Nature's Gallery Court is hidden at the far west end of the Arboretum near the Shields Oak Grove. It is a beautiful ceramic installation featuring 72 panels depicting drought-resistant flora and their companion fauna, most if not all found in the nearby Valley-Wise Garden, aka the Ruth Risdon Storer Garden. The project took place 2007-2008 under the auspices of the Art-Science Fusion Program, headed by entomology professor Diane Ullman, and the Arboretum GATEways Project. The artists were all students and faculty. The court itself was designed by landscape architect and UCD alum Ron Lutsko. It was temporarily displayed in the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington D.C. before permanent installation in the Arboretum. The Arboretum was given congressional recognition for the project. More on the project here: natures_gallery_brochure.pdf.
The concept art for the court before it was installed in the Arboretum.
The completed court as seen displayed in Washington D.C. Photo by Walter Sistrunk.
The installation while on loan to the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington D.C. Photo by M.S. Socolofsky.
An attendee at the UCD Arboretum dedication ceremony.
Dedication ceremony begins. Photo by Arboretum staff.
Closeup of hexagonal punctuation tile.
Construction
Quite an amount of fundraising was necessary to complete the project, which is part of why it took so long from its 2008 inception to completion several years later. The funding breakdown is as follows (taken from Nature's Gallery brochure; figures with * combined for readability):
• Naming of court (an upfront cost/down payment of sorts): $500,000
• Laying the plaza foundation: $75,000
• Plant tiles: $1,500
• Insect tiles: $500
• Six tree plantings: $5,000
• Walkway: $25,000
• Interpretive (educational) signage: $10,000
• Garden beds: $35,000*
• Garden walls: $60,000*
Beginnings
All photos by UCD Arboretum staff.
In Progress
All photos by UCD Arboretum staff.
Installation of Ceramic Elements
All photos by UCD Arboretum staff.
Dedication
The ceremony took place in front of the installation on a June day. According to the UCD Arboretum blog entry, speakers included Kathleen Socolofsky, Director of UCD Arboretum; Diane Ullman, project founder, professor of entomology, and Art-Science Fusion Program co-founder; Donna Billick, managing artist and Art-Science Fusion Program co-founder; Warren Roberts, Superintendent Emeritus of the UCD Arboretum, and unnamed others who donated to the project.
All photos by UCD Arboretum staff.
Ceremony attendees.
Speech by Kathleen Socolofsky, Arboretum Director
Ribbon-cutting by Arboretum Director Kathleen Socolofsky (in white), project co-founder Donna Billick (sunglasses), and project co-founder and entomology professor Diane Ullman.
