‘Grounded: Works Inspired by, Connected to, and Reclaimed from Lotusland’

One of the most dramatic examples of the diversity, beauty, and resilience of nature is right in our backyard at Ganna Walska Lotusland in Montecito. 

An ingenious and inspiring art exhibit titled Grounded: Works Inspired by, Connected to, and Reclaimed from Lotusland, presented in conjunction with the nonprofit garden’s annual fundraising gala this weekend, proved to be a clever way to underscore and uplift the mission of Lotusland to advance our understanding and appreciation of the importance of plants in our lives and in the life of the planet.

The brainchild of Ashley Woods Hollister, who curated and co-organized the exhibition with Johanna Burton, the Maurice Marciano Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, the wow-worthy works of art on view in the garden were all crafted from the fallen trees of Lotusland to celebrate the strength and renewal found in nature. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from these stunning artworks goes to support Lotusland. 

A couple of days before the gala held July 20, Lotusland Executive Director Rebecca Anderson and Hollister generously gave us a preview of the exhibition. 

With the lotus pond in glorious summer bloom, Phoebe Brunner’s three large scale and surreally mysterious flowerscapes, each painted on 84″x18″ planks of Monterey cypress — “The Wanderer,” “The Caress,” and “The Gift” — give us a beautifully colorful welcome to the garden. 

“I think there’s something really special about this exhibit, since Lotusland is sort of a museum to botanicals,” said Hollister. To which Anderson piggybacked, “And what it represents is a vortex of grounding and stability and consistency in this community. So to take a piece made from the wood from here and bring it to your home or your public space is really special.”

Pedro De La Cruz’s three pieces —  the colorful “Beauty” sculpted from oak, “Elephant,” with the charming use of a tree branch to depict an elephant’s trunk, and “Lotusland” a house like structure sculptured from an olive tree, with Madame Walska’s signature pink color on the walls — brought an element of whimsy and a nod to his Mexican cultural heritage. 

A stunning sculpture “Portal” by Blakeney Sanford brings her signature translucent blue ocean-evocative palette into the garden by putting this particular portal on a base of Lotusland eucalyptus. 

Another showstopper was by Cassandria Blackmore, which featured the natural wood rings incorporated into a heart-shaped shattered glass, wood, and steel sculptural piece derived from the densest part of a log.

Lynda Weinman’s “Log Rhythm” mixed media sculpture was also notable for its marriage of the natural world, in the form of a Lotusland sacred log, with the technological elements of 3D-printed objects. Weinman was also part of a collaborative triptych sculpture piece, “Call Me Mother,” with her daughter Jamie Chaos and Torie Zalben.

All in all, Grounded was blessed with a striking variety of exceptional quality work from a roster of artists that also included: Robert Andersen and Christina Roush, Hillary Brock, Ian Collings, Colette Cosentino, Jonas Jungblut, Paolo Lima, Nelson Parrish, Jay Riggio, and Cole Sternberg.

To view the entire show, visit this link. Some of the work is still available to purchase online here. For more information about Lotusland, as well as reservation instructions, see lotusland.org.