DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN ANNOUNCES FERNANDO BOTERO EXHIBIT OPENING OCTOBER 2023
July 18, 2023Desert Botanical Garden proudly presents the iconic work of Fernando Botero in Fernando Botero: The Master marking the first major Botero exhibit in Arizona. The exhibit highlight includes significant works from the Colombian artist’s career and will open Oct. 7, 2023 and run through March 31, 2024. Tickets on sale July 14 at dbg.org.
Fernando Botero: The Master showcases voluminous sculpture playfully intertwined with the Garden’s own large-scale living collection of magnificent saguaros, towering cardons and the beautiful Papago buttes, the exhibit is complimented with a colorful indoor gallery in Dorrance Hall, highlighting Botero’s paintings, drawings and small sculpture.
“The Garden is thrilled to bring the first major Botero exhibit to Arizona. The Garden’s art exhibitions have become a vibrant and compelling point of pride in the Valley’s cultural scene since 2009,” says Ken Schutz, the Garden’s Executive Director. “In 2021-2022, Dale Chihuly’s work drew more than 601,000 visitors to the Garden and drove more than $23 million in economic impact. With several successful ‘blockbuster exhibitions’ under our belt, the Garden is excited to host the artwork of one of the most important artists in the world”.
The exhibition is a collaboration with the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach, California which is dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latin art. “We are excited to work with Desert Botanical Garden to bring a unique and immersive experience that celebrates Botero’s indelible contributions to the realm of Latin American Art, and we couldn’t be more delighted to showcase his artwork surrounded by the spectacular beauty of the Sonoran Desert,” says Lourdes I. Ramos-Rivas, Ph.D., President & CEO MOLAA.
Fernando Botero, a renowned Colombian figurative artist and sculptor established himself as one of the most globally recognized artists of our time. With his distinctive style and mastery of form, Botero’s influence extends far beyond Latin America and is the artist of our time with the most museum exhibitions. His works enrich prominent locations worldwide, including the illustrious Park Avenue in New York City and the iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Botero’s spectacular artwork can be found in more than 200 museums worldwide, and garden exhibitions of his work have been mounted at the New York Botanical Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.
About Desert Botanical Garden
Discover the tranquil vibrancy of 50,000 desert plants nestled amid the red rocks of the Papago Buttes at Desert Botanical Garden. An Arizona icon for 84 years, the Garden has grown into a compelling attraction and desert conservation pioneer, offering worldly plants, vibrant trails, world-class exhibitions, festive events and so much more.
