Proposed by: a member of Middletown Garden Club, Zone II

Since 1994 the mission of the Bronx-based American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) has been “to provide a thriving, interactive community dedicated to perpetuating the tradition and contemporary practice of botanical art.” ASBA marries rigorous observation, research, and fine art techniques to reveal attributes of plants that text alone cannot convey, and it illustrates them more effectively than photographs. Inspired by the British Society of Botanical Artists, the organization was founded to create a broad-based community of artists providing botanical art training and outreach. In three decades, it has become an international organization of nearly 2,000 members in 49 states and 39 countries and serves both individuals and institutional members.

ASBA presents educational programming ranging from technical art workshops and classes, publications such as their textbook, Botanical Art Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide, and a quarterly journal, The Botanical Artist.  The organization sponsors symposia, an annual conference, international juried exhibitions, a travel program, and grants. The society connects artists, students, teachers, and professionals in disciplines such as botany, conservation, and horticulture.

David Lorence, senior research botanist at the National Tropical Botanical Garden, notes, “Artwork of ASBA members accurately portrays a wide spectrum of plant species ranging from favorite garden cultivars and vegetables to rare and endangered endemic species. Furthermore, botanical illustration is an essential means of plant identification and an important scientific tool.”