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WHAT: "Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night"
WHEN: Exhibition runs May 26-Aug. 19, 2012.
May 26-28: Grand Opening Weekend from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
May 31-July 29: Thursday-Sunday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m.
Aug. 1-19: Monday-Sunday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m. (last entry at 9 p.m. all nights)
WHERE: Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., south St. Louis
COST: Grand Opening Weekend/exhibition evenings: $22 adults, $10 children (ages 3 to 12). No
extra charge to view the unlit works of art by day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning May 29.
SPONSORS: Lantern Festival presented by Emerson. Grand Opening Weekend presented by Wells
Fargo Advisors.
INFO: www.mobot.org/lanternfestival ; (314) 577-5100; 1-800-642-8842 toll free
(ST. LOUIS): The Missouri Botanical Garden brings an unprecedented international exhibition to St. Louis for a limited run this summer. "Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night" features elaborate, illuminated works of art from China. Lotus Ponds set in Gladney Rose Garden The striking sets, crafted primarily of colorful silks and molded steel, showcase Chinese culture, traditions and symbolism through larger-than-life displays lit for evening viewing. Experience "Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night" from May 26 through August 19. The Grand Opening Weekend celebration is May 26-28 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. all three days; exhibition evenings continue from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays, May 31-July 29, and nightly from August 1-19 (last entry at 9 p.m.). Admission is $22 for adults and $10 for children (ages 3 to 12), with discounts for Garden members. Lantern Festival is presented by Emerson. Grand Opening Weekend is presented by Wells Fargo Advisors. Learn more at www.mobot.org/lanternfestival.
"When most people think of a Chinese "lantern," they immediately think of a small, round, hanging paper lantern," said Lynn Kerkemeyer, special exhibits and events manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden. "Visitors will be overwhelmed when they see what our "lanterns" actually are. These are incredible, vivid, elaborate sets created from thousands of pieces to form amazing, large-scale works of art. When illuminated at night, they are nothing short of awe-inspiring!"Heavenly Temple
The Lantern Festival sets are erected outdoors throughout the northern half of the Missouri Botanical Garden grounds, anchored in grassy areas, pools and fountains. People, plants, animals, buildings and other scenery elements are created in three-dimensional form by shaping steel to make an inner framework for each piece. Trained artisans brush the armature with special liquid adhesive and stretch pieces of colorful silk tightly across it to form the lantern exterior. Seams are trimmed with a shiny gold ribbon for extra finesse. Facial and other fine details are hand-painted. Interior lights make each piece pop brilliantly against the evening sky.
Each lantern set portrays an aspect of Chinese culture, history and tradition. Mythical dragons, traditional symbols of the Chinese people, are represented in many forms, from the mighty Welcoming Dragon to the towering Dragon Embracing the Pillars to the replication of Beijing's intricate Nine-Dragon Mural. Several Chinese legends are depicted in great detail, including the celebrated tale of Jiang Tai Gong Fishing and The First Emperor's Quest for Immortality. Representations of the Terracotta Army warriors, Buddha, panda bears and lotus flowers showcase well-recognized symbols and figures from China.
Several sets are composed of creatively recycled materials with silk accents. Tiny glass medicine bottles filled with colored water are twined together to create the Qilin, a mythical hoofed creature that is part dragon, part lion. Approximately 4,600 recycled plastic water bottles form the Sail Boat installation. Around 40,000 individual blue-and-white pieces of porcelain dishware are painstakingly hand-tied with kite string and transformed into the Porcelain Dragon set㻡 pair of giant creatures fighting over a pearl in the Garden"s central reflecting pools. |
