Sarah B. Smith and First Floor Galleries
Botanical Garden of the Piedmont:
2026 Botanical Art Show
featuring more than 70 local artists!
September 4 - 26, 2026
Opening Reception Friday, September 4th from 5:30–7:30 p.m
Lee Halstead, My Petals Shiver in the Wind
Karin Kupke, Awaiting, Acrylic, ink and pastel (detail)
This September, the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont and McGuffey Art Center invite the community to experience the beauty of the Piedmont through the eyes of more than 70 local artists. The Botanical Art Show will feature a diverse collection of botanically inspired artwork available for viewing and purchase throughout the month.
Lee Halstead, My Petals Shiver in the Wind, Oil on linen
The exhibition is a centerpiece of the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont’s 2026 Botanical Art Festival, an annual month-long celebration of art, nature, and community taking place throughout Charlottesville. The festival brings together local artists, musicians, poets, educators, and community organizations for a wide range of free programs, workshops, exhibitions, and special events.
“Botanical art offers a wonderful way to see the natural world through a different lens,” said Jill Trischman-Marks, Executive Director of the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont. “We are thrilled to bring together local artists at McGuffey Art Center and give our community an opportunity to experience—and take home—work inspired by the plants and landscapes we all share.”
Chloe Hawkins, Dogwood
Lara Call Gastinger, Dicentra (detail)
Botanical Art Festival Celebration
The exhibition will also be the setting for the Botanical Art Festival Celebration, a special ticketed evening on Thursday, September 17, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at McGuffey Art Center.
Designed as an evening celebrating “the flora of the Piedmont as rendered by local artists,” the Celebration will feature artwork by more than 70 local artists for show and sale, along with live music, light fare, cocktails, and an opportunity to gather with fellow supporters of art and the Garden.
Ticket purchases support the Botanical Art Festival and the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont’s mission to inspire learning, joy, and connection through nature. For information and tickets to the Botanical Art Festival Celebration, visit Botanical Art Festival Celebration.
About the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont is a nonprofit organization creating a botanical garden in Charlottesville focused on native and site-adapted plants, discovery, learning, and community. Through educational programs, conservation initiatives, and community events, the Garden connects people of all ages with the natural world.
For the complete festival schedule and registration information, visit piedmontgarden.org/2026-botanical-art-festival/.
Exhibiting Artists:
Jenny Abrams
Nanette Alcaro
Lyndi Angermeier
Bridget Atwell
Vanessa Barringer
Joseph Bailey
Randy Baskerville
Fenella Belle
Barbara Bigler
Karen Blair
Dawn Bonner
Elena Maza Borkland
Pat Brodowski
Ramey Campbell
Gincy Carrington Plummer
Shannon Carter
Jennifer Perry Clark
Ellen J. Copeland
Saylor Swift Denney
Lisa Devaney
Lindsay Heider Diamond
Judith Ely
Brittany Fan
Ben W. Fey
Kasey Forehand
Holly Frazier
Eileen French
Lara Call Gastinger
Jane Goodman
Emily Goodyear
Members of the Albemarle Modern Quilt Guild
Lee Christmas Halstead
Robin Harris
Gail Goodrich Harwood
Chloe Hawkins
David Heller
Jenn Heller
Berkeley Hoerr
Robin Hoffman
Courtney Hopkins
Patty Kennedy Hudson
Roberto Kamide
McCrea Snyder Kudravetz
Natalie Kohler
Judy McLeod
Todd Messegee
Martha Miller
Jenny Mikulski
Sarah E. Morrison
Michelle Nevarr
Meg Norling
Wendy O. Pierce
Grace Popp
Leslie Quenichet
Molly Reeder
Chee Kludt Ricketts
Dolores Rollins
Laura Dillon Rogers
Elizabeth Tobin Rodriguez
John C. Russell
Cecilia Schultz
Jane Skafte
Scott F. Smith
Leslie Taylor-Lillard
joy tirade
Krista Townsend
Barbara Trovillo
Liz Valentine
Bev Wann
Meg West
Priscilla Whitlock
Carol Williams
Maryanna Williams
Christen Yates
Carol Zeimer
Ruby Zielinski
Judity Ely, Beauty Reflected