Louie Schwartzberg

2023 Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Medal

For his world-renowned work that changes the way we see nature.

Proposed by: Hancock Park Garden Club, Zone XII

A barrier breaking visual artist, Louie Schwartzberg tells stories that celebrate life and reveal the mysteries and wisdom of nature, people, and places. He is the only artist to be inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is celebrated for his world renowned imagery projected on the Vatican Basilica.

As a humanitarian, conservationist, filmmaker, and photographer he compels us to preserve and protect the environment with his breathtaking images of nature. A pioneer in time lapse photography, his latest film Fantastic Fungi explores the world of mushrooms and mycelium and illustrates how these fascinating organisms can provide sustainable solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems.

Louie’s acclaimed Netflix series Moving Art is currently in season three. Each episode immerses viewers in the natural world, taking viewers on a journey through time and scale. With more than sixty million combined views, his TED talks are a viral sensation.

By creating works that explore nature and the future of the planet, Louie is opening people’s hearts and helping us sustain and celebrate life.

The Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Medal is awarded, by specific request, to non-members for exemplary service and creative vision in any field related to The Garden Club of America’s special interests.

Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor (1918–2014) was a member of The Garden Club of Nashville, Zone IX, a GCA director and GCA Executive Committee vice president. She served on the Nominating, Literary, and Founders Fund committees and chaired the Public Relations and Visiting Gardens committees. She was instrumental in the relocation of the Howe Garden to Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in 1968 and was a two-term mayor of the city of Belle Meade. She received the Zone IX Creative Leadership Award in 1982 and the GCA’s Amy Angell Collier Montague Medal for outstanding civic achievement in 1991. Elizabeth served on the boards of the American Horticultural Society, Mount Vernon, and Historic Kenmore in Virginia. The award was originally known as the Special Citation (1963–2003). It was endowed by the Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Charitable Foundation in June 2003 and first awarded in 2004.

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