil respite and personal escape.
• Charlotte Zink: