‘Wicked Plants’ on display at Conservation Foundation’s Bay Preserve headquarters through end of year

Artists’ reception to be held at 5 p.m. on Oct. 26, with online registration available

The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is hosting the Florida Society of Botanical Artists’ Wicked Plants, a unique exhibit that will be on display through December, the Foundation has announced.

Wicked Plants showcases the work of 20 artists who were “tasked with creating images of plants they consider to be wicked,” a release explains. Some of the plants included in the exhibit “have obvious thorns, while others have extensive root systems or are invasive,” the release adds. “Other plants featured are poisonous if touched or ingested. In almost all instances, their beauty belies their potential harmfulness,” the release points out.

The artists’ reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the foundation’s Burrows-Matson House headquarters at Bay Preserve, which stands at 400 Palmetto Ave. in Osprey. Artwork will be available for purchase, the release notes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

Registration for the reception is required, the release points out. To RSVP, visit conservationfoundation.com/events or call 941-918-2100.

The Florida Society of Botanical Artists has 50 members across Florida; it is a chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists, a collective of artists with more than 1,900 individual members around the world, the release says. “Together they seek to nurture communities dedicated to the historical tradition of Botanical Art,” the release adds.

The exhibit at Bay Preserve may be viewed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Please call 941-918-2100 for holiday hours,” the release adds.

The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast “protects land and water in Southwest Florida for the benefit of people and nature,” the release explains. “Working with landowners, businesses, and government, Conservation Foundation saves land forever, protecting those special places that make this region extraordinary.” The nonprofit is a nationally accredited land trust.

Learn more about the Foundation at conservationfoundation.com.