ARTISTS IN THE GARDEN

May 15th - 18th, 2024

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Warm Springs Gallery, we have invited 14 artists from across the country to participate in a springtime botanical-themed plein air event.

Join us for a four-day celebration of art, culture, and horticulture, as we bring together renowned artists and gardening enthusiasts for a one-of-a-kind experience set in the historic gardens of Bath County.

The festival will include home and garden tours, picnics in the gardens, artist demonstrations, guest speakers, an orchard tour and tasting, a pop-up market featuring locally sourced foods and wares, and intimate al fresco dinners with the artists catered by Two Fire Table.

Experience the magic of live painting sessions amidst the lush gardens of historic homes, as these talented artists capture the beauty at the intersection of nature and cultivation in real time.

2024 INVITED ARTISTS

  • An original painting by artist Olena Babak depicting a spring bouquet; peonies in the front.

    Olena Babak

  • An original painting by artist Beth Brownlee Bathe depicting purple flowers with a buzzing honey bee

    Beth Brownlee Bathe

  • an original oil painting by artist Deliece Blanchard depicting an alpine wildflower field.

    Deliece Blanchard

  • an original painting by artist Amy Brnger depicting voluptuous peonies in saturated pinks and greens.

    Amy Brnger

  • an original painting by artist Lon Brauer depicting a wetland landscape.

    Lon Brauer

  • an original water color painting by artist and architect David Csont showing a window with rose bushes in front of it.

    David Csont

  • an original painting by artist Tracy Everly showing geranium blooms in a milk glass vase.

    Tracy Everly

  • an original painting by artist Katherine Galbraith showing a colorful garden path bursting in bloom.

    Katherine Galbraith

  • an original painting by artist Allen Kriegshauser depicting lilypads in a pod, with bright red blooms.

    Allen Kriegshauser

  • an original painting by artist Christine Lashley depicting a lily pad covered pond

    Christine Lashley

  • an original painting by artist David Lussier depicting a seaside cottage with a yard in bloom.

    David Lussier

  • an original painting by artist Lisa Mitchell depicting a well loved stone path lined in bushy purple flowers

    Lisa Mitchell

  • an original painting by artist Cynthia Rosen depicting an explosion of spring flowers in Monet's Garden

    Cynthia Rosen

  • an original painting by plein air artist Jeremy Sams depicting brightly colored wildflowers

    Jeremy Sams

2024 SPEAKERS

Deepen your connection to nature and cultivate a more vibrant and sustainable world right in your own backyard!

A photograph of invited guest speaker, Cole Burrell.

COLE BURRELL

  • C. Colston Burrell is an acclaimed lecturer, garden designer, award winning author and photographer. A certified chlorophyll addict, Cole is an avid and lifelong plantsman, gardener and naturalist. Cole is a popular lecturer internationally on topics of design, plants and ecology. He has shared his encyclopedic knowledge of plants and his abiding respect for regional landscapes with professional and amateur audiences for 40 years. He is principal of Native Landscape Design and Restoration, which specializes in blending nature and culture through artistic design. In 2008 Cole received the Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers for his work promoting sustainable gardening practices.

  • Do our gardening practices have a negative impact on the environment? Can we make a difference by changing the way we approach design, plant choice, planting techniques and maintenance regimes? How do we meet our aesthetic goals while providing the structure and resources necessary to maintain the insects and birds we love? Can we create healthy habitat with a mixture of native and exotic plants? These are a few of the questions to explore in terms of the hallmarks of sustainability when melding aesthetic expectations with ecosystem form and function.

DEBRA FREEMAN

an image of invited guest speaker, Debra Freeman

  • Debra Freeman is an award winning writer and podcaster that has written for national outlets such as Eater, Conde Nast Traveler, Plate Magazine, Food 52, Epicurious, Garden and Gun, Pit Magazine, Gravy, and Gastro Obscura on topics including the legacy of Black farmers, the significance of yellow cake in the Black community, Black veganism, and the importance of spoon bread in Southern culinary history. Freeman is also the host of Setting the Table, the critically acclaimed podcast about African-American foodways that was recently named by Apple Podcasts as one of the “Shows We Loved in 2022.”

  • Gardens of Resilience explores the fascinating history and relevance of traditional African-American crops including fish peppers, watermelons, sweet potatoes, collards, peanuts, and other legacy vegetables that still endure today.

ROBYN PUFFENBARGER

an image of invited guest speaker Robyn Puffenbarger

  • Robyn Puffenbarger received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in molecular immunology from the Medical College of Virginia.  After a post-doctoral research fellowship at SUNY-Stony Brook, she joined the faculty of Bridgewater College.  She is professor and chair of the Department of Biology and Environmental Science. Robyn teaches ornithology, genetics, and intro biology courses. With her husband Bill, they bird watch in the yard and all over the world, having seen birds on four continents.  Since 2021, she’s been part of the Virginia Home Grown team, filming about all aspects of gardening in the Shenandoah Valley for the VPM PBS program. Robyn is a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener since 2011 and loves learning more about native plants to support wildlife.

  • By making our yards more bird, pollinator, and wildlife friendly, we encourage other creatures to linger in our spaces.  Just a few additions can make your backyard into an interesting, welcoming environment for birds.  Robyn will talk about the ecosystem and building your plant community, whether you have sun or shade, a patio, or acres to enjoy. Following some of Robyn’s suggestions just might help you add some new birds to your personal backyard list.

Historic Home & Garden Tours

From hidden gems with fascinating histories to charming mountain retreats straight out of a fairytale, each stop promises to be a feast for the eyes

MARKET VENDORS

  • Bottle Branch

  • Blake Hill Botanic Preserves

  • Hazy's Harvest Press

  • Stickknitter

  • Back Creek Farms

  • Foggy Bottom Chevre

  • Liz Hanson Metalsmith

 FAQs

  • Events that are free and open to the public are noted as such throughout. Each day of the festival there are multiple ticketed events. Guests can select full day passes, or create their own unique blend of events over the weekend with a la carte tickets.

    Please note: the al fresco dinner with the artists catered by Two Fire Table in the Warm Springs Gallery garden is ONLY for those who purchase a FULL DAY PASS for that day, and for the 10 Full Festival Pass Holders.

  • If you want to party with us all weekend long, there is an option to purchase a full festival pass. Full festival passes are $600 ($150 savings) and include a gift basket from the Garden Room.

    LIMITED: There are only 10 of these tickets available - first come first serve

  • Warm Springs Gallery is not providing lodging for this event. If you are traveling to attend, there are a plethora of fabulous inns, air bnb’s, and hotel accommodations in the area.

    For recommendations, we suggest starting here: http://discoverbath.com/where-to-stay/

  • Menus can be found at the following:

    THURSDAY

    FRIDAY

    SATURDAY

This event is brought to you in partnership with Visit Bath County