Past Exhibits

Big Bugs sculptures by artist David Rogers were found throughout the Garden trails and butte. The installation provided a look at insect predators, pollinators and beneficial critters. Each piece was carefully crafted from fallen or found wood, cut saplings, twigs, raw branches, twine, bark and other natural materials and ranged from 7 feet to 25 feet long.
Photo by: Adam Rodriguez

An exhibition of three-dimensional masks by artist Gwynn Popovac. Each intricate mask blended textures, shapes and hues of natural habitats, including deserts, wetlands and tide pools. The mixed media pieces incorporated a variety of man-made and found objects such as wire, plaster, beads, fabric and stones.

Known for his ambitious architectural installations around the world, Dale Chihuly enriched the Garden trails with his striking signature blown glass. The pieces had a magical presence amid the desert plants and transformed a beautiful evening experience at the Garden with vibrantly lit sculpture throughout.

A living art installation of plants and flowers by Arizona artist Mayme Kratz. The spring blooming exhibition invited visitors to connect with the wonder and beauty of desert gardens. Dynamic creations of organic material suspended in resin were on display in Ottosen Gallery.

World-renowned artist Patrick Dougherty transformed hundreds of willow branches into magnificent whirling, animated sculptures on the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Trail. The environmental sculpture installations were interactive and designed to ignite a childlike imagination in each viewer.

This exhibition featured life-size bronze sculptures throughout the Garden by one of Spain’s foremost living contemporary artists, Manolo Valdés. Valdés’ work is exhibited around the world, and Desert Botanical Garden was the premiere West Coast venue for his monumental sculpture.

The Leaf Connection showcases the vibrant plant diversity of the Phoenix metro area through an intricate display of hand-made, ceramic leaves at Webster Center. With more than 1,000 ceramic pieces, each leaf’s design is influenced by observations community scientists record on iNaturalist, an established online platform where nature lovers share information on biodiversity.

Cactus Clubhouse is a fun and immersive nature play space for kids 12 and younger. Kids can engage in activities that spark their curiosity for nature and encourage exploration.