Art in the Garden
Find your inspiration in Darts Hill Garden
Photographers, painters, and multimedia artists find inspiration in Darts Hill Garden Park in all seasons of the year. The Darts Hill Garden Conservancy Trust Society supports and encourages temporary art and art making in the garden.
2023 Artist in Residence Program
The Darts Hill Garden Conservancy Trust is pleased to welcome applications for this year’s Artist in Residence program.
We welcomed Scarlet Black, Susan Murray, Bob Gunning, Marian Wilkins and Willa Downing as Artists in Residence for Darts Hill Garden Park for 2022.
Scarlet Black
Scarlet Black captured the elusive nature of the Erythroniums (fawn lily, avalanche lily) in the garden using a variety of media during lilies’ bloom time in April.
Susan Murray
Susan Murray photographed many of the Magnolias in Darts Hill garden, and then created a hard copy book containing the pictures. The book is kept in the Darts Hill Garden House library, for review by any member during Members’ Days.
Willa Downing
Willa Downing used clay works to imitate plant life and landscaping, and created several amazing ceramic stumps that blended into their surroundings when installed in the garden.
Bob Gunning
Bob Gunning’s residency in the garden included sketching, acrylic painting and interacting with the visitors during the month, for the Federation of Canadian Artists, on select days between June 1-30.
Marion Ann Wilkins
Marion Ann Wilkins created a display of mirrors in the garden from June 15 to July 17. Seven “found” mirrors were placed around the garden, of varying sizes, from a large oval to a small hanging square. She painted the frames in oils referencing famous artists who loved flora and scenery, Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Klimt, Matisse, Georgia O’Keefe, also an Art Nouveau. The object of these was to engage the passerby with fleeting reflections as they walked through the garden.
2022 Temporary Art Installations in Darts Hill Garden
In 2022, the Darts Hill Garden Conservancy Trust Society welcomed the Z.inc Artist Collective’s temporary outdoor exhibition “Panoply” to Darts Hill Garden Park. Z.inc and invited artists created unique installations that contemplated the dynamic bond between art, nature and people. The artworks contributed to the cultural life of the community and inspired the public to make new discoveries with every visit to this spectacular garden. For more information about Z.inc Artist Collective visit, https://zincartcollective.ca/
In 2021, the Darts Hill Garden Conservancy Trust Society was pleased to sponsor “Resplendent”, a temporary art display in the garden organized by Surrey-based Z.inc Artist Collective. Building on two previous successful exhibitions at Darts Hill Garden, Z.inc and invited artists continued to explore new ways of making art in this spectacular natural setting. Using a variety of materials, the artists created installations – evocative, contemplative, and beautiful – that provided novel ways for visitors to experience the garden.
Did you know?
Did you know the only permanent piece of art in Darts Hill Garden Park is the bronze sculpture of a mule deer in Bed 7n? Created by artist Steve Tyree, it was placed in the garden in 2000. It will remain a solitary sculpture as Mrs. Darts was not in favor of additional permanent pieces in the garden.
