This Week at Phipps: Aug. 19 – 25

By Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

There's always something new to see and do at Phipps! This weekly blog post provides a run-down of the latest happenings so you can plan your visit. Events listed below require no advance registration unless noted otherwise. 

Open Daily: 

• NOW OPEN: Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea
  Starting Sat., May 4, dive into the magical underworld of the ocean with whimsical displays of an array of sea creatures, unique plant foliage and fantastic flora.
• NOW OPEN: Butterfly Forest
  Starting Sat., May 4, watch colorful butterflies break free of their chrysalises to soar and glide among beautiful Phipps blooms. One may even land on you!
• Sea Creature Creations: A Youth Art Exhibit
  In this annual exhibit in our Welcome Center, view sea creature creations from The Fairchild Challenge student participants.
• Highlands Flora Project: Fraged Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania 
  Now open in Phipps' Garden Center, plant lovers of all ages can enjoy stunning illustrations of foraged plants commonly found in southwestern Pennsylvania. Foraged Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania is part of the Flora Project, a collaboration between Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Botanical Art and Illustration Program and the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society.
• Youth Climate Advocacy Committee Sustainable Art and Fashion Gallery
  Now open in the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, view the handcrafted sustainable pieces crafted by Phipps’ YCAC members, who are passionate about sharing eco-friendly fashion and art habits and while encouraging youth to implement this in their own creative works.
• Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ‘Aina
  Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ‘Aina invites guests to take an exciting, immersive journey through the rich history, nature and culture of the Hawaiian archipelago. 
• Planets Earth Virtual Exhibit
  A dynamic exhibit at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (and now online) addresses the pressing environmental issues of our time and proposes a new way of thinking about how to solve them.

Wed., Aug. 21: 

• In-Person Story Time | 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
  Kids will love visiting Phipps to listen to our storyteller weave tales about gardens, fruits, vegetables, animals and other fun topics. Attend weekly sessions with a special child in your life.
• Fungi in Watercolor: Understanding Structure and Painting Techniques | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  The first and most important step in developing your drawing and painting skills is to not just look at your subject, but to see! Learn the basics of mushroom foraging with the goal of documenting the fungi in a sketchbook. Build on these skills to draw a mushroom in graphite, then go on to create a pleasing composition and design a watercolor painting. Learn graphite and dry brush watercolor technique while building your knowledge of fungi. Add in important natural elements and capture the essence of your mushroom while maintaining an eye to the mycological aspects of your subject. 

Thurs., Aug. 22: 

• Greens in Watercolor | 6 – 9 p.m.
  Plants often have a wide variety of beautiful greens, and it can be challenging to represent these different colors accurately. Learn how to assess the differences in the greens of plants by observing their subtle variations in hue, value, and intensity. Practice painting different greens through a series of watercolor mixing exercises and then apply this information to an illustration of a single leaf or of multiple specimens.

Fri., Aug. 23:

• Phipps After Dark | 7 – 10 p.m.
  Join us for a glowing gathering under glass and a healthy dose of revelry and rejuvenation! Guests are encouraged to grab a drink at Café Phipps, visit our Palm Court to strike a pose with a fun photobooth from Clicksburgh, dance to the sounds of DJ Jimmy, and explore our spectacular Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea displays. 

Sat., Aug. 24:

• Plant Identification Walk: Grasses and Perennials for Texture | 10 a.m. –  Noon
  The best way to learn about new plants is to see them firsthand in the landscape. On this walk, landscape architecture instructor and plantsman Joshua Beblo will introduce you to dozens of plants in the landscape, with any plants you pass are fair game for identification and discussion. Tune in to the wonderful world of plants all around you.

Photos © Paul g. Wiegman